Our friend Bill Lenehan wrote up another great, practical gear-oriented tip for your reading pleasure.
Thanks, Bill!
Finding and Fixing Leaks in Your Gore-Tex Waders
There are few items on your packing list to Alaska, BC, or Tierra del Fuego as important as your Gore-Tex waders and rain jacket. Arriving thousands of miles from the nearest fly shop only to find pin-hole leaks is no fun. Especially since you will only realize it when you are miles from camp stepping through the first run and will have to live with it for at least a day. Better to arrive knowing that you are leak free.
At the end of the day, it is usually pretty obvious when you have a leak – your legs and feet with be wet and freezing. But actually identifying a pin-hole leak or an abrasion in the Gore-Tex that is now permeable used to be a challenge. Folks used to recommend filling a bathtub, pumping air into your submerged waders with a vacuum on reverse, and looking for bubbles. As you can imagine this is a bit of an awkward process.
Here is an easier way: make sure your waders are completely clean and dry, turn them inside out, and spray them with rubbing alcohol. A small plastic spray bottle is perfect for this. Pin holes and abrasion spots will significantly darken and become very obvious. Just mark the spots with a piece of duct tape or a clothing marker. Wait for the alcohol to dry and rub liberally with Aquaseal
Best to do this well before the trip because you need to be realistic about what can be repaired at home. Big seam leaks are very tough to fix for the long term. If, after a good spray, the inside of your waders look like a Gore-Tex leopard, it may be time for a new pair.
Never tried the rubbing alcohol method, but will now. I just fill up the waders with the water hose one leg at a time. Works fine for leg leaks. Happiness is dry waders–always keep backup waders (Cabela’s Premium Dry-Plus–on sale now) with me on trips as the ultimate in wader repair.
Yup, this does seem to work. Agree with Tom above, the best wader repair is an extra pair.
I have used this method and it works as stated.
Here’s how to spot the leaks:
put the vacuum cleaner on reverse. Roll up the chest part of the waders around the vacuum pvc stalk and secure it tightly with bungee cord and some clothesline. The vacuum will blow up the waders and while they are inflated go over the seams and questionable parts with a sponge or brush dipped in soapy water. The pinhole leaks will be immediately visible; mark them with colored chalk and when the waders are dry apply Aquaseal thinly and carefully.