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[canoeboy]

The warrenty for simms has nothing to do with the retailer, and as far as using a higher value product to be honest I'm scared the same crap is going to happen. Then instead of being out 600$ I'm out 1200.  I was hoping for some sort of fix ralph but alas I'm not so lucky.
They are being shipped back to me I believe so I'll have to pay for shipping there and back on something they refuse to fix. Maybe I'll look into fixing it myself but we will see.

The next pair of waders will not be simms that I can tell you for sure. I've looked at reviews for patagonias and they seem like a good fit.

Other research online has all brought up alot of issues with simms warrenty since they were bought out.

[Roderick]

Simms doesn't even make the plain G4 anymore, only the G4Z. 
I phoned them about some old (past warranty) G4 waders that needed repair. I told them I wanted the neoprene booties replaced and was willing to pay.  They said to OK and to send them in so I did.  They sent them right back to me with no repairs.  At least they coulda said no over the phone before I spent $$ on shipping.  I think I'm going to give Patagonia a try next time I'm buying. 

[RalphH]

The Simms story has turned into one of shifting corporate ownership. In 2022 Simms was bought by Vista Outdoors which owned 40 some brands focused on ammunition and outdoor clothing. This year Vista separated it's outdoor brands into Revelyst, a public company which was then acquired by the Czechoslovak Group, a holding company with a portfolio of over 100 companies mostly focused on aerospace, defense and other heavy industries like rail. Hard to see how Simms fits in that. My guess is the brand and possibly the Simms outfit in Bozeman will be sold off and production moved offshore. It looks like a slow death for one of sportfishing's most beloved product lines.

[clarki]

I bought a pair of the simms Freestones in October and had both boots develop holes in them by middle of November. I sent them in at the end of November for repair as they have 1 year warrenty on repairs. I just heard back from them last week. " your waders have reached end of life and we will not be repairing them"

From the outside, it does seem unreasonable to determine waders approx a month old to be "end of life", but there are two sides to every story and without seeing the waders and not understanding the intricacies of a Simms warranty, it's hard to say if you are being unfairly treated, or if your experience, while it sucks, is consistent with their warranty process. Either way, I think you would have a reasonable expectation that end of life would be longer than a month.

There is a Simms thread on this site from Sept 2023 and member uliwon (Scott Baker-McGarva) joined the chat. He was, and maybe still is the regional Simms rep (if I understand correctly). He wrote "Simm's sells 1000's of waders ever year, so understandably, they see alot of warranty claims and know whats wear and tear and whats a defect"

The warrenty for simms has nothing to do with the retailer, and as far as using a higher value product to be honest

True, however if you bought them from a retailer who has good customer care (even better, one that does a high volume of Simms sales) they may be able to go to bat for you, perhaps even reach out to the Simms rep. That's if you are being screwed over. If you are just on the unfortunate end of a legit warranty decision, then maybe not.

At any rate, you're in a sucky position...   Good luck.

[RalphH]

I'd say the next step is to talk with the manager or owner at the shop you purchased them from. That's worked for me on a couple of occasions. Most wader problems can be repaired even if the waders have reached their end of life. Neoprene feet are far easier to fix than other issues such as separation of seams in Gore-Tex fabric however both can often be dealt with by careful application of aquaseal. I have done it myself. I sealed the crotch seams on my 1st pair of G3s with aqualseal & they are waterproof. I even patched a large 2 inch tear in a pair of neoprenes some years back.  There used to be a few places locally that would repair waders  for a fee but I don't know of anyone that does now. There is a place in Richmond that specializes in repairs in technical clothing; Renewt. Contact:  Hello@renewt.com 604-242-3188.

[RalphH]

there are alternatives to Simms and Patagonia.

Orvis and Redington are two that have very good reputation and following. LL Bean has been in the business for decades. Some folks are happy with Cabelas house brand. Frogg Toggs (via Amazon) is another option. Most of these have to be bought online. LL Bean has a shop in Brentwood Burnaby and I understand will take fishing apparel for warranty work that is shipped to Maine.

A number of new companies have also appeared. Skwala seems to be getting the most attention. Dryft  (https://dryftfishing.com ) based in Bellingham just across the border has an extensive line up - they don't have a brick and mortar store, online only. Briver (https://www.briversports.com) is US based but has a focus on Canadian orders. Their Canadian site quotes prices and shipping in Canadian with duties & taxes etc included  There is also Bassdash and 8fans

[redside1]

Ralph

Frog Toggs is readily available to all tackle shops across the country from tackle distributors. Some shops may not stock them but many do so they don't necessarily need to be purchased on line.

[RalphH]

Ralph

Frog Toggs is readily available to all tackle shops across the country from tackle distributors. Some shops may not stock them but many do so they don't necessarily need to be purchased on line.

I haven't seen any in a shop since Army & Navy shut their doors. Nor have I seen any listed on any Tackle Shop website here in the Lower Mainland for years.

[ShaunO]

Come to think of it, I don't remember the last time I saw them on the shelf in a local tackle shop.