Repairing Breathable Chest Waders

A leak in your expensive breathable chestwaders can be frustrating. While many companies will repair the waders for free, you may not want to wait. You can repair them at home easily.

Finding a Leak
The first thing that you must do before repairing a leak in your breathable chest waders is to find the leak in them. This can be an easy job, or a rather complicated job.

If you’re able to get right ashore, you can check for a leak by turning your waders inside out. Any dark spots on the lining of your waders will indicate a leak. However, if this isn’t possible, or you are unable to pinpoint the leak, you may have to take them home and resort to other methods. Make sure that you don’t forget to mark each leak that you find.

• One of the easiest ways to detect a leak at home is by using a low pressure air hose. If your vacuum cleaner has a reverse setting on it, this is perfect. Put the nozzle into the waders and tie it shut. Turn on the vacuum cleaner, but be careful not to over inflate the waders. You’ll end up with a large wader shaped balloon.While the waders are filled with air, you have a couple choices. The easier of the to is to rub them with soapy water, and watch for any bubbles. It’s the same concept as checking a tire for leaks - where you see bubbles, there is a leak. You can also submerge them a little at a time in a tub filled with water.
• Instead of filling your chest waders with air, you can also fill them with water. If water is not visibly leaking from the inside, rub the outside of the waders, again, with soapy water. If you see bubbles, there is a leak.
• Waders can be submerged in a tub of water without being filled with air or water. Submerge them into a river or a tub filled with water. Do this one section at a time. After each section, turn them inside out and check for any water that has leaked in.
• A leak can be found in your breathable waders by using a flashlight. Take the waders, a flashlight, and a marker with you into a dark room. Put the flashlight into the waders and move it inside. Look for any light coming through on the outside, and mark the spot of the hole.

Repairing a Leak

Almost all waders come with a repair kit. After repairing a tear, you can use them right away, but it is best to wait at least twelve hours before going into the water. If you have already used it, or you have lost it, never fear! There are other ways to repair a hole in your breathable waders.

A product called Aquaseal can be a saving grace for anyone with a pair of waders, whether breathable or not. It is a type of waterproof glue made just for waders. Aquaseal also makes a wader repair glue that is activated by the sun’s UV rays called Aquaseal UV.

Aquaseal repair kits come with a tube of Aqua seal glue and patches, and they usually cost around $7. Patches can be stuck to either the inside or outside of your breathable chest waders. For added strength, you may want to apply a patch to both sides.

If all you have is the glue, you can still repair your breathable waders using a piece of nylon stocking. Cut a piece of the stocking to fit the hole, and don’t forget that it needs to overlap a bit. Apply glue to the waders, and stick the nylon to the glue. Use enough glue to go through the nylon, and allow a layer of he glue to dry on top of the nylon.

If the hole is tiny, you may not even need a patch. Turn the waders inside out, and locate the hole. Dab glue into the pinprick and work in. Allow the glue to dry completely.