How to Patch Breathable Waders
Lightweight breathable waders make fishing much more comfortable and enjoyable for the wading fisherman. They can be expensive to replace, so repairing holes and tears can save a lot of money by extending the life of your waders. This article will give you methods for do-it-yourself repair, allowing you to use that money allocated to your fishing budget for fishing trips and not wader repair.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Waterproof Marker
- Flashlight
- Blower or vacuum
- Bathtub
- Nylon stocking
- Alcohol
- Small spray bottle
- Roll of wide masking tape
- Adhesive "goo," such as Aquaseal® or similar
- Household iron
- Iron-on heat tape
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Find the leak and repair.
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1
Find the exact location of a link in a pair of breathable waders. This can be tricky. It's actually more difficult than the actual repair. Here are three methods that can be used separately or in combination to find the leak. With the first, small tears and punctures can be found by using a flashlight. Go inside a closet or other dark room--you want it to be as dark as possible. Put the flashlight up tight against the inside of the wader and move it around in the general area where you think there may be a leak. Look for a bright spot on the outside of the waders. Mark the area as accurately as possible with the waterproof marker.
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2
Use an air blower or vacuum cleaner that allows for the air flow to be reversed. Fill a bathtub partially with water. Take the area of the waders above the suspected leaky area and wrap it around the hose of the blower. You can adjust the amount of air pressure in the wader by either tightening or relaxing your grip. Lower the waders gently into the water in the bathtub. There is a leak wherever you see active air bubbles emerging from the waders. Mark this area.
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3
Fill a small spray bottle with rubbing alcohol. Spray the alcohol liberally on the outside of the wader where you suspect the leak. Turn the wader inside out and look for a dark spot on the waders. Do this quickly because alcohol evaporates fast. Again, mark the area.
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4
Repair of larger tears. If your waders came with an extra piece of breathable material for patches, cut a piece to a size about quarter-inch bigger than the tear on all sides. Turn your iron to low polyester setting. Turn the waders inside out, place the material over the tear, cover the edges of the material with heat tape, and press firmly with the iron for 10 to 15 seconds.
If you do not have the original piece of repair material, you can use a piece of nylon stocking and adhesive "goo" like Aquaseal®. With this method, you can put the patch on either the inside or outside of the waders, depending on your preference. For high-stress areas, such as seams or the crotch of the waders, consider putting a patch on both the inside and the outside of the waders. Cut the stocking to size as described above and apply the goo. Use sufficient amount of the adhesive to penetrate the stocking fibers and also form a layer on top of it. Allow it to dry.
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5
For small tears, pinholes or punctures, turn the waders inside out and then simply dab the goo onto the hole or tear, working it in as best as possible. Allow to dry.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Take note of the opposite side of the waders when gluing, it is easy to accidentally glue two pieces of your waders together that don't belong that way.
