The Orvis Pro Waders saved my butt in Patagonia. I had 4 pairs of old waders in my van and they all leaked. I tried patches and glue, and they still leaked. I just couldn’t get it figured out and it was driving me crazy. Luckily, a friend came to visit and brought a new pair of waders along. They were the Orvis Pro model and I’m still wearing them a good 5 months later with some serious wear and tear considering the short amount of time. The make the waders in models specific to men and women. Here’s my take on these fishing waders.
Wader Comfort Level
I like to start with comfort when it comes to waders because I’ve owned some expensive models that never quite fit right and it wasn’t a sizing issue. Orvis has a major advantage in the wader market because they own the sonic weld technology. Given the resource, every other brand would use the exact same seam sealing technique but they simply don’t have rights to the technology.
This allows for a little more give in the seams and the waders are flat out comfortable as a result. They don’t ride up my crotch and they fit great while providing a little wiggle room. I can gain and lose 20 pounds and they still fit without suffocating me. That’s a hard quality to find in fishing waders. Hiking, bending and even running in these things is actually comfortable which I love. It helps to motivate when I want to push the limits and cover some ground. Overall, I’d place these in my top two for all-time comfort and I’ve run through at least 12 pairs of waders in the past decade.
Key Features
When it comes to features in waders, less is more in my opinion. The Orvis Pro has fleece lined pockets, one chest pocket and an attachable gear pouch. I removed the gear pouch but it could work well for some anglers. I just don’t see the need for that much stuff hanging off the waders. The big feature that surprised me were the knee pads. When I first saw them, Skylar and I had a few good jokes but now, I don’t ever see myself fishing without the pads. You can crawl around on rocks and handle fish without banging up your knees. I hadn’t realized how much time I spent on my knees until I had the pads. They are exceptional.
How Durable are the Orvis PRO Waders?
I wore these for 6 very hard weeks in Patagonia. I’m talking thorns as long as fingers, rough brush and long hikes. They held up without a single leak or any significant wear. The welding process leaves no seams so they don’t have those normal wear points.
After Patagonia, I jumped right back into fishing the states and have put a solid 60 days on them since returning. Also hiking, rowing boats and pushing them hard. So far, no leaks. The seams are tight and the material is durable. Even hardcore anglers should expect multiple years of hard use for the Orvis PRO Waders.
