Anyone have any experience with Orvis Sonic Seam waders?

[Cody Williams]

Hi everybody, my waders finally gave up the ghost last season and I'm in the process of looking for a new set. I've been wanting to try breathables because my hunting style usually involves lots of walking around and packing into spots, and with neoprenes I usually end up drenched in sweat. I really like the looks of these from Orvis-http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=3C20&dir_id=1089&group_id=22609&cat_id=22648&subcat_id=22687&csc=true

I really like the attached hiking boot idea, seems like it would work great for both deep mud and packing in to spots. I know Orvis is sometimes seen as a yuppie company but their products are also pretty solid and I really like their guarantee, pretty similar to LL Bean. Typical season temps for me range from the 50s in the early season down to 5 or 10 below late in the year, and I really like the idea of layering up under breathables. $370 is a pretty big bite but their guarantee and the longevity of their products might make it worthwhile. Anyone out there have any hands-on experience with these? Thanks for any input.

 

[CPKBasil and Robert]

Orvis has burned me in the past on breathable waders. Read the fine print. In my experience, they offer a limited warranty with declining coverage on waders.

LL Bean waterfowl waders can't be beat. I've used their breathable models for years. Yes, I've had them fail, but they've replaced them no-questions-asked. I'm thinking of upgrading to the Helix model this year.

 

[Jeff Reardon]

I've had Orvis waders, but not the model you reference. They worked fine.

Two companies come up over and over again as top of the line for breathable waders--Simms and Patagonia. Both are pricey; neither makes waders in camo.

I'm on my third pair of Patagonia waders, and typically get 3 years of both fishing and hunting out of a pair. I've had to deal with customer service once, and they were fantastic--replaced a pair of waders that were a year and a half old with a brand new pair. They did ask me a lot of questions before they sent a new pair. They told me their standard is that a user ought to get 200 days of service in the field out of one of their products.

Did I mention they were pricey?

Orvis gets kudos from me as the only source I can find anymore for size 15 wading boots.