vision extremes waders

[crawfish]

i hear vision are scrubbing their extreme waders line only to return with the vision extreme waders with a zip on the front like the rapidor ones at the same price, if you ask me if it ain't broke don't fix it

[turrifftackle]

Hi

That is correct although the zip was available on the top of the range Radipor last season.
It caused no grief so they have put it in the Extremes.

However you can have the new Gillie range which are a clone of the Extremes at the same price.

Frank

[wilbert]

I will be getting a new pair of the extremes complete with zip later this month to replace the extremes that I have used and abused for 4 seasons. Only ever got 1 hole in them which resulted from sliding down a rock on my ar*e but after walking literally 100's of miles in them and standing in water for many 100's of hours the seams on the inside of the leg have gone and leak quite a bit even after lots of aquasure. The newer model dont have a leg seam on the inside so this problem is unlikely to occur again.

[macrio]

I have been looking to buy a pair of stocking foot waders for this season and noticed 1 of the mail order firms selling Vision Extremes at £139, is this a good deal?

[elwyman]

macrio said:

I have been looking to buy a pair of stocking foot waders for this season and noticed 1 of the mail order firms selling Vision Extremes at £139, is this a good deal?

Yes - you won't get them any cheaper than that macrio!

[elwyman]

This article on breathable wader material is well worth a read:

www.itinerantangler.com/podcasts/2006/07/article_breathing_underwater.html

This extract about "wet out" struck a chord with me:

One of the areas of greatest innovation in the past ten years has been DWR treatments applied to breathable fabrics. This is the stuff that makes water bead up on your waders or jacket. The first DWR treatment to hit the market was called Scotch Guard, and you may recall having applied it to your sofa. According to Ned Hutchinson, the fly-fishing product designer at Cloudveil, you can imagine DWR like “a forest of trees.” On a molecular level, the DWR coating has a series of tiny, round, water-repellent spheres, which make up a “canopy.” The canopy stands above the exterior layer of the breathable fabric on a set of tiny “trunks,” just like a forest. When a droplet of liquid water hits the DWR treatment, it gets caught in the “leaves” of the canopy and cannot penetrate to the actual fabric, making water bead up.

Unfortunately this tiny protective forest is not indestructible. Over time, through use and wear, the trunks of these trees can break, removing the protection and resulting in “wet out.” Dirt is also a major culprit in causing wet out, since it crushes those “trunks” and crusts over the canopy. Remember the last time you got in the water with a set of breathable waders on and saw that your fabric had turned dark? It probably felt like you were getting soaked, right? That’s wet out. In reality, you are still dry inside your waders, but because the exterior fabric is saturated and the microporous membrane sandwiched inside the wader cloth doesn’t provide any insulation, you can get condensation on the inside and feel much colder. Wet out is bad.

[macrio]

elwyman

Have just sent off for my vision extremes, would I be right in saying that for boots I need to go up 1 size from my normal shoe size?

[elwyman]

Yes - if you are shoe size 9 I would go for size 10.

[dunbar]

Hi Macrio,

Could I ask where your source is for those waders? I need a new pair this year and might consider them. Also, Does anyone know if the Vision Extremes have a seam on the inside leg?

Edit: just saw from post above that they do have inside leg seams!

thanks

[fishtail]

The early ones had the seam on the inside.
I bought a pair last spring without inside seams.

Steve

[macrio]

dunbar

Sent away for a pair to-day to Sportfish. Have a look at www.sportfish.co.uk they have the waders advertised at the sale price of £139

[elwyman]

Fawcetts are selling them at the same price.

[dunbar]

elwyman said:

Fawcetts are selling them at the same price.

Thanks folks, might well order a pair.

[jock]

My Orvis Pro Guides could be coming to the end of their working life this year. They have served me well for over 6 years and handled the barbed wire and gorse of the Upper Moy and elsewhere with ease. They have never leaked but it can't last forever.

I'm tempted to go for the same again, however I hear Vision extremes are good value and I see some have bought the 2006 Simms guides at a knock down price from USA

I would welcome any suggestions, including any don't buys. They must be able to handle sitting on sharp things like small stones and rocks, falling into gorse bushes and the odd scraping against barbed wire and still be leak free!

[elwyman]

jock said:

They must be able to handle sitting on sharp things like small stones and rocks, falling into gorse bushes and the odd scraping against barbed wire and still be leak free!

Good luck Jock, in your search for the Holy Grail of waders! ;D

The guys at my local tackle shop, Foxons, all swear by Scierra Blackwater waders. They sell lots of waders and these are the ones that give them least problems. The material does seem to be tougher than other waders.


www.foxons.co.uk/product.asp?numRecordPosition=4&P_ID=308&strPageHistory=cat&strKeywords=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=99

The ones I've seen in Foxons are grey/black - must be the older type. Latest type is here:

www.lochsidetackle.co.uk/product_info.php/manufacturers_id/26/products_id/673?osCsid=86ce80cae758538a044e0e56248c8cd9

[speycaster]

i got my extreme,s and boots in a deal 2 years ago , they have been brilliant £165 , ebay

[salmonking]

Jock,i got simms guides£150 all in from usa,i already have a pair that are fine,too good an offer to refuse.

Bill anglers-pro.com

[salmoseeker]

I had Vision extremes ( 3 pairs in a year); they don't cut the mustard. If you must buy them walk with you're legs well apart. They wear and leak on the inner leg in a ridiculously short time.

[buntinbee]

I have used several brands of breathable waders since they first appeared on the market. All of them, without exception have worn through at the inside seam around the knee area (No, I am not knock knee'd!). The most durable to date have been Orvis, I didn't think much of Vision Extremes, they only had around half a dozen outings before wearing through at the seam. I have looked, without success for waders without the inside seam, although I believe that Simms are going to be introducing a pair this year.

[castlikeaghille]

I have had completely the opposite experience to Buntinbee. Ignoring brief experinces with Snowbee, I've had 3 pairs of Orvis and 3 Extremes. In my case it's the Orvis that go quickly, in fact my reserve Visions are now 4 season old. For what it's worth, Country Life, Auld Reekie (the World's most prolific salmon pool) will tell you they have far fewer problems (come backs) with the Visions than any other brand. My observations on breathables (brand aside) is:

1) All manufacturers have serious quality control/design issues
2) It's a complete waste of money paying more than £150 - Simms are beautifully designed, but I've seen just as many problems with them among my crews as anything else (so I don't buy them). As for the new ones at £500 is that the smell of marketing b/s? However, maybe it will be a genuine breakthrough - if you have them please report after you've tested them for a few months
3) If you see a deal (for almost any manufacturer) where an old range is being cleared for say £50 - 70 buy two or even three pairs. Chances are, those two pairs will out last one new pair at £150+ and three definitely will. You may even get really lucky and find one that was manufactured well and lasts two or three seasons.
4) Buy them in the States if you can!

Regardez

CLaG