hey guys,
Ok,here's an issue that has made me absolutely nuts for years!
Alright!,... if you are hell bent to repair your own waders here are a few things I have learned.
First of all, the the majority of leaks (at least the ones we care about ) occur below the waist. So, for the most part we need not look far above that. The primary areas of concern are leaks at high flex zones, (knees, crotch, and heels), high friction and abrasion zones, (knees again, buttocks, and feet).
Second, especially with the "breathable fabrics" that virtually all waders are made of now, it is very hard to locate all but the most obvious puncture wounds.
The positive pressure test, (filling the waders with water or air) is a cumbersome and daunting technique. Good for fairly obvious, punctures, compression leaks (like the heel of the foot) and seam failures.
NOTE: Compression and/or abrasion leaks (depending on their size ) are very difficult if not impossible to repair.
The light test, I have had some some good success with, but it too, is cumbersome and daunting. (I use a 3' fluorescent high output green tube that I can insert into the wader. I get them from my work.).
I have heard of a technique that involves hanging the waders inside out, and dusting them with talcum powder, and them filling them with water, and like the old "fat chick joke" you are looking for the wet spots. Hee Hee!!
Lastly and probably bestly, try spraying the waders with rubbing alcohol and watching for the dark areas which indicate the leak. (something to do with the evaporative characteristics of alcohol) This works best in my experience.
bodfish
PS. Truth be told, I have not had to worry about this problem for many years because I now buy only SIMMS. The best waders in the world, with the best guarantee. I know,... they are expensive, but considering they are one of the most important pieces of my tooning kit,...THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT!!!!