How do you find holes in breathable waders?

[Sundancefisher]

So I tried to find a hole. Foot has a slow leak somewhere. Dried the waders. Then smeared soapy water over the area that was leaking. Then used my air compressor to put some air in the leg. No hole. Turned inside out. Same. Couldn’t find any bubbles.

Best I could find was a few wet areas two along the front seem above the bend of the foot. One small on the side.

I guess now it’s just spread the Area with Aquaseal dry for a day and go for a test run.

What do others do?

I didn’t like my foot wet in cold waters of October. Lol.

[vinny]

Do the air compressor trick under water. Like you would with a tire tube.

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by vinny

Do the air compressor trick under water. Like you would with a tire tube.

I tried it using a bucket of water.

I suspect it’s just a really slow leak.

[GStyler]

Get a bright flashlight, and a sharpie. Turn out the lights, and stick your arm down inside and probe around. You'll see little bright spots where the light shines through. Mark the spots with your Sharpie.
Then lay out your waders flat, and put little blobs of aquaseal on all the little sharpie marks.
Let those blobs cure and flip the waders over to do the other side.
It's your choice on whether you want to do it right side out, or inside out.
It looks flawless if you do it inside out. But the little aqua seal blobs are a bit "grippy" and its annoying to me to walk around with them tugging at my clothes.
I do it so the aquaseal is on the outside. Only problem is my fishing partners make fun of me, because of all the shiny "globs of goo" all over my waders. haha. But, I'm not an "influencer", and I really don't care what I look like.

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by GStyler

Get a bright flashlight, and a sharpie. Turn out the lights, and stick your arm down inside and probe around. You'll see little bright spots where the light shines through. Mark the spots with your Sharpie.
Then lay out your waders flat, and put little blobs of aquaseal on all the little sharpie marks.
Let those blobs cure and flip the waders over to do the other side.
It's your choice on whether you want to do it right side out, or inside out.
It looks flawless if you do it inside out. But the little aqua seal blobs are a bit "grippy" and its annoying to me to walk around with them tugging at my clothes.
I do it so the aquaseal is on the outside. Only problem is my fishing partners make fun of me, because of all the shiny "globs of goo" all over my waders. haha. But, I'm not an "influencer", and I really don't care what I look like.

I gotta try that.

[bushman53]

spray your waders with rubbing alcohol. get the high test stuff from behind the counter at the pharmacy, there will be a dark spot appear where there is a leak. Simms has a youtube video on how to do it, i have no idea on how to put a link to it on here

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by bushman53

spray your waders with rubbing alcohol. get the high test stuff from behind the counter at the pharmacy, there will be a dark spot appear where there is a leak. Simms has a youtube video on how to do it, i have no idea on how to put a link to it on here

Very interesting

https://youtu.be/Uw1ky2H3lU0

Guy says only gortex breathables.

I wondered if the rubbing alcohol degrades any materials. Seems like he has done it a lot.

The aquaseal I just bought from fish tales is clumpy. Is that normal?

[ÜberFly]

This only works if they are Goretex, unless you have found it works for other waterproof/breathable membranes?

Originally Posted by bushman53

spray your waders with rubbing alcohol. get the high test stuff from behind the counter at the pharmacy, there will be a dark spot appear where there is a leak. Simms has a youtube video on how to do it, i have no idea on how to put a link to it on here

[SNAPFisher]

Originally Posted by GStyler

I do it so the aquaseal is on the outside. Only problem is my fishing partners make fun of me, because of all the shiny "globs of goo" all over my waders. haha. But, I'm not an "influencer", and I really don't care what I look like.

LOL! Same here. And I'm sloppy about it. I've had the same original pair of breathable for 20 years and they are looking pretty globby! And yes, I don't care either

[spurly]

Hang them up fill the suspected boot with water, watch for the leak

[TrollGRG]

Originally Posted by GStyler

Only problem is my fishing partners make fun of me, because of all the shiny "globs of goo" all over my waders. haha. But, I'm not an "influencer", and I really don't care what I look like.

Think of them as scars with interesting stories (make them up if you have to)

It is better to look that way than if you haven't taken them out of the closet in 20 years.