Call me biased, but I'd recommend Orvis Sonic Seam waders every time.
I've had two years out of a set with nothing more than a couple of careless self inflicted pin holes, Paul Procter has had a couple of seasons out of his too.
Mine are never dried, have never been re-proofed and generally live screwed up in the boot of the car.
As there is no stitching, the seams are waterproof without any tape over them, the tape is only there for strength. With a stitched wader, every time the seam is stretched when wearing the holes from stitching are opened slightly and over time, water will seep in between the tape and the fabric and break down the glue, particularly if they are not dried after use and the seams will eventually fail.
Just got some of the new Silver Sonics, these are of the same construction but utilise a slightly more robust fabric and have a few more bells & whistles. Can't give a long terms assessment as I have only had them on a few times but so far so good.
Is 5 years for breathables good?
Almost unbelievably so Rob. Have you actually fished in them or have you just been using them for sleeping in a bivvy?
I got the new Snowbee catalogue last night and I really like the look of their new "rock hopper" waders.
I'm considering some of these too, look perfect for rock fishing for pollock. I got some of the ROckhopper boots last year, these are absolutely superb for the coast and very comfortable. Grip in a wide range of conditions is excellent, highly recommended.
Cheers
Ben