Simms Celebrates Iconic Waders with “G3 Day” on March 3

Above: New England surfcaster Frank Goncalves in the updated Simms G3 waders. Photo: Simms Fishing Products

When I “graduated” from hip boots to chest waders, right around the time my fishing interests migrated from the creeks of southeast Pennsylvania to the bays and surf of the Jersey Shore, it felt like a big step. Back then, my forest-green neoprenes were the height of fishing fashion. After a few years in those, and a year or two in a rudimentary pair of discount breathables that were held together with Aquaseal and a prayer, I got my first really nice pair of waders, my first pair of Simms G3s. In addition to being more rugged, the G3s had articulated knees and slimmer cut that made the waders fit better and feel more comfortable over long outings. They had a fit and feel closer to regular clothes than the baggy, heavy, and hot waders I’d been accustomed to.

Me and my current pair of G3 waders, and a bluefish that tried to punch a hook through them.

March 3, 2022 is the 20th Anniversary of the Simms G3 Wader, and Simms declared it “G3 Day” to celebrate the unofficial start of the fishing season and their most iconic product.

From John Frazier at Simms:

In January of 2022, Simms released an all-new G3 Guide collection inclusive of the Men’s and Women’s G3 Guide™Stockingfoot Wader, and the Men’s G3 Guide Wading Pant. In addition, the new G3 Guide collection brings with it, an all-new backpack, men’s jacket, and duffel.

The DNA of G3 can be found in virtually all Simms waders that have come after it, making it the most important franchise in the brand’s history.

Originating from a rock solid foundation of dedication and an unwavering commitment to achieve perfection, G3 raised the bar of what’s possible in terms of comfort and performance in a wader.

Over the course of the past 20 years, Simms has continuously gone the extra mile sourcing the highest performing fabrics possible, engineering the most innovative fishing focused features, and has spared no expense in order to manufacture the most durable wader possible that’s made by hand, heart and soul in Bozeman, Montana. Present day, all of this tireless work has culminated in the most comfortable, durable, performance driven G3 Guide Wader Simms has ever released.

“G3 Day isn’t only a day to celebrate the launch of a new G3, it’s a day to honor its 20-year legacy and pay homage to all the folks who have hand in creating an industry icon,” says Simms CEO, Casey Sheahan. “We understand and respect that for many years, anglers have loved their G3s. That said, before we offer a new iteration, it’s critical that the improvements we make are going to be improvements that anglers will immediately and easily recognize. I can say with all the confidence in the world, that’s exactly what we’ve achieved with the new G3.

Roughly 18 months ago, Simms’ product team began leaning into the 20-year design and development history and set forth to create the best, most performance driven G3 to date. Compared to its predecessor, the new G3’s boasts a 7.5% increase in tongue tear strength, a 23% increase in standard puncture resistance, an 84% increase in pinhole puncture resistance, all the while increasing breathability by 33%.

Built with a highly breathable 3-layer GORE-TEX® Pro Shell upper, the real secret to these radical increases in durability and performance has to do with an all-new 4-layer GORE-TEX® Pro Shell fabric package found in the lower portion of the wader. In addition to the fabric, the new G3’s for the first time ever now come equipped with an air-mesh suspender package that allow all-day comfort like never before. The durability of the built-in gravel guards have also been improved by removing the longstanding boot hook and including a reinforced seam on the bottom to eliminate fraying. Another small, but greatly appreciated detail is a new drop-in pocket on the inside of the wader.

Virtually all of the features that originally put G3 on the map remain, such as the patented front and back leg seem that offers maximum mobility as well as durability, an oversized zippered chest pocket, zippered reach through micro-fleece lined handwarmer pockets, and anatomically correct left and right stockingfeet with an antimicrobial finish that provide unmatched comfort and a warm fit inside wading boots.

“G3 represents quality, craftsmanship, performance, and innovation, but most importantly, G3 represents reliability. In terms of waders, it’s the gold standard,” says Simms Chief Product Officer, Jordan Wand. “As far as the future of G3 goes, based on the 20-year reputation it has earned, G3 isn’t going anywhere. I will say however, when it comes time for the next iteration, we are really going to have our work cut out for us. This one is going to be tough to beat.”