Patagonia Swiftcurrent Waders Get ‘Repairable’ Upgrade

Stronger seams, easier entry, and quicker repairs. That’s what Patagonia claims to provide in the latest evolution of its fishing waders, the Swiftcurrent Traverse and Expedition collections.

Patagonia states it has taken 52 years of evolving gear to reach this model of the Swiftcurrent waders, and it plans to keep evolving into a continuously better product with feedback from field testers worldwide. However, it sounds certain that this iteration of waders should keep anglers in the same pair for even longer, thanks to its repair program.

On top of redesigning waders, the outdoor industry magnate announced a new line of fly fishing gear storage, the Stealth Packs.

Patagonia Swiftcurrent Waders: Expedition & Traverse Lines

Patagonia claims the current versions of the Swiftcurrent Expedition and Traverse waders arrived after 68 prototypes tested by 31 field experts. It says these waders focus on a better fit with less bulk, stronger seams, and easier repairs. It also claims the ease of putting on and taking off these waders increased significantly after feedback from field testers.

In its promotional video for Swiftcurrent Waders, Patagonia claims, “We’re never going to be done. We put the work in up front, so you can focus on what’s important. And know that good enough is not good enough.”

Its Senior Manager of Design Engineering, Eric Rice, takes it a step further: “There can’t be any minor failures in waders,” he claims. “They have to be right.” It claims that the designers and testers aren’t afraid to rework the design over and over again to make sure these are the kind of waders peak performance athletes reach for every time.

A Shift in the Swiftcurrent

Patagonia says its team focused on three major updates to the Swiftcurrent Traverse and Expedition wafers. It used new four-layer materials for durability and waterproofness and improved the fit for maximum movement. Most importantly, it says, the team made the design significantly easier to repair.

Patagonia sponsors a Wader Repair Team, who will be in Colorado and Utah at the end of April to repair any brand of waders, free of charge. Its repair techs want to keep you on the water in the same pair, ideally forever. This repairable mentality made both durability and ease of repairing seams and materials most important for this Swiftcurrent iteration, Patagonia says.

The Swiftcurrent Traverse waders, Patagonia says, have 5.6 ounces of 100% recycled polyester upper material to reduce bulkiness. The Swiftcurrent Expedition waders also sport 9.4 ounces of tougher lower material for increased durability in abrasive situations, it says.

Both models are treated with a DWR finish sans intentionally added PFAS. They also feature tool docks, pack loop attachment points, a net loop at the center back, and YKK waterproof zippers.

Patagonia Stealth Fishing Packs

Alongside its Swiftcurrent waders update, Patagonia announced a new line of three fly fishing packs: the Stealth pack line. It describes this launch as a modular collection of vests, switch packs, and fishing packs made to stay versatile on the water.

The Stealth Switch Pack 9L can be worn as a sling on either shoulder and converts into a hip pack. Its 5L version can be worn as a chest pack or hip pack as well, but also clips to other packs for extra storage. The smallest model, the 3L version, attaches to waders’ suspenders, belts, or onto another pack as well.

Each pack utilizes multiple zippered pockets, fly patches on the face, embedded magnets for fly changes, and multiple lash points.

Putting Patagonia’s Swiftcurrent Waders to the Test

Our GearJunkie testers are no strangers to Patagonia’s Swiftcurrent wader design; the Swiftcurrent Ultralight waders currently rank as the Most Packable Fishing Wader in our Best Fishing Waders guide. Our expert anglers will soon have a pair of Patagonia’s newest Swiftcurrent waders in hand to test for themselves. Stay tuned to see where this latest evolution lands.