Drowning?

[tjm]

The waders weigh what the waders weigh and the water inside weighs nothing compared to the water outside, you can demonstrate this by filling an empty bucket in the pond or creek and lifting it under water, it will seem slightly lighter if anything, until it is above the surface. Then the water will add approximately 8# per gallon.  I only mention this because so many times I've seen the myth that full waders somehow pull a person under so many times. They are a little awkward but swimming in them wasn't that hard. The chill of almost ice water does really slow you down though, 

[T.J. Clarke]

I fish Barclay during the winter a lot.  Using boot foot waders with a good belt, keep a sharp knife on my vest.  A few times I wore a life vest.  Try to be as careful as possible.  Maybe an inflatable suspender type as insurance, maybe over thinking it?  Wonder how many Folks wear inflatables?  I do not notice any on people.    Like you, I hear best thing is to just swim with them, go with the flow, moved to bank when safe to do so.  

[BilletHead]

4 hours ago, tjm said:

The waders weigh what the waders weigh and the water inside weighs nothing compared to the water outside, you can demonstrate this by filling an empty bucket in the pond or creek and lifting it under water, it will seem slightly lighter if anything, until it is above the surface. Then the water will add approximately 8# per gallon.  I only mention this because so many times I've seen the myth that full waders somehow pull a person under so many times. They are a little awkward but swimming in them wasn't that hard. The chill of almost ice water does really slow you down though, 

 

3 hours ago, T.J. Clarke said:

I fish Barclay during the winter a lot.  Using boot foot waders with a good belt, keep a sharp knife on my vest.  A few times I wore a life vest.  Try to be as careful as possible.  Maybe an inflatable suspender type as insurance, maybe over thinking it?  Wonder how many Folks wear inflatables?  I do not notice any on people.    Like you, I hear best thing is to just swim with them, go with the flow, moved to bank when safe to do so.  

                Both of you guys are spot on. Just use a belt and keep top tite as possible because if you go under and fill waders you really do not want them to open at the top and become like a drift sock and help the current take you away faster.

[tjm]

Both of the  times I dunked and had to swim I had no belt and I wouldn't wear one now, I want to be able to get out of the waders before I stand up. Having been there I have definite notions. I want nothing that ties me in  and nothing that buckles me in. If someone else has tried this and has different ideas I have no objection.

[fishinwrench]

I went under halfway through a float on a cold 26°-38° day when my wading boot got caught on the gunnel while getting out of my canoe.  Went horizontal in 4' of water for about 20 seconds and really thought I was gonna be screwed.  Luckily my wader belt did its job, and the fleece jacket and polypro long johns I had on kept me surprisingly comfortable after I got over the initial shock.    I was able to fish throughout the remainder of the day.   Caught some nice fish that afternoon too. 👍    

The worst part for me was that, once I realized that I was gonna be ok, I really wanted a cigarette...... but those little rascals had turned to mush.  😅

[Al Agnew]

Fell in out in Montana just before we left to come back to MO...I was jumping off the raft trailer into about two feet of water, and tripped on the raised lip of the trailer and planted myself face down in the water.  There was a decent current, and it took me maybe 15 seconds to get my feet under me and stand up.  I had a wader belt on, and I was wet from the top of the waders down to the belt, then damp down the back of my pants inside the waders down to about my knee on one side and my sock on the other.  But no water in the bottom of either leg of the waders.  I don't know how long it would have taken for the water to really fill up the waders, but I was fairly happy with how the wader belt slowed it down.

I used to think I was invincible.  I don't anymore.  I'm pretty careful when fishing in cold water.  There was a time when I'd do canoe trips in the middle of the winter and never wear a PFD.  Used to take my little solo canoe out on the big gravel pit hole on Black River at the 67 Highway bridge multiple times each winter walleye fishing, and never wore a life jacket.  One time I finally realized that I was out in the middle of a big hole hundreds of yards from either bank, and if I somehow flipped I was dead.  It was a sobering thought. 

[Flysmallie]

I got tossed form the boat one cold nasty day in February on Lake Fork. We were way back in a creek with a lot of standing timber. Once I got back in the boat I jumped down behind the steering wheel while my dad secured everything in the boat. He then asked me to jump up so he could drive us back to the ramp which was 5 to 7 miles away. Most people would believe he was doing this so I could just try to stay warm, but in reality he was only looking out for himself. He was afraid of the ride I was going to give him coming out of that creek. And he was correct. Luckily the weather was so bad that there weren't a lot of people up in there because once I got pops all secured we came out of that creek in a hurry. I'm not dangerous, I never hit anything, but those boating lanes on that lake aren't always for the faint of heart. But I was back at the truck in record time! 

[Ham]

On 11/12/2022 at 1:41 PM, BilletHead said:

 

                Both of you guys are spot on. Just use a belt and keep top tite as possible because if you go under and fill waders you really do not want them to open at the top and become like a drift sock and help the current take you away faster.

If you wear your jacket on the outside of your waders, it really slows entry of water into your waders as well. 

[tjm]

14 minutes ago, Ham said:

If you wear your jacket on the outside of your waders, it really slows entry of water into your waders as well. 

If I'm wearing waders the coat and fly vest will be inside the waders, other wise the waders are useless,  if the coat and vest are out side the waders and not soaked,  hip boots are all you need.

I do see a lot of pictures of guys in waders in ankle deep water and I have seen quite a few guys wearing waders to bank fish in RRSP, so I understand that others do wear waders that way. I've read about guys that put the  waders on in the room and wear them to restaurants too.  That seems strange to me though.

[fishinwrench]

Somebody should make a wading jacket with loops (or clips) for your wader belt.     

If you did go down the result wouldn't be that bad at all.