Waders and tripping up

gsxr1

I was out today and the river nearly got the better of me when a stumbled on rocks waist high.

What precautions does one take(apart from keeping ones balance) to survive a fall with waders . As I fished todays it came apparent to me that if water overflowed into the chest waders I would be in a very dangerous situation. I believe they would drag a normal fit man down.

Is there a life jacket available for fly fishing? Or would such a thing just look silly.

BoarHunter

http://www.letsflyfish.com/wading_safety.htm

coolwings

gsxr1 wrote: »

...As I fished todays it came apparent to me that if water overflowed into the chest waders I would be in a very dangerous situation. I believe they would drag a normal fit man down.

Is there a life jacket available for fly fishing? Or would such a thing just look silly.

The water getting into your chesties is just that, water, and apart from being cold and wet and uncomfortable, it is not in the least bit dangerous.
It will not drag you down, since it is weightless when immersed in other water outside the waders in the river.
What happens is the chesties get all bloated and baggy, and clumsy. Not a big deal.

Here is an article where the killer wader myth is debunked.
http://www.sexyloops.com/articles/killerwader.shtml

Though Hugh Falkus jumped off a bridge into a salmon river on TV camera about 25 years ago to prove exactly this same point that chesties are safe when you fall in, and actually they increase buoyancy, this waders suck you down myth keeps returning and popping up again.

I agree that if you can't swim, you should definitely have a buoyancy jacket, if not a lifejacket, on you while fishing.

Doc Farrell

u can get a flyfishing jacket with a built in auto inflator for about 100 from southside, or from the interweb. airflo do a nice one. a little heavy in the summer though.

good logs...

be careful with waders, wifes uncle drowed whering them about 3 years ago fishing a lake he fished 100 times before,line got on a bush walked out a little bit and down he went. they should never be worn on a boat, when its launched put your runners back on....

stylie

You should always always wear a lifejacket / buoyancy aid and test it first before putting it on. Also check the sole of your waders, I find felt soles with screw in studs the best all rounders for grip.

One example of why you should test yours before you trust your life to it. This happened not half a mile from where I'm sitting now at work writing this

A WOMAN who watched her husband drown after his life jacket malfunctioned was awarded more than €500,000 in damages at the High Court in Cork yesterday.

Ella Sweeney's husband Jack (64) drowned after a valve in his life jacket failed to work properly and forced his head under water.

Mrs Sweeney watched helplessly from the shore after she noticed her husband Jack overbalance on a punt and fall into Cork's river Lee at Blackrock. The accident happened just a few feet from the river bank on a warm summer's evening in August 2003.

Artist and part-time taxi driver Jack Sweeney bought the Baltic Winner 150 life jacket just three weeks before his death on August 18th. When Mr Sweeney fell into the water, he activated his gas-triggered life jacket. But a faulty valve resulted in air escaping from one half of the jacket and it filled with water. The half-inflated jacket then effectively turned Mr Sweeney over in the water and forced his head under water.

Also I remember a case where a man drowned in knee high water after his feet where tangled up in wire and he tripped, the force of the flow kept pushing him down until he was drowned as his feet were locked up my the wire.

aidanf

Neoprene is actually very buoyant - it contains loads of tiny air bubbles that will make it float in water. As to other wader materials, I'm not sure but I suspect they have neutral bouyancy.

If you're wading somewhere with strong currents or deep water I'd consider wearing a life jacket. Some of the ones you can get now are very small and unobtrusive and if you fall in you'll be glad you're wearing it.

I was wading in a river a couple of weeks ago, standing in a foot of water, took one step forward of where I was standing without looking and immediately sunk to my elbows in soft mud. I was able to grab a tree on the bank and pull myself out but if it had been a bit deeper I could have been in trouble. I wasn't wearing one at the time but I thought at the time a life-jacket would have made me more comfortable.

gsxr1

I think I will at least get a belt for them. Mine set is made from pvc rubber. Not the neophrene type. With wellys welded to the legs. Have them 13 years.


I makes sence that you should not sink with them on , but I could also imagine treading water almost impossible . For the sake of safety I am going to keep an open eye for a neat floatation device. I know the Liffy has taken more than a few lifes over the years with or without waders.

I think if i fell in, my panic stricken grasps to protect my I.phone would over come my need to survive!! lol.

premiercad

Wading safety tips From the web...

1; Assess the situation, have you waded there before? is the water higher than normal?, lower than normal faster than normal?

2;Carry a wading staff.

3;Accept help, if someone offers, accept it if not look for it. Be embarassed on the bank!

4;Plan an escape route. "If I fell in here I'd get out there.."

5; If water overcomes you get rid of equipment. Losing the rod is better than your life.

6; If your swept away turn on your back arms outstretched knees up to your chest and legs pointing downstream.




I'd add personally to that concider what your wear under your waders jeans and an big wooly jumper would not be fun if you take the plunge! and I second the no waders on boats policy! Wading can be dangerous but the biggest fright I've got on a river was a slip in shallow water at a weir and a bump on my head which made me think! The best swimmer in the world is useless if unconcious!.. Be safe out there lads