Waders Danger question

"Tom Nakashima" wrote in message
...
Just curious, what happens if one accidentally gets in too deep and your
waders fill up with water?
I haven't been there yet, but it's crossed my mind if it happens. Sounds
like it could be a dangerous situation....not a great swimmer here.

I'll also pick up an wading staff from what I've been reading here, that
ski
pole sounds like a great idea.

-tom


I'm assuming that you are talking about not wearing a wading belt?

The popular mythology is that your waders will fill with water, the weight
will drag you down, and just before you drown you will see a *monster* trout
laughing at you. Bulltookey.

The reality (verified from watching some videos at Mike Connor's house last
summer) is that you will have waders full of water, just like your shirt,
vest, ears and hair will be full of water. This really poses no problem at
all as long as you are floating along with the current. It might make it a
bit cramped to kick your legs and do a modified doggy paddle, but for the
most part, they will only act like a really wet pair of pants.

The problem arises when you try to grab on to some brush on the riverbank,
and the waders catch the moving water like a big parachute and continue to
drag you downstream. Or if you try to stand up and walk in shallow water:
the full waders will make your legs weigh about 500 pounds and you will
stumble, fall, and get dragged back into the water. As a result, you should
NEVER try to grab branches and hang on, or try to stand up in shallow water.
The best bet is to try to sidestroke over to the shore, crawl out on your
hands and knees, and lay on your back with your feet in the air to drain
your waders.

But you will not sink. Waders, when full of water, are neutral buoyancy, so
they don't affect your floatability in any way.

OTOH, if you wear a wading belt, your waders will be full of air, and waders
that are full of air are very powerful POSITIVE buoyancy, so your legs will
try to float up to the top like a cork. And that can be a problem.

The problem in that is if you do not keep your legs extended, then your body
will want to flip over with your head down and your legs up. If you keep
your legs extended, the bouyancy in your upper torso will keep your head and
chest afloat, while your waders keep your legs afloat. Getting your feet
back under you to stand up in the shallows will be pretty gymnastic, so
don't try it until you are in the shallows. But if you manage to grab an
overhanging branch as you are getting swept downstream, you will be able to
get to shore that way.

SO to summarize:
IF YOU WEAR A WADING BELT: Keep your legs extended to prevent 'flipping
over'. Backpaddle with your arms while you lay on your back (to keep your
feet between your head and the rocks), float downstream tracking towards
shore with a backstroke. If you manage to grab an overhanging branch, thats
OK, but its better to aim for a clear shoreline to avoid getting snarled in
a tree. Once you reach the shallows, get your feet down and under you, stand
up and get out of the water, go home, and buy some new gear.

IF YOU DO NOT WEAR A WADING BELT: Keep your legs extended to prevent
'flipping over'. Backpaddle with your arms while you lay on your back (to
keep your feet between your head and the rocks), float downstream tracking
towards the shallows with a backpaddle. Expect the current to resist this,
so don't panic. If you manage to get near an overhanging branch, do NOT grab
it!! Your way out is to get into the shallows, then crawl out on your hands
and knees. Once you are out, lay on your back, raise your legs to drain
them, go home, and buy some new gear.

Thanks for the reminder. I think I'm going to go home right now, get my
waders, and go hop in the swimming pool to experiment with wading belt vs.
no wading belt. Look for a TR tomorrow.

--riverman