Co2 inflatable life jackets

I've got a problem with my legs that makes wading a little unstable a
times. I use a wading stick for stability but sometimes I am concerned
about falling. I have read about the small Mustang (or similar) vests
that inflate if you get submereged. I was thinking about one for that
just in case moment. They look like they would not interfere with
casting.
The water that I wade is not too deep ore fast but has some holes etc
like most rivers in Michigan. Anyone used one of these vests for
wading or any other thoughts?

On Sat, 24 May 2008 05:56:35 -0700 (PDT), jwh
wrote:

I've got a problem with my legs that makes wading a little unstable a
times. I use a wading stick for stability but sometimes I am concerned
about falling. I have read about the small Mustang (or similar) vests
that inflate if you get submereged. I was thinking about one for that
just in case moment. They look like they would not interfere with
casting.
The water that I wade is not too deep ore fast but has some holes etc
like most rivers in Michigan. Anyone used one of these vests for
wading or any other thoughts?

About 20 years ago my wife saw me wading in some fast water in Maine.
Within a few days of arriving home, an Orvis vest with an inflatable
bladder inside arrived at my front door. I've used it once.

Do what I did: go swimming in your waders. Do it safely, of course,
perhaps with an innertube and someone to help you if you get in
trouble. I jumped off a dock into 10 feet of water holding a rope
with a friend on the other end. I dropped the rope and managed to
swim about 20 feet to shore. I had on a good waist belt and that
stopped most of the water from getting into the waders.

I fell off a rock into some very fast water while wearing neoprene
waders many years ago. I had no trouble swimming ashore, *with* my
fly rod in hand.

The main thing to remember (or try to, anyway) is not to panic.

Feel unsure? Wear a vest or inflatable suspenders.

Dave

"jwh" wrote in message
...
I've got a problem with my legs that makes wading a little unstable a
times. I use a wading stick for stability but sometimes I am concerned
about falling. I have read about the small Mustang (or similar) vests
that inflate if you get submereged. I was thinking about one for that
just in case moment. They look like they would not interfere with
casting.
The water that I wade is not too deep ore fast but has some holes etc
like most rivers in Michigan. Anyone used one of these vests for
wading or any other thoughts?

As a wading vest, you want a manual not automatic inflate model. I have a
West Marine auto inflate I wear on my boat. Is very comfortable and does
not hinder arm movement at all. The reason for a maunal inflate, and the
inflation handle is large, is that wading you will get the bottom wet and
most likely auto inflate when not wanted. DO NOT WEAR THE VEST UNDER A
JACKET!!. People die that way. Inflates and chokes you. and tangles in the
overcoat.

"jwh" wrote in message
...
I've got a problem with my legs that makes wading a little unstable a
times. I use a wading stick for stability but sometimes I am concerned
about falling. I have read about the small Mustang (or similar) vests
that inflate if you get submereged. I was thinking about one for that
just in case moment. They look like they would not interfere with
casting.
The water that I wade is not too deep ore fast but has some holes etc
like most rivers in Michigan. Anyone used one of these vests for
wading or any other thoughts?

As a person trained in breathing apparatus and such stuff, if you think you
might one day need that vest..practice with it.

Buy some spare cartridges, locate a swimming pool or pond where you can
control your depth and do it thusly..

At home practice with either hand going to the rip cord or lanyard or
whatchacallit...then with your eyes closed..then with you eyes closed and
you head tilted all the way back...

Then hit the shallow water (where you can easily stand up) dunk your head
and practice with either hand...)..drill fashion and finally pop your cork..

Then do a live drill...(follow Dave's advice on having a friend with a
rope)..maybe stand on a rock..eyes closed .. and have a friend push you
over..by this point you should have practiced you drills well enough to know
to take your time...be calm..and pop your cork.

For added measure, take said friend and aforementioned rope and hit a rapid
with a deep hole..if you have no problems, can keep your wits, take your
time and calmly pop your cork you are ready to go fish solo.

Believe or not, learning to pop the cork is " A complex psycho-motor skill"

That's how we were taught...more or less. You want to develop the 'habit' of
finding your cork and calmly popping it.

John ...(specialty diver, rapid response and rescue)

On Sat, 24 May 2008 12:57:24 -0700, "asadi"
wrote:


"jwh" wrote in message
...
I've got a problem with my legs that makes wading a little unstable a
times. I use a wading stick for stability but sometimes I am concerned
about falling. I have read about the small Mustang (or similar) vests
that inflate if you get submereged. I was thinking about one for that
just in case moment. They look like they would not interfere with
casting.
The water that I wade is not too deep ore fast but has some holes etc
like most rivers in Michigan. Anyone used one of these vests for
wading or any other thoughts?

As a person trained in breathing apparatus and such stuff, if you think you
might one day need that vest..practice with it.

Buy some spare cartridges, locate a swimming pool or pond where you can
control your depth and do it thusly..

At home practice with either hand going to the rip cord or lanyard or
whatchacallit...then with your eyes closed..then with you eyes closed and
you head tilted all the way back...

Then hit the shallow water (where you can easily stand up) dunk your head
and practice with either hand...)..drill fashion and finally pop your cork..

Then do a live drill...(follow Dave's advice on having a friend with a
rope)..maybe stand on a rock..eyes closed .. and have a friend push you
over..by this point you should have practiced you drills well enough to know
to take your time...be calm..and pop your cork.

For added measure, take said friend and aforementioned rope and hit a rapid
with a deep hole..if you have no problems, can keep your wits, take your
time and calmly pop your cork you are ready to go fish solo.

Believe or not, learning to pop the cork is " A complex psycho-motor skill"

That's how we were taught...more or less. You want to develop the 'habit' of
finding your cork and calmly popping it.

John ...(specialty diver, rapid response and rescue)


Good advice from John.

Another thing about the Orvis vest: it has a manual blow up tube.
You could put a couple of breaths of air into the bladder and fish
that way. Should float you well. Again, practice in a safe manner
before going in over your head.

Dave

On May 24, 9:14*pm, Dave LaCourse wrote:
On Sat, 24 May 2008 05:56:35 -0700 (PDT), jwh
wrote:

I've got a problem with my legs that makes wading a little unstable a
times. I use a wading stick for stability but sometimes I am concerned
about falling. I have read about the small Mustang (or similar) vests
that inflate if you get submereged. I was thinking about one for that
just in case moment. They look like they would not interfere with
casting.
The water that I wade is not too deep ore fast but has some holes etc
like most rivers in Michigan. Anyone used one of these vests for
wading or any other thoughts?

About 20 years ago my wife saw me wading in some fast water in Maine.
Within a few days of arriving home, an Orvis vest with an inflatable
bladder inside arrived at my front door. *I've used it once. *

Do what I did: *go swimming in your waders. *Do it safely, of course,
perhaps with an innertube and someone to help you if you get in
trouble. *I jumped off a dock into 10 feet of water holding a rope
with a friend on the other end. *I dropped the rope and managed to
swim about 20 feet to shore. *I had on a good waist belt and that
stopped most of the water from getting into the waders. *


Water getting to the waders shouldn't be much of a problem unless you
are in a river with steep banks (at least steep enough that you can't
'roll' onto shore.) Having waders full of water has very little impact
on floating or swimming, but it makes standing up in shallow water
pretty much impossible.


I fell off a rock into some very fast water while wearing neoprene
waders many years ago. *I had no trouble swimming ashore, *with* my
fly rod in hand.

The main thing to remember (or try to, anyway) is not to panic. *

Feel unsure? *Wear a vest or inflatable suspenders.

I would also suggest that any fisherman whose style involves regularly
getting into 'oh ****' situations should put on their waders and go
play around in a pool or pond so they aren't in unfamilar territory
when they soak their hat.

--riverman

On May 24, 10:35*pm, riverman wrote:
On May 24, 9:14*pm, Dave LaCourse wrote:



On Sat, 24 May 2008 05:56:35 -0700 (PDT), jwh
wrote:

I've got a problem with my legs that makes wading a little unstable a
times. I use a wading stick for stability but sometimes I am concerned
about falling. I have read about the small Mustang (or similar) vests
that inflate if you get submereged. I was thinking about one for that
just in case moment. They look like they would not interfere with
casting.
The water that I wade is not too deep ore fast but has some holes etc
like most rivers in Michigan. Anyone used one of these vests for
wading or any other thoughts?

About 20 years ago my wife saw me wading in some fast water in Maine.
Within a few days of arriving home, an Orvis vest with an inflatable
bladder inside arrived at my front door. *I've used it once. *

Do what I did: *go swimming in your waders. *Do it safely, of course,
perhaps with an innertube and someone to help you if you get in
trouble. *I jumped off a dock into 10 feet of water holding a rope
with a friend on the other end. *I dropped the rope and managed to
swim about 20 feet to shore. *I had on a good waist belt and that
stopped most of the water from getting into the waders. *

Water getting to the waders shouldn't be much of a problem unless you
are in a river with steep banks (at least steep enough that you can't
'roll' onto shore.) Having waders full of water has very little impact
on floating or swimming, but it makes standing up in shallow water
pretty much impossible.

I fell off a rock into some very fast water while wearing neoprene
waders many years ago. *I had no trouble swimming ashore, *with* my
fly rod in hand.

The main thing to remember (or try to, anyway) is not to panic. *

Feel unsure? *Wear a vest or inflatable suspenders.

I would also suggest that any fisherman whose style involves regularly
getting into 'oh ****' situations should put on their waders and go
play around in a pool or pond so they aren't in unfamilar territory
when they soak their hat.

--riverman

Probably going to go with some type of flotation device. Therefore, my
next question is can I put a small PFD like the Mustang under my
regular vest or should I purchase an inflatable vest. The mustang or
similar pfd's do not seem too bulky. I do like my existing vest.

"jwh" wrote in message
...

Probably going to go with some type of flotation device. Therefore, my
next question is can I put a small PFD like the Mustang under my
regular vest or should I purchase an inflatable vest. The mustang or
similar pfd's do not seem too bulky. I do like my existing vest.

As has been stated earlier - It is DANGEROUS to wear an infaltable PFD under
any garment ( INCLUDING FISWHING VESTS). They should be worn outside any
garment that could restrict their inflation.

Bob Weinberger La Grande, OR


** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

On Sun, 25 May 2008 13:25:02 -0700 (PDT), jwh
wrote:

Probably going to go with some type of flotation device. Therefore, my
next question is can I put a small PFD like the Mustang under my
regular vest or should I purchase an inflatable vest. The mustang or
similar pfd's do not seem too bulky. I do like my existing vest.

I wouldn't put any self-inflating pfd under my vest. I think the vest
might interfer with its operation. You could, however, blow in a
couple of lungs of air before you go into the water. That should be
enough to keep you afloat without pulling the cord.

Ya gotta jump off a dock, James, with all your equipment on and see
how it goes. d;o)

(Dixon just won the Indy 500)

Dave

On Sat, 24 May 2008 12:57:24 -0700, "asadi"
wrote:


"jwh" wrote in message
...
I've got a problem with my legs that makes wading a little unstable a
times. I use a wading stick for stability but sometimes I am concerned
about falling. I have read about the small Mustang (or similar) vests
that inflate if you get submereged. I was thinking about one for that
just in case moment. They look like they would not interfere with
casting.
The water that I wade is not too deep ore fast but has some holes etc
like most rivers in Michigan. Anyone used one of these vests for
wading or any other thoughts?

As a person trained in breathing apparatus and such stuff, if you think you
might one day need that vest..practice with it.

Buy some spare cartridges, locate a swimming pool or pond where you can
control your depth and do it thusly..

At home practice with either hand going to the rip cord or lanyard or
whatchacallit...then with your eyes closed..then with you eyes closed and
you head tilted all the way back...

Then hit the shallow water (where you can easily stand up) dunk your head
and practice with either hand...)..drill fashion and finally pop your cork..

Then do a live drill...(follow Dave's advice on having a friend with a
rope)..maybe stand on a rock..eyes closed .. and have a friend push you
over..by this point you should have practiced you drills well enough to know
to take your time...be calm..and pop your cork.

For added measure, take said friend and aforementioned rope and hit a rapid
with a deep hole..if you have no problems, can keep your wits, take your
time and calmly pop your cork you are ready to go fish solo.

Believe or not, learning to pop the cork is " A complex psycho-motor skill"

That's how we were taught...more or less. You want to develop the 'habit' of
finding your cork and calmly popping it.

John ...(specialty diver, rapid response and rescue)

Um...the rope/tether is a good idea...having the "experimenter" hang on
to it isn't. It needs to be attached to the _upper back_ (yeah, this is
important) of the person who might need retrieving, like in the general
area of where a hanging loop is on a shirt or a rescue handle is on a
LP. DO NOT attach it in the front.

TC,
R