Waders of death?

You guys pick up on the cooler stories we post at the Kayak Angler website, so I usually hang back to avoid the SPAM factor.

I'm so excited about this one, I'm breaking the rule.

You might recall I held the camera when Jim Sammons put on a pair of waders then hopped into that chilly pool a few years ago. He didn't sink or take on a ton of water, but we all knew the environmental factors were set on "easy."

East coaster Ric Burnley recently did Jim one better. During field testing for a Kayak Angler Magazine story, Ric cannonballed repeatedly into 36 degree Chesapeake Bay. Videographer Kayak Kevin was there to catch Ric's polar plunges on camera.

There's snow on the shoreline, but the wind machine was turned off and the water is nice and calm. Even so, I'm convinced waders alone could have killed him in a real fishing scenario in those water conditions. You'll notice Ric was in and out of the water in a flash that last time. He would have been dangerously waterlogged within a minute.

Check it out and see what you think. I know you'll make your own judgements on how this fits into the NorCal picture.

http://www.kayakanglermag.com/features/915-video-kayak-angler-cold-water-outerwear-test-.html

I never got into the wader thing, but I had a wetsuit for body boarding & such that I also used for winter surf fishing, so putting on a wetsuit for kayaking was the cheapest way for me to go since I always had a wetsuit but never owned a pair of waders.
There's always a lot of "coulda, woulda" in this argument & while I tend to the wetsuit side of it I don't actually know of any tale where the waders played against the capsized kayaker.

Petaluma Bay out going tide flip over trying to get sturg. in boat. Say you were lucky and caught your kayak in 50yds.Could you do it with just waiters.They do suck up against the body, but after around 8-10 min. the water starts to trickle in very quickly.

Even in this very controlled test situation he was getting water in the waders within the first ten seconds.....and that was with a wader belt and splash jacket in FAC water. Over the last couple of years I have seen plenty of people fall in and either self rescue or be assisted to re-board. It always takes a lot longer than ten seconds. I wish these 'kayak pros' would have the guts to stand up and say definitively that waders do not have a place aboard a kayak on the Bay, Ocean, or even cold water Lakes and that those people that decide to go out so ill-equipped are putting not only themselves but their fellow kayak fishermen at risk. jim

Even in this very controlled test situation he was getting water in the waders within the first ten seconds.....and that was with a wader belt and splash jacket in FAC water. Over the last couple of years I have seen plenty of people fall in and either self rescue or be assisted to re-board. It always takes a lot longer than ten seconds. I wish these 'kayak pros' would have the guts to stand up and say definitively that waders do not have a place aboard a kayak on the Bay, Ocean, or even cold water Lakes and that those people that decide to go out so ill-equipped are putting not only themselves but their fellow kayak fishermen at risk. jim

Heh, I agree 100% Jim, I just was feeling too chill to stir the sh*t
Don't we go over this about every 3 months or so? 
To me, waders are almost as bad as jeans (no offense Brian-I know that was a "don't try this at home" moment in time, and as FH would say "IwaSProudtObEThereFoRIt")

Didn't even get his hat wet, or let go of the kayak.

I'm not sure he would have died, but it would sure be tough to get back aboard with a wader full of water.  If you get to shore and dry off within a half-hour or so you should be able to avoid hypothermia, right?

I thought the whole "waders of death" was the myth that waders will pull you underwater, (obviously not the case).  They sure as hell will make getting out of the water difficult, tho.

Other questions, he was using the breathable wader, what if your using the neoprene waders? Isnt that actually tight on the body or skin? Just wondering if anyone has any input about it, Thanks

To me, waders are almost as bad as jeans (no offense Brian-I know that was a "don't try this at home" moment in time, and as FH would say "IwaSProudtObEThereFoRIt")

Waders do not protect against immersion. I wear waders to stay warm and dry on top of the yak in rain or splash. Going in the water with waders would end the day.

No offense taken Sean! I got cocky and was humbled.

-Brian G

Waders aren't going to make you drown. They'll just make it very difficult to reboard the yak. And they won't protect you from hypothermia as well as a wetsuit or drysuit would. Right? 

I'll wear wader in the bay or freshwater, never out on the ocean

When I goofed around with waders in the water I didn't find it noticibly more difficult for re-entry. Anyone have an experience that made it more difficult for re-entry?

-Brian G

When I goofed around with waders in the water I didn't find it noticibly more difficult for re-entry. Anyone have an experience that made it more difficult for re-entry?
-Brian G

Last year at the NCKA's hookup at Del Valle, I felt into the water from my tipsy kayak.  No problem get back onto the yak but the cold water dripping in from my wet T-shirt gave me the chill afterward.  Hypothermia is our #1 enemy in North Cal water.

I think that if you want to go the wader route to stay dry, spend the extra money and get a dry-suit (ultimate wader????)

When Ric pitched me this "Wader Debate Debunked" story, I had no idea it would wind up on video, or that he'd practice his best polar bear plunges.

I'm glad he and Kayak Kevin (the guy who paddled 1,200 miles from Pensacola to the Chesapeake Bay - that's a lot of seat time!) filmed this piece, even if it is far from perfect.

Obviously the conditions weren't excessive except for the extremely cold water. Although I subjected Ric to some minor good-natured ribbing, I don't blame him for spending increasingly less time in the water with each dunk. That last time, waders only, it is obvious he'd had enough.

We know it would have been far more realistic for someone to unexpectedly flip Ric's fully loaded 'yak, then watch him try to catch his ride, right the ship and collect the detritus. He would have been much wetter and colder. 

Even though I came into this sport as an angler, I've never been comfortable with the idea of wearing waders on the 'yak. Not because they'll cause you to sink if they fill. As someone said above, the problem is the opposite of that - lifting all that heavy water out of the drink. Yes, I know water pressure causes waders to hug the body initially. I'm more concerned with the prolonged soak. 

Purpose-designed paddling wear does a better job of keeping me dry. I've been around long enough to see waders become popular, almost the uniform of choice. Since people wear them, it's only right to include waders when we look at paddle wear.

We hope the video is entertaining and maybe just a little bit enlightening. Thanks for giving it a look.

I'll wear wader in the bay or freshwater, never out on the ocean

With the ripping current in the bay I have to say the bay is way worse than the ocean.
I think your kayak would get away from you a lot sooner in the bay.