Self Rescue Practice and then my First ocean kayak attempt

Dang, ya'all got me all messed up, I'm a waders pfd radio guy and now I'm questioning my apparel.  Practiced self rescue in calm waters, re entry was successful, flipped the kayak for real, flipped it back and re entry was successful.  Not that full on the waders waterwise.  PFD held me up and things are tight enough to get the job done but after being in ocean on calm day the water moves way different than a bay. Hmmmmmmmm

Ditch the wader, I strongly recommend it.  10 pounds of water can feel like 50 pounds in a bad situation.  If you take a drink, there is probably a really bad cause to start it at the first place.  You want all the odds to be in your favor.

Ditch the wader, I strongly recommend it.  10 pounds of water can feel like 50 pounds in a bad situation.  If you take a drink, there is probably a really bad cause to start it at the first place.  You want all the odds to be in your favor.

Got me thinkin'

Ditch the wader, I strongly recommend it.  10 pounds of water can feel like 50 pounds in a bad situation.  If you take a drink, there is probably a really bad cause to start it at the first place.  You want all the odds to be in your favor.

^^^this.

When I was reading (a lot) on how to gear up I read various arguments pro and cons, and saw a video of a guy in waders (who was almost dry). It might work (if you wear belt), not sure for how long - anyways, I just want to have all chances on my side.

OP, mad props for taking the time do it safely.  Now you know waders aren't going to work for you and you have one less thing to be concerned about while fishing the ocean. 

I just wouldn't recommend waders.  I've never tried waders for kayak fishing and although few will say they're fine, that may be because they've never fell in during bad conditions.  It just doesn't sound like a good idea when we take all these other precautions to keep us safe.  Adding a filled up wader to a potentially dangerous situation is not going to help.

Be safe dudes!

When I was practicing, I did have my wader belt on... pretty tight at that.
I also had my pfd on tight on top of that.

The problem isn't that you'll drown.  As I said earlier, I didn't feel any heavier when in water.  My pfd got me afloat just fine.
The problem is when I tried to pull up out of the water, I felt like I was pulling 2x 5 gallon bucket of water along with my body weight.

Wader belt does slow down the filling of water.  But it does not stop it.  And once water is in, there's really not much you can do to get it out.

And I did manage to rescue myself 6 times... in a row.  So it is possible... but I wouldn't want to have to go through it under stress.
And I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone I love.   

but remember you were only in 4 feet of water. You'll eventually panic and drown, die from overexertion, heart failure or hypothermia if you can't self rescue or be rescued.

but remember you were only in 4 feet of water. You'll eventually panic and drown, die from overexertion, heart failure or hypothermia if you can't self rescue or be rescued.

I hope I am making myself clear here.
I am not promoting waders.
I am against it.

Having said that, no, you won't drown... as long as you are wearing your PFD.
(That, I feel, is a misconception)
But I'd be most concerned about hypothermia.
Pacific water is freezing cold.  Every minute counts.  And that's why I switched over to a wetsuit.
I hear drysuits are even better... perhaps for Christmas. 

but remember you were only in 4 feet of water. You'll eventually panic and drown, die from overexertion, heart failure or hypothermia if you can't self rescue or be rescued.

I hope I am making myself clear here.
I am not promoting waders.
I am against it.

Having said that, no, you won't drown... as long as you are wearing your PFD.
(That, I feel, is a misconception)
But I'd be most concerned about hypothermia.
Pacific water is freezing cold.  Every minute counts.  And that's why I switched over to a wetsuit.
I hear drysuits are even better... perhaps for Christmas. 

You don't have to go under to drown. If you start to panic and thrash around you can swallow enough water and drown.....not a misconception.

I've witnessed the onset a couple of times and the yakers were in PDFs and dry suits.

The waders are a bad idea; As stated on the other posts - you will be lifting some water plus your own weight to re-board and.. there are a lot of folks like me that need to self rescue into the Hobie style Pro Angler boats.  It does seem to be a taller boat to climb into than traditional paddle boats like my old Tarpon and Necky Dolphin.  So more lift and less weight are really a good idea - especially for the over 60 crowd like me!