A tragic reminder to never wear waders on a kayak.

I kayak mostly in lakes.  I think waders worn properly with a belt is fine.  When I go to the ocean,  which I will some day soon, I will get a neoprene farmerjohn or full wetsuit. But that's just what I think. 
Tight lines everyone and always safety first 

Not that it matters to the message in this discussion, but Nick wasn't wearing the waders after all.  His waders were found in his room when his family was cleaning it out this weekend.  He just had sweat pants on, no immersion gear at all.

Not that it matters to the message in this discussion, but Nick wasn't wearing the waders after all.  His waders were found in his room when his family was cleaning it out this weekend.  He just had sweat pants on, no immersion gear at all.

Aww man, so sad. 

On the swimming to the boat thing, I agree that no one should presume they'll be able to catch their boat if separated from it, and there's a big wind.  there's too many negative factors, chief of which are cold tolerance, fitness level, and composure.

Not that it matters to the message in this discussion, but Nick wasn't wearing the waders after all.  His waders were found in his room when his family was cleaning it out this weekend.  He just had sweat pants on, no immersion gear at all.

When I saw the pics posted of him, I remember thinking, just because he has waders on in that pic, doesn’t necessarily mean he wore them on the tragic day of his passing. To your point Crash, bringing this up at the time would not have added anything to the discussion. Always sad to see a young life end prematurely.

Can’t tell you how many friends I’ve cajoled and harassed into taking safety more seriously. I had to buy my best friend his first life jacket and refused to fish with him unless he wore it. Just one more reason going in groups exponentially increases safety. If each group has at least one “safety sally” in it, all the better. Taking on the role isn’t always fun, but it can be necessary.

Which goes back to,  buddy up, wear your PFD (buckled and zipped up). Think like you don't know how to swim and you're going to fall in.

Back in the late 80's fishing flats near an outlet at Galveston TX most guys used a wading belt with their waders, and also a knife.  The knife was used as a last ditch solution to cut waders filing with water, as it could slice open the waders relieving the pressure.  What I've seen happen isn't so much the waders fill with water, but that they partially fill with water and trap an air pocket down near each foot.  The feet become very buoyant and it is very difficult to get them underneath you, whether to stand on the bottom or swim properly.  The torso wants to sink while the feet float.  I had a friend almost drown in 2-3 foot of water at Pyramid lake.  He wasn't wearing a belt and had slipped so that water was shipped into his waders through the top.  He ended up in the prone position horizontal and could not get his feet back under him to stand, as the feet each had a pocket of trapped air.  He also could not roll over onto his back.   Fortunately, it was a lake and not an ocean, and we were close enough to help him out.   

Although not related to kayak fishing this is a very good video from Henry Gilbey a very well known UK fisherman on using PFD's, cold water immersion and Fishing. This is promoted by the RNLI.



https://rnli.org/safety/choose-your-activity/angling?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=promoted_image&utm_campaign=rtw_angling_2018#

Good one thanks for posting it up.

If anybody has doubts about whether wind or swell can separate you from your I was in that situation twice

The first time was swell and the wind was blowing up the coast, nobody can swim that fast

The second time was big long period swell that snapped the gear off the nose of the yak and pushed it through a rock garden between Pigeon Point and Ano Nuevo

If you’re in nasty conditions and want to avoid that kind of adventure, a good approach is have a line to your yak, preferably to one end or the other, I attach mine to the the nose re if I’m landing through big break to keep the rudder away from me

The first thing I do when I’m in rough seas after stowing everything I get the line on my wrist


Waders will never be a safe thing in any scenario where you need to swim and keep your head above water

waders suck, neoprene rules, drysuits are too fucking expensive and could pose the same risk as waders if you get a big hole or slash in them. if you don't wanna get wet, stay home.

waders suck, neoprene rules, drysuits are too fucking expensive and could pose the same risk as waders if you get a big hole or slash in them. if you don't wanna get wet, stay home.

 

waders suck, neoprene rules, drysuits are too fucking expensive and could pose the same risk as waders if you get a big hole or slash in them. if you don't wanna get wet, stay home.

How does one get a big hole or slash in one's drysuit?