Waders of death?

Naoaki in Waders beautiful day

An Hour later no waders

I've already done one open ocean dunk at Fort Ross, got crushed in the surf at Muir, and rolled in the surf at La Jolla (the most embarrassing).

Anyone who does anything in life and thinks it's OK just because they saw someone else doing it on the internet deserves whatever happens to them.

Ric Burnley is a cool dude though. I sent him some info about Albion for an article.

Speaking of Albion, last year's contest out North of the buoy would have been an excellent place to test waders. Oh wow another person posted up their experience with waders. Despite the disclaimers this = another new angler thinking he or she can also 'get away with' wearing them. 
 PLEASE STOP THE TESTIMONIALS. YOU WANNA WEAR WADERS FINE. BUT LETTING EVERYONE KNOW YOU WEAR THEM IN THE OCEAN? WHY? "I shoot heroin and it hasn't killed me yet!"  Same foking thing IMO. jim

Hey LittleJIm this is my entertainment while I sit here unemployed,so don't think you can just come in here and kill the fun  now go out and catch a sturgeon and don't tear a hole in my waiters you borrowed

I think your kayak would get away from you a lot sooner in the bay.

oh hell yah... think of the currents off rat rock- outgo between 2-5 kts -- that's around 1-2 meters per second!

my scenario is always getting dumped while still anchored...fish on, odd rush of fish-dump. big log or something running down anchor line, dump. i've got ONE or TWO SECONDs to catch the front of my 15 foot kayak...if i miss, i'm in the water for at least 1/2 hour. Luckily in winter the water is oohhh sooo warm-- 47-50 degrees...

I wish they would try these tests with extended stays in rough water.

Me too! Are you volunteering? 

Eventually someone with superior skills and adequate safety overwatch will do it. Until then we'll have to live with flawed versions such as this video, or the accounts of people whose testing was unintentional.

I can't claim any superior skills but I am a very strong swimmer and would be happy to jump in to some 'real' life test waters. Hell we can make some donations for Mooch if we charge people to flip me in to cold water.

-Brian G

Let's do it, we'll flip you off rat rock on the outgo-- kayak stil anchored.
I'm dying to see if you can swim back to shore by aiming for McNears pier!

I'll buy the irish coffees after

Last month my crew at work and I participated in a swift-water safety training class.  It was the middle of January in the Noyo River.  Most of the class was about how to handle yourself in white water conditions with drysuits.  However, because my crew does a lot of wading for spawning surveys, we also practiced swimming with waders on in swift-water............but we were wearing drysuits under the waders because the water was 40 degrees.

So we were basically set up with the waders with belt then pfd with belt on top - no drytop.  We had to swim at least 30 feet in that scenario, and self rescue in a sit on top .  For the record, I'm a guy that never wears a wetsuit or drysuit while fishing in the ocean.  I wear belted waders, drytop, and pfd.

Here's my observations:  Waders do not pull you under water and you can swim in them - even when they are completely full of water (these were not neoprene waders).  All my crew was able to self rescue.  BUT they were extremely difficult to swim in as you were pulling a lot more mass through the water.  Along the same lines, it was significantly harder to self rescue - a ton more weight to pull up into the boat.

So my conclusion about waders is that with a dry top, belt, and PFD, you've got maybe 100-200 ft of swim area before you tire out - maybe more if you're an athlete.   The PFD will keep you afloat, but hypothermia will follow at some point.

I will continue to wear waders in the ocean, but I'm thinking of attaching a surf leash to my ankle.

Dave

I wish they would try these tests with extended stays in rough water.

Me too! Are you volunteering? 

Eventually someone with superior skills and adequate safety overwatch will do it. Until then we'll have to live with flawed versions such as this video, or the accounts of people whose testing was unintentional.

I can't claim any superior skills but I am a very strong swimmer and would be happy to jump in to some 'real' life test waters. Hell we can make some donations for Mooch if we charge people to flip me in to cold water.

-Brian G

Let's do it, we'll flip you off rat rock on the outgo-- kayak stil anchored.
I'm dying to see if you can swim back to shore by aiming for McNears pier!

I'll buy the irish coffees after

If we set up some safety precautions I'll give it a run but are we talking in waders or a wetsuit just to see if a swimmer can potentially make it  

I'm thinking waders, but you could "practice" in a wet suit if you want.

There's actually two things i've been curious about:
1) can you actually nab the boat before the current whips you away
2) in event your away, where is likely place to pull out. I suspect that its mcnears, but it might actually be san pedro pt (as teh current really narrows and whips there. I followed a water bottle down current once, and it was within 30 feet of shore by the time it hit the point....

we'd need at least two boats in addition to yours getting flipped. we'd follow you down current- but you'd have to agree to bail and get back in the boat if you started even remotely getting cold.
i could probably actually arrange a PB if you wanted as well....

An Hour later no waders

hahaha, I know you gonna bring this up (w/ my sexy blue boxers) ! but where is other picture that I flip with my wader & the jacket...?

Sorry for being a bad model...
yes, waders are not 1st choice (not even 2nd or 3rd) everybody!

Uminchu Naoaki , you said it though you still wear a splash jacket that would make all the difference

yes, the splash jackets definitely help!

You mean this one

You mean this one

yeah, Thanks!
now, when can I come up again?

I can be in the water for more than 3 hours in a full wetsuit, and likely at least half that time with a FJ, good booties (I like the 2 mil neoprene socks too), a paddle jacket/dry top, and a PFD, which makes so much difference in keeping warmth on the torso - that 's what I paddle the ocean in. 

Sounds like each wader user on this thread has admitted that their time in the water would be quite limited (an hour or well less than that) before trouble found them.  So are we talking about when it's acceptable to take that kind of risk?  If we are, I prefer the boardshorts.

Have a perspective on the risks you are taking, because we're all taking them just by being us.  If you choose to increase your risk profile through what you wear, where you go, going alone...etc. then that is your choice.

The choice to be prepared for extended immersion in cold water is one that alleviates the potential for having to call on others to possibly save your ass.

I like to wear lighter, more comfortable gear when the threats are lower, and I also try to always remind myself that the ocean always has a significant threat level.

I guess part of the nightmare I in vision is with the type of waiters I have specific to duck hunting 7mm with insulated big boots. There is no way I could swim in those and I was shocked how much water came in when I tried to cross a canal with 10 ft +of water depth. With out a dry top wearing camo sweat shirt and jacket . I was trying to use a stick to find the bottom but the clay sides were slippery. Thought well I'm here in the water might as well cross . Even with a belt on at first 10 sec. I was dry but by the time I got to the other side fighting slippery mud and weeds , I was soaked all the way through.Maybe 2-3 min. in the water , No way in Hell would I want to do that in the middle of a lake or river. Too many times you fall out of your kayak and it rockets away. I'm sure breathable s are light and easier to maneuver but with out the dry top , not sure I would be comfortable to try it. To avoid the itches I wear Lycra pants under my wet suit.

Dosent anyone have footage of Guitarzan going for a swim at Linda Mar while coming in in 4 ft surf on that really good striper day a year and a half ago...yea the day I got that 30 lber. He made it in OK, but did take on water. After gathering up the PBR that washed up on shore he didnt seem to mind the cold. It was summer.

1.5 hours in 50 degree water with FJ and a dry top? On a windy day with your kayak being blown out to sea? As I was sitting on the hook in SPB yesterday I was thinking about going in. Oh it looked so inviting, That cold miserable death by drowning after being hypothermic for a half hour. Lets not forget that a person died in Tomales Bay last year while just being in the water for 30 minutes.  Some dudes wear board shorts on the open ocean. I am with SteveS. Lets see someone with the wader preference eagerly depart from the safety of the kayak and swim with current for a half hour. Then I will tow your ass to shore where the paramedics will be there awating you. Ric Burnleys test was a farce and we all know it. As far as a quick dunking is concerned he was good. Maybe thats all he was trying to prove. Just a quick dunking. Like a fucking donut.