Wading Safety and tips

[FCLoretz]

In a recent chat with a fellow fly fisher I was once again reminded of the importance of your own safety in the rivers while wading and fishing. Below is what I try and keep in mind when I do wade to help me with safety and just some general tips, these are in no particular order.

The most important to remember is: SHOULD YOU FALL AND BE SWEPT BY THE CURRENT DO NOT PANIC, PUT UP YOUR FEET AND DRIFT DOWN RIVER WHERE YOU COULD CLIMB OUT IN QUIETTER WATER!!!

1. Get yourself proper shoes that offers ankle support. Submerged rocks is the cause of most falls, shuffles and drifts in the vaal. A sprayed ankle will not do you any favours.

2. Get a wading stick, make your own or buy one (a store bought one is about R190, you can make one at R40). Not only is a wading stick a great source of support when wading a river, but it is also a great to feel what is in front of you and if there is a deep channel in front of you. Stepping into a deep channel with no footing below you often sets off a panic and could be disastrous to you.

3. Never ever turn your back towards the current. You have less strength in your legs when you back pedal into the current.

4. When wading through a fast section of water, use your wading stick as a 3rd leg. Also do not let your back leg go past your front leg. Take a step with your front leg(the one facing the current) the bring your back leg level with your front leg, carry on like this until you are through the section.

5. Do not fish high flows alone. Fish with a friend.

I have only once before fished with waders, but the following advice was given to me by fellow Fly Fishers.

6. Wear a wading belt, it stops water from rushing into your waders if you take a swim, the air trapped in the waders will help you float. Please see the post wrt to waterfilled waders by ZIGGY

7. Carry a knife, cut the waders off. Waders can be replaced, your life can not.

8. If you are Married. Keep your Wedding ring safe. Or else SWAMBO will be hazardous to your health. 

I might have left a bunch of important stuff out, so please do add in. If I do remember anything else i will Add it to the thread.

[Lichia amia]

8. If you are Married. Keep your Wedding ring safe. Or else SWAMBO will be hazardous to your health. 

Now where have I seen that  ?

[Homie]

Great post !

 :shre:

8. If you are Married. Keep your Wedding ring safe. Or else SWAMBO will be hazardous to your health. 

Now where have I seen that  ?

[Hooch]

Eish Homes! Will we ever forget that one.

[Ziggy]

Water filled waders are heavy and will drag you down.


I am not too sure about that statement - waders filled with  water will NOT drag you down.

A few years ago, a  fishing buddy fell off a boat in a trout dam, he was wearing gumboots and this  severely affected his ability to tread water. He went under a few times...and  was unable to stay afloat, Fortunately he was fine because he had not drifted  far from the boat and I was able to stretch the oar out and he managed to hold  on to that. So, definitely NEVER fish off a boat with gumboots!


After that, I had to do some research to make my  "Government" happy - she thinks I am going to drown every time she  sees me put my waders on and step into a river or my float tube. ....here is a" plagiarised" compilation of some  articles that I have read.....


Your weight in waders will approximate that of the water  around you. However, if you are wearing several layers of clothing, their  weight will add to your load. The water inside your waders has the same density  as the water outside; it doesn't magically get heavier and pull you under. From  the standpoint of buoyancy, it's neutral, not negative.
You will get a feeling that you are sinking in swamped  waders. The weight, bulk and water resistance of filled waders, boots, and  clothing will decrease your mobility. Arm and leg movements that help you tread  water become less effective and more tiring.


If the water is turbulent,  combined with exhaustion and a little panic, and you will feel that you are  sinking- but it’s not your waders dragging you down. 


White water, is a different story, water plunging over  boulders or ledges actually has a downward component to its velocity. Were you  to fall in and be drawn over, say, even a low dam or weir, the current at the  bottom of the drop could easily force you under water and hold you there long  enough to drown. And if the water is highly aerated with bubbles, it's less  dense than ordinary water, less "solid" to push against with your  arms and legs. Swimming motions are less effective in helping you escape. But  this, of course, is being pushed under, not pulled by the weight of your  waders.


Under any conceivably realistic wading circumstances, air  doesn't get trapped in your waders if you fall in. As you step into a river,  water pressure collapses the waders against your legs, squeezing out the air.  The deeper you wade, the less air is contained inside. If you inflated your waders,  cinched a belt tightly around your waist, and deliberately jumped off a bridge,  you might trap some air inside. But even then, it is doubtful that it would be  enough to actually invert you.


There's no question that a wading belt increases safety. If  you fall in, a belt slows water entry into your waders, which can give you time  to regain your footing before your waders fill up, turning a potentially  dangerous situation into a merely uncomfortable one. A belt also helps corral  excess wader fabric, which reduces the amount of water that can enter your  waders and streamlines your profile--both of which aid mobility if you find  yourself in the drink.


See the video in the link - watch until the end where he uses no PFD and no belt....and he can still swim and does not sink
Exploding the Waders of Death myth 

[Herman Jooste]

Great and very true post Ziggy. 
 
I have in winter, with multiple layers of clothing stepped of my Ark inflatable into what I thought was waist deep water, it was 3 m deep 
 
Down I went, totally submerged, ( but my beanie stayed on  ).  I had no difficulty in getting to the surface, even though my waders had fulled up, nor getting to the bank.
 
Getting out of the river up a 1 foot vertical bank was however virtually impossible with full waders. Thank G*D for the youngster who pulled me out and his father who gave me a beer glass full of OB's.
 
That water was at 8 deg C 

[Ziggy]

Eish Herman - that water was cold - I hope the OB warmed up your tottie nicely!

[Herman Jooste]

Ziggy, after the 3rd one I undressed and caught a winter tan.
 
Luckily the man had a "Magnum" and my bottle was in the car 600 m upstream.

[icstuff]

Sorry Herman I almost fell of my chair laughing at the picture you painted!
And I bet your wife did not feel sorry for you when you told her the story

[FCLoretz]

Hi Ziggy,

Thanks for the post on waders, I will rectify my original post.

I have only fished once before with waders and had no problems, in general I wet wade. 

[Herman Jooste]

Sorry Herman I almost fell of my chair laughing at the picture you painted!
And I bet your wife did not feel sorry for you when you told her the story

You are quite correct. To Denise fishing is a form of masochism, especially if you choose to fish in winter, with air temps of - 8 deg C, ( Memel @ 06:00 )

[jaenswart]

Sorry Herman I almost fell of my chair laughing at the picture you painted!
And I bet your wife did not feel sorry for you when you told her the story

You are quite correct. To Denise fishing is a form of masochism, especially if you choose to fish in winter, with air temps of - 8 deg C, ( Memel @ 06:00 )

I know your pain...I have the same addiction

[Ziggy]

Hi Ziggy,

Thanks for the post on waders, I will rectify my original post.

I have only fished once before with waders and had no problems, in general I wet wade. 

Cool Bru!