krispy, you want to get a 3mm or so farmer john, with a 3mm+ shorty to go over it. wear the farmer john alone in warmer times, and add the shorty when it is colder. if you end up getting a suit for next year, let me know. :D

i am not looking to do all out skishing, yet. as krispy guessed, i want to get a little further out to a few rocks. the point about the waders filling up being more dangerous than wearing a wetsuit is true. if the waders fill up and you can't get them off, you drown. with the wetsuit, you do not have this issue. like all other aspects of surf fishing, you must still use your head and stay well within your limits.

can you picture hopping in the breachway and trolling your plug out the rip past the guys on the jetty :D

Krisp,
That was the first thing that I pictured him doing when he asked about this, and then when you chimed in, I pictured you right behind him. I'm up for it.:D

I'd be afraid of the guys that will be casting at the rock youre standing on when skiishing. At night they wouldnt see you at all and youd end up with a plug in the back of your head. Some places in rhode island would be perfect for it but theres just too many guys out there fishing half the time. The wet suit might be a big help when fishing the herring run in the spring in the CT river.

go ahead and cast at me ........ :behead:

Could you imagine hooking into a skisher? You'd think you had a 90 on.

anti skishing ring...keeps those pesky skisherman from wrapping around my prop.

now thats funny :D

Forgot to add.. when the surf is monster and I'm on the breaches I often wear my 3mm suit with my inflatable PFD... with Korkers of course, so if I do go in.... dont die... so if you see a fat seal on the rocks during a sou'easter, it may be me:D

See it all the time, the guys in boat wanna fish in tight ..cast on shore if they can. Surf heads are trying to cover as much water as they can, cast a mile if they could. I think if your able to be that versital and be safe about it, why not! HellOoo boulder feilds!
I hear ya, it would be foolish going out there unprepared, kinda the same thing as goin out there boating with no pfd, no radio and chity weather...you see that all the time.
Don, I seen a guy following bubbles along a jetty , he was working a snag letting it go deeper and deeper ......you shoulda seen the look on their faces when a scuba diver came up.

I fish in a wetsuit very often. Not that skishing stuff, although i'll probably try it. the south side of montauk is strewn with boulders. The wetsuit makes it safer and more comfortable. One key thing is the thicker the wetsuit, the more flotation you will have. I have a 3mm and a 7mm. I use the 7mm alot even in the summer for protection from the rocks and barnacles. when its warm I only wear the farmer john with a rash guard for a top.
Have a lanyard attached to your belt accesories. Make sure your bag has plenty of velcro to keep it closed. I've added a strap and buckle to assure it wont open if you get blown off a rock by a wave.
I enjoy fishing like this. there is something about being in the water.

just daydreaming about the upcoming season....... :spin:

I wear a 7mm farmer john style most of the time when I wetsuit. In the warmer temps, just wear a t-shirt. Again, this is for night tides. I don't Skish, I just like reaching the outer rocks. Of course safety should always be an issue and wearing a wet suit eliminates the hazards of your waders filling up.

PS: Stripermatic, stay off my rock!:)

i am looking into getting a 4.5mm farmer john. i may still opt for a 7mm, though. i have read mixed opinions on this. i have heard that 4 -5 mm is fine for all around, but 7mm is usually needed for the fall. i figure with the 4.5, i could just throw the aquaskin over the top for the the added warmth and windproofing. we'll see though.

I don't have the b---- to skish. A lot can wrong out there without being in over your head.
In Rhody - it's the "extreme" walkers who get the best fish.

This is the dilemma I have to. 5 or 7 I like them both, leaning more towards the 7 for spring and fall nights. I can't friggin wait!

www.nrsweb.com ....is a good site with that has good surf/wetsuit items

joe, it's not all skishing. there are some rocks that you just can't reach with conventional methods. the added safety of the suit's buoyancy is also something i am considering. walking? there are no good spots you have to walk to in RI!!!! :D

Goose, Harvey makes an extra insulator for underneath the suit. another 3mm of insulation. might make a 5mm a more practical choice.
http://www.harveys-divesuits.com/accessories/vests.asp

All this just to get to Block:tm:

It seems alot guy's wear the farmer john's. Aren't those sleeveless, why aren't wetsuit's with full arm length more popular in the surf? Is it restriction. I think an aquaskin would be ideal with a farmer john but I was trying not to go that route. then again:) I could use another good top. I felt very comfortable with the grudens top but that alone over a farmer johns? I don't think will cut it. what do you think TL

a farmer john combo is the "overalls" with a long sleeve shorty over it. my understanding is the 7mm part would be only where the shorty part is. so, it would be two 3.5mm pieces combined.

THe wetsuit I have is a farmer john 6.5mm(not 7) wit a 6.5 step in shorty/ top with long sleeves. I never use the top because the Aquaskin top is so much better.

Okay guys,

I have been following this thread with interest and finally decided to put in my $0.02 cents...

First, wetsuiting is by far more comfortable, safer and more productive than conventional waders. When you are in a wet suit you are less worried about going down, getting washed off etc... You can get to better rocks, rips safer than in a pair of waders and that little extra usually pays off!

As for which suits are better, I have a one pice 3mm, 3,2,3 mm and a 7mm. I almost never use the 7mm. I use the other two in the summer months only. In the fall I use a two piece 6.5mm farmer john with only the bottom half, a insulated jumpsuit and my neoprene AquaSkinz tops and dry hood.

Iam however seriously considering a 5mm for late Spring and Fall as I don't particularly like the 6.5mm farmer john as its not much different than my 7mm.

I have friends who use the 5mm with their AquaSkinz and love the combo. These guys are avid wet suiters.

As for Skishing, I have tried and it really is a blast...I wouldn't recommend anyone do it alone or try it for the first time without someone with experience accompanying them. It can be exhilarating and frightening at the same time. This method however yeilds big fish! I have seen it with my own eyes...when we on the surf could not get a sniff...the skishers were catching one after another and deciding what to keep and what to release. This has happened more than once...trust me...it can be frustrating!!

They also do it at night with great results...I have never done it at night even though my good friend Paul Melnyk has asked me many times to try it....I am courages but not stupid!! There is a dedicated group that does this in Montauk and usually out produce everyone else on the surf. They do however take the necessary precautions. Ropes, fins with stailess steel screws bolted onto them, flashing strobe head lights etc... But to risky for me.

Toby, try the wetsuit thing, you will love it!! Just start slow and work your way up...stay within reasonable limits and always have a plan of getting before going in. I say this because even a wetsuit isn't a cure all. About 4 or 5 years ago, a avid wetsuiter was fishing a popular rock in Montauk at night and says "he got pulled in by a big blue fish..." no one really knows except him. He got swept out 5 miles to sea...the only reason he was alive to tell his story is because a fishing vessles Capt. "thought he saw a human face...and his concious wouldn't let him go in without looking.. " the turned his boat around, put all his lights on and searched for this guy and found him; badly dehydrated and hypothermac.

I am sure you got the point. You are only as good as your plan.

Hope that helps....

Kadir

ok, another question. what about footwear? neoprene wading socks with wading boots? hard soled dive booties? korkers are obvious. i think it was Cowhunter that said he used orvis wading boots, but i haven't seen him around here lately. i also seem to remember someone saying something about a "holster" type thing that fits on your wading belt to put the rod in while dealing with a fish. any suggestions there or is it not really needed?

I use neoprene socks and wading boots. I tried the orvis boots with the ceramic studs but after sliding of the front of a rock a few times the first night using them, I sent them back. I used the Hodgman gladiators this season and liked them. Korkers work great but the studs fall out to easy and replacement studs fall out even quicker. I have a large diameter rubber O ring wire tied to my belt to put my rod in to free up both hands, but rarely use it.

Anyone near narragansett got an extra wetsuit that is interested in showing an up and coming surfcaster a little shishing or wetsuit surfcasting?:confused:

Toby I'm not a wetsuiter, but I do wade out to a place that has me in water up to my armpits and I really should be wetsuiting.... Its sandy so I don'twear spikes, but when its rough I keep a caribeener(sp?) clip on a 2 ft phone chord attached to my belt. When I'm out deep and land a fish, I clip the carabeener onto the reel. to free up both hands, I just tuck the but inside my belt, but its a nice feeling that if it did slip out, I'd be hard pressed to loose it. LL bean makes a nice lightweight studded wading boot that i picked up this christmas... nice spikes and a lifetime warrranty. can't beat that.

:walk: :btu:

goose, just looking around that site. these look nice......

Used by river professionals, adventure racers, rescue agencies, and military units, these are the hardest-working boots on the water. Heavy-duty lugged traction sole keeps you on your feet in varied terrain, and the comfortable 7mm neoprene insole absorbs the shock of every step. Lace-up synthetic leather and 5mm neoprene upper provide warmth, unmatched ankle support, and a secure fit. $69.95

http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/assets/prod_img/2338F.JPG

Toby,
PM Cowhunter from NJ. His name is Ken and he wetsuits the rocks from Quonny to Fresh Pond Rocks and BI as well. Have not seen him post for a while. Might have his e-mail some where at the shop.

He uses the all in one studded LL Bean wading shoe with the gummed rubber sides.

Hope this helps.

I have boots similar to the ones listed above except mine are 3mm.Not bad but lacks some ankle support if you're doing a death march on a rocky beach. Matching them up with Korkers are an obvious must. I also have a pair of the Korker Konvertibles but have yet used them. They are nice but pricey and they do have less studs for gripping. Some guys use modified flippers with studs placed on the bottom or modified footwear with a short flipper on the front.