Wading dos and don't
 

I removed this from the other thread as I would not want it to be interpreted as commenting on that tragic event versus looking to tap into the expertise the exists here to assist some of us in learning from others experiences.

For those of us that do not wade all that often, could some one shed a little light how this occurs and what you do to minimize the risks. Is it more often than not the inability to stand up once dunked? Now I am not a complete newbie, wader belts, avoid going solo, knowing the area, etc., but as I expand my horizons from the rock points of the Northshore I would like to tap into the experience of those that have been there and done that.

I think a wading belt is key. Know your limits, dont go out farther than you are comfortable. It seems obvious, but waves make knee deep water, chest deep at times.
Felt boots always worked wonders for me at DH.

Suit up and get the air out. Air will be replaced by water should something spring up. Good waders topped by a good dry top that is or near leak proof, tightened off by a good wader belt (some use 2). While not a wet suit this will give you more stability should you get tossed.

A lot of us have been knocked around a bit while wading and many of us have tossed end over end in some conditions. Being submersible for a little while is certainly better when your gear allows you low risk of taking on water.

I don't wear my Sospenders enough...

Aside from a physical problem /heart attack/passing out/any health issues that render you helpless,, there are a couple of things I try to keep in mind....barred of being knocked unconscious during the fall.

I always ask myself how would I try to exit if I fell.
I fish some cliff like structures and those, to me...are the most dangerous. Getting washed off by a mini-rogue wave while landing a fish etc. In those areas, there's always the chance of hitting your head on a rock, whether it be while falling or the waves picking you up and dropping you on them.
One MUST feel safe and comfortable at their fishing location. If you don't feel safe, your probably not. MAKE yourself safe. Whether it be backing up a bit, getting on a different rock or simply going to another spot all together. I drive long distances some times just to find out that it's NOT fishable the way I'd like to fish it...sucks-but it happens.
I also feel you SHOULD feel completely comfortable in the water itself...meaning NO FEAR of swimming at any depth or condition. Obviously you don't want to be swimming out there in a Nor'Easter but you have to keep the realization that you may fall or trip, you must remain as calm as possible, TAKE YOUR DEEP BREATH....ACT FAST and get that breath again until you've figured your way out of your dangerous situation.
I've fallen in water over my head while wearing waders. I knew I was going under so I held my breath during the fall. I had enough air to act quickly while at the same time make timely efforts to get air until I was safe. You can't PANIC.
Chatham SandBars in the fog :wall:...of course that can happen on any given beach but it was Chatham where I didn't know where the shore was. Every direction I tried, it got deeper. NO compass (who in their right mind is that prepared?? Not me. I came to the conclusion that if the water rose enough, it was time to shed the waders and figure it out in my skivvies. I LOVE the water, which I really think helps my comfort level...but probably makes me take more risk.
It's also easy while wading in the dark or light, to position your foot in a bad spot. Just before a rock OR just after. You can't see the rock but you'll feel it as soon as you try to move forward or backward...and if you trip, you have to realize that you're going to get wet. Don't panic, get wet...but get up. Don't worry about your gear until YOU are safe. Gear is replaceable....you are NOT.

headed off to work, I'll add more shtuff later if it's not already mentioned.

After a close call last year for me and a friend i do what John has suggested and wear my Sospenders more often now.I even put them on when i use my wetsuit makes me just about unsinkable.Guess its true sometimes you do get wiser as you get older:hihi:

sometimes it just gotta go.

Other than ease of taking waders on or off how does using the suspedas affect taking a dip? Minimizes water getting into them or making it more difficult dumpint them all together in a deep situation?

Original reply moved from other thread.

While I am only a journeyman surfcaster, with only a few years under my belt, and certainly not an authority by any means, I do not go out without the following:

tight cinched belt

PFD (mine is manually inflatable - a decision made versus the auto-inflation possibly going off from a wave wash), worn even when I'm on a beach. (I also use it to hold the lip gripper and keep it it out of my way)

korkers - regularly checked for missing/worn down studs (which is a very common situation even though I only fish 2-4 times a week)

As to location, I generally don't go to any that I haven't had the opportunity to learn either in daylight or with/from an older and wiser soul (Cheers to a number of surfhounds - Eddie and to Toonoc at DH and you others :btu: !!). Even then, there are a few places that I don't go out on at night unless it is either very peaceful or I'm with another fisherman. I don't like having to keep an eye out for that bloody wave that just waits until your attention is elsewhere
:shocked:

I also try to go out knowing that, even with as much preparation as possible, all it is doing is moving the balance of the odds a little bit further in my favour....

I liked what Bloocrab wrote.

Some of my rock rules:

You need to have a plan before you go onto the rock. Stand there for 5 minutes and watch the waves to see where the best place is, where the retreat point is, where you'd need to swim to. Never fish a place for the first time at night.

Be constantly aware, as fit as possible, and have the proper gear. Lots of people like Korkers, but I did just fine with felts. This year I went to studded felts - which are better than either by themselves.

Know your limitations. The most important thing when fishing rocks is to be able to put a lot of weight on your front foot, and that foot needs to stick. If you're light as a feather or don't have the right footwear, it's not going to work and you're going swimming. If a wave is large enough, it's going to lift you right off your feet, so you need a retreat point that you can get to in a hurry. If you're not nimble enough to get there, or can't hear/see well enough to have enough time, fish safe spots.

Carry a long handled gaf if you keep fish, and be prepared to cut off an expensive plug if you don't. That last few feet can kill you. It almost got me this spring.

Wear a surf top if the weather's bad or the spot is dangerous. I use a shorty wading jacket when possible because it's more comfortable, but there are defintiely times when I use the semi-dry top. You should have a dedicated belt for the top. So if you have a knife/bag belt, use a separate belt for your top. It should be elastic and fairly tight. Wear a PFD if the sitation warrants it. I've used the cabelas low profile jacket and SOS penders. I like the actual low-pro jacket because it can't be popped, and you don't need to be conscious to inflate it. It's the same one I use for yakking, and doesn't restrict movement at all. As someone said, no real surf fisherman could use an auto-inflate jacket.

If you're fishing and the weather is so bad you're wondering if search and rescue will ever find the body, go home. It's really not worth it.

Concentration plays a huge part fishing in moving water. You have to remember to keep one foot planted at all times. If you forget and move both the phrase "your toast" comes to mind. There are only a few places I fish that this type of water current affects my fishing, one being the incoming or outgoing tide at the end of North Neck Beach on Chappy. Wade out there and lose your concentration and your wet very quickly. The best way to thwart at least going under though is a "sospenders". And a dry top. You can wear a dry top , but if your an older fella and the current is dragging you out, dry top or not the phrase again comes to mind, "your toast", is appropriate. Wearing a "sospenders" or a similar floatation device is the only way to go. Mine is still in my truck. I have two extra CO2 cartridges that I carry. I am an authority on this believe me. Why do you think my screen name is swimmer? Sospenders make great presents and they save lives.

Wear neoprene waders and a dry top.

Everyone loves breatheables for comfort. Neoprenes are like wearing a portable sauna, but their tight fit helps keep the water out if you get dropped out there. I know. I've been knocked ass over teakettle more times than I'd care to admit at Montauk. Sometimes it took me a few minutes to regain my feet. I never took water below the top of my neoprenes even without a belt.

Know the water. Know when it's safe. If in doubt, limit yourself to the last 3 hours of a falling tide. Never fish new water without someone who's been there before and knows when to get out of Dodge on a rising tide.

Lots of excellent thoughts here. As for Bloocrabs comment about the compass, I used to wear a cheapie Timex waterproof watch with a compass built into the band when I used to go out fishing at night. I used to fish some flats that could get confusing if fog rolled in at night. I stopped wearing the watch when the battery died, but now I'm thinking I should pick another one up. I'm definitely more careful now than I was when I was younger, although I took a spill a couple of weeks ago because I was in a hurry to get my line in the water. Right after I got up I realized that it was stupid to rush because the extra couple of seconds to look where I was stepping weren't going to make me miss any fish. Whenever I start thinking if something I am about to do could be dangerous (fishing or not), I think about my family and what they would do without me around. That thought helps me to be much more cautious than I used to be when I was younger. Good luck to all through the end of the end of the season and be safe.

tadpoles swimmers ?

I dont wade . I stand in the water feet firmly on the sand .

I'll second that. I fell into a fast moving river while trout fishing once. My neoprenes kept me dry bobbing on top.

In addition to the aready mentioned suggestions it helps to SLIDE your feet along the bottom while wading. This helps to:
1. Avoid having current pull your foot and throw off your balance
2. Detect any changes in the bottom (ie. dropoffs, humps or rocks) that may trip you.

when God wants ya it doesnt matter if you do all the right things or not . its time to go !

believe in your beliefs .

Thank for all the 'lessons learned'. Appreciate it.

I wear the LL Bean guide pants to remind me not to wade too far. and an additional belt and the SOSpenders.

The gear will give you the opportunity to get out of trouble if you find yourself in a situation. The first reaction is to get up and out as soon as you can but this can be a fatal mistake. It is imperitve not to panic, that will suck up your energy and deplete you in less than 2 minutes if your are not in excelent physical condition. If you do go in and you are not taking on water,(proper gear a must),First thing is to RELAX, make youself do it, get your bearings as you are looking at approaching waves and accessing the current then making a definate decision as to how to handle the situation, it will take less than 10 seconds to come up with your game plan, execute it in a manner only agressive enough to get you out of trouble.

Guess I should have read Bloodcrabs post first and saved my breath, all excellent advise!

Don't _ _ _ _ with mother nature, She will _ _ _ _ ing kill you!

An important thing to remember.

Never worth dying for a bass.. Some will argue that.. They can ignore the preceding...

There is a risk-taking mindset that people have become very enamored with in the last 10 years or so - in everything. The problem with risk and being extreme is that eventually, the odds of a bad accident pile up to the point where it begins to approach certainty.

from someone who has gone in the drink wearing waders more than a few times, If you know your in water over your head, keep your feet up and try to float on your back. any air in your waders will be trapped in your legs and will help you stay afloat. From there, if you think you cant get out safely, back paddle out to a lobster pot buoy and catch your breath, and think about taking off your gear- korkers, top, and waders. If your wearing bootfoots, tie your boots to the buoy so you can put them back on to help you get out.
panicing= death

Yes, if you're waist-deep a wave can make the water neck-deep long enough to get you in trouble. The other factor is the bottom. The place where the tragedy occurred has bowling ball sized rocks. It has tricky waves. If you trip, or your foot gets wedged for a second and you fall on one knee for a second, you are effectively neck-deep--even with no waves. I was fishing at this spot last Sun nite. Was thigh-deep on an outgoing and twice waves broke over my shoulder.

I will be buying a PFD and rethinking my entire approach, including fishing alone at night which is something I've always done.

As someone pointed out, even if you're waist-deep a wave can make it neck-deep just long enough for you to get into trouble. The other factor is the bottom. The place where the tragedy occurred has bowling ball sized rocks, so if your foot gets wedged a bit and you stumble for a second and go down on one knee (even pushed by a small wave), you're effectively neck-deep there and water can come in.

I am rethinking my entire approach, including wading alone at nite.

Next summer on a nice sunny day put your waders on over a bathing suit and walk in the wash,dunk down with a deep breath and see what happens.you might be surprised

If your on the rocks say at hazard ave, you can snap a rope to a d-ring on your belt and secure the other end to a secured anchor (cable, rock, etc.). This may prevent you from getting sucked under the cavern of the rocks.

Also, you can daisy chain a rope among fishing buddies for those dangerous conditions.

Same here Mike. I have been knocked down a dozen time with neoprenes and a tight dry top. I am always belted off. Why wouldn't you where a belt I carry my pliers, sides cutters and sometimes my eel jar on my belt.
I have never taken water inside other than getting a little wet around the neck. I have gone down at Deep Hole, PT Jude and Carpenters and stayed dry. A little bruised, especially at the Point. Anyone who has fished the Point regularly and says they never fell, is full of it. It's like wading on greased bowling balls.

What Nebe said don't panic.

That first time you go down its hard not to though.I know I did the first time and all needed to do was stand up and I would've discovered that the water was only waist high!