Wader question/ do they make you sink ?

[Mr. Sandman]

A few years ago the rescue guys did a test with a fellow jumping out of a boat in waders (in full surf gear actually) (in deep water) and swimming to the shore. (Rescue divers were alongside the guy just in case). He did it with Neo's, Rubber, and breathable waders. Once they fill up you don't bob around the surface like a cork, they are dead weight. You don't sink like a stone but as Pete said, you basically get tired so quickly that you can't stay afloat for very long once they fill. They basically measured how far you can swim before you pooped out. He never made it to shore in any of the cases; Neos and rubber were the worst and breathables were somewhat better but even in the best case 50-60' is about all you could make it from what they tell me. I think in the Neos the guy got somthing like 20' or so before he was exhausted. IMO it would be hard to get out of them even with a knife. I have trouble in the parking lot with my feet on land.

If you fish places like that where you could get washed into the sea....wear an inflatable pfd.