Wear your wader belt!

[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by Goose

Any hard evidence that if in the case your waders fill with water you will sink?? I've heard other wise. Some swear you'll flip up side down other say its all BS....Has anyone tested this in a pool??? I may have to try it for my self.

I don't think you'll sink but I can tell you it's easier to swim in a wetsuit then waders, filled with water or not.

All the folds of the breathable waders and the heavy boots just suck the energy out of you. If there's water inside the waders you have to move that with each kick too.

And no one better tell me water in your waders doesn't "weigh" anything underwater. It doesn't, but it still has mass. Ever push a big water balloon around in a pool before? It doesn't sink, but it still takes force to move it around. The same will apply to the water in your waders when you attempt to kick back and forth.

[Fishpart]

I have had trouble getting the air out of the bottom of a dry suit before and had the legs lift up. If you bring your knees up to your chest you can get most of the air out of the legs and get your feet back down.

Haven't tried it in waders, I do know the difference is that with wadders when you submerge them most of the air gets squeezed out as opposed to a dry suit where you can actually pressurize it slightly over the water pressure which will greatly reduce the infalted leg effect in waders.....

The wader belt will slow down the water flooding back in so it is important to wear it!!!!

[Karl F]

20-25 years ago, I was fishing in early November, late on Sunday afternoon, dusk, ruff surf, got smacked by a wave, I didn't anticipate being so big, and sucked under, with the tow.. the rip, and tow effect pulled me under and out.
I had a brand new rod and reel, this is the "humor" in the story.
I was pulled parralell to the beach for over 100 yards, under water.. the only reason I know this for sure, is my buddy saw my rod *that's all he could see, the top 3 feet or so, of a ten foot rod, sticking straight outta the water, bobbing around like mad, travelling that distance.. I NEVER let it go I was scrambling to get my feet under me, as I was bouncing bottom.. luckily, I was on a big bar, and I finally was able to right myself... I waded in, wet and cold, I peeled my waders off, enuf water to maybe soak up in a sponge inside them, and my clothes were wet, but not really soaked, my sweat shirt was a helluva lot more soaked then my pants, they actually had some dry spots on them, and were what I'd call damp, at the worst.

Never ,ever had so much sand packed in a reel, needed a full teardown.

I never go above my knees anymore in waders, and wear them, but wont venture into real ruff surf.. I just throw plugs, or tin into ruff surf now

I wasn't under all that long, but they don't really fill, they let some water in, but I do remember the odd feeling of flopping around in them.