Waders and yaks....

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Fishing Elvis
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Waders and yaks....

Post by Fishing Elvis »

How safe is it to be wearing waders in your yak while hunting? I've always been told not to wear them while riding in boats. Any thoughts or suggestions?
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Newt
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Waders

Post by Newt »

Waders are worn for hunting or fishing in the cooler months. Yaking is a wet sport. Being wet in the cooler months leads to hypothermia, not good.
Just be sure to wear your PFD.
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chavez
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get a wet suit

Post by chavez »

i wore neoprene waders this past winter in the yak. two buddies informed me how dangerous that was so i stopped wearing it. instead this winter i'll be looking at getting a neoprene wetsuit like some whitewater kayakers and surfers wear. look on rei.com and search for neoprene wetsuits to see what i am talking about.

you may not look much like a fisherman while wearing a wetsuit but at least you'll be dry, warm and safer.
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Post by Yak-a-lou »

Relax, waders will NOT kill you. If you can afford a wet suit it would unquestionably be a better choice. A survival school I went to required us to swim with waders on. It can be done BUT you have to move like a sloth on qualludes... VERY SLOW! Also, like Newt said... hypothermia is a killer.

If you can, while it's warm, go capsize on purpose with your waders on and a safety person standing by. Recovery in deep water may be nearly impossible. In the 3' deep crawfish pond I hunt I don't foresee any problems. I guess it all depends on the particulars of your area and ability.

Another factor would be the depth of the water where you plan to paddle in the winter. If 90% is 3' or less I'd stick with the waders and save my $$$. If you're going out in deep water a wet suit would be very wise.
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chavez
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Post by chavez »

I forgot to mention that I mostly fish in lakes in deep water (>20 ft). As yak-a-lou said if you mostly fish in flats on the coast then you are probably alright with waders.
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GoinCoastal
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Post by GoinCoastal »

Wader are OK if you wear a belt cinched around the waist outside of the waders. The safety issue with waders is the chance of them filling up with water weighing you down. It only takes this happening to you once to understand the threat. I have been there, done that, and got the t-shirt. I where the lose fitting breathable waders since it isn't that cold down here. They provide room for me to move especially sitting in the yak. I wear a wide strap web belt around the outside of my waders any time I have them on. If you capsize, step in a hole, etc, the waders are very very slow to fill up with water when they are belted. And only the top part will catch any water. And the PDF is really smart too.

later,
joe
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Post by M-D »

All good advice. The only waders I've ever worn have been breathables, no matter how cold it got. With the plethora of good undergarments available, there's just no reason to be cold any more. I always wear a wading belt, and I always have two knives with me when I'm wading, a small Mosquito around my neck, and a larger Columbia River on the belt. The knives are to slit the waders, lest I become an anchor should the waders fill.

A dry suit might be a possibility, but it would have to be breathable, as you'd sweat to death inside of it in cold weather, with a little exertion. As Newt pointed out, hypothermia is a killer.

M-D
recurve57

waders

Post by recurve57 »

There is a huge belief that filled waders will pull you under. Untrue. Water is water, the water in the waders weighs no more than the water outside of the waders so it remains at the same level when full. Your movements as stated earlier would be dramatically slowed due to the increased weight. Of greater concern is the hypothermia and in most instances, I would consider the wet suit the better option.
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Yak-a-lou
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Post by Yak-a-lou »

Thank you recurve. I love it when people say that! It is the added resistance, NOT added weight. GO SLOW. Don't panic! Practice in warm water with a partner. Then when you do go fishing in cold water stay in the boat and stay dry.

Above all... P F D ! ! !
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Newt
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WADERS

Post by Newt »

I've been waiting for some one else to say this. No one has, so I will. Neoprene waders are made of the same material that wet suits are made of. It is a closed cell foam. And will give you a slight amount of bouancy. Granted the boots may weigh you down. But, you're going to have something on your feet anyway.
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waders and such

Post by Guest »

I agree with the statements above and have myself been in a situation last winter and waded through a gut and had the waders fill with water. You just have to move slow and methodically. The water inside gets cold and it is difficult to deal with when you are getting out however it can be done.
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