You guys know anybody that drowned or almost drowned while wading?

Wareagle1011

Senior Refuge Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2022
Messages
674
Reaction score
574
As the title asks. Specifically while wading with waders on.
 

Wareagle1011

Senior Refuge Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2022
Messages
674
Reaction score
574
Nope. Waders tend to float. You’re more likely to get hypothermia than drown because of your waders.
Well now you got me picturing myself upside down bobbing like a bobber. What about if you got submerged and filled them with water? I could see that being an issue. Say your not wearing one of those wader belts
 

Billy hill

Senior Refuge Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2021
Messages
627
Reaction score
732
Location
Westport WA
Yep. In a little bass pond next to the freeway in Fresno CA. Thousands of cars 50 yards away. Tackle box strapped to back of my waders. I had a fairly large top water bass lure hooked into front of waders and caught my hand into 2 of the treble hooks. Tackle box eventually filled with water and all buoyancy was lost. Thickness of the cattails kept me from any swimming stroke. I semi side stroked to a break in the reeds and crawled out of water. I went under several times crossing the pond coughing out water and barely pulling myself out. Pretty scared but alive. I'm lucky
 

Neighbor Guy

Elite Refuge Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2019
Messages
2,691
Reaction score
5,020
Location
Central MN
Well now you got me picturing myself upside down bobbing like a bobber. What about if you got submerged and filled them with water? I could see that being an issue. Say your not wearing one of those wader belts
Neoprene waders will float. Even if filled with water.

The old rubber ones will fill with water but are neutrally buoyant, and will not sync you.

Breathables, will fill with water similar to the rubber ones but again they shouldn’t sink you.

In most cases, if you pull your knees up, once you feel yourself getting submerged, you will float as if wearing a life jacket.

Again, I would be much more concerned about hypothermia.
 

Wareagle1011

Senior Refuge Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2022
Messages
674
Reaction score
574
Neoprene waders will float. Even if filled with water.

The old rubber ones will fill with water but are neutrally buoyant, and will not sync you.

Breathables, will fill with water similar to the rubber ones but again they shouldn’t sink you.

In most cases, if you pull your knees up, once you feel yourself getting submerged, you will float as if wearing a life jacket.

Again, I would be much more concerned about hypothermia.
Yea I see where your coming from on hypothermia. im planning on heading to a different WA in the next few days. And its one im not very familiar with. A guy that used to work for my company knew that place like the back of his hand and actually drowned while wading it. I never could find deeper details on how it happened other then he was wading and drowned some how.
 
Top