killer waders?

I took a swim last week to recover my kayak. It slid further than I expected and shot across the water. I was wearing my drysuit and took some water in through the neck gasket. I was wearing a fleece top and bottom with a  t shirt under. The t shirt was soaked so I stripped it off. I was able to fish comfortably in wet fleece for the rest of the day.

I took a swim last week to recover my kayak. It slid further than I expected and shot across the water. I was wearing my drysuit and took some water in through the neck gasket. I was wearing a fleece top and bottom with a  t shirt under. The t shirt was soaked so I stripped it off. I was able to fish comfortably in wet fleece for the rest of the day.

What kind of dry suit do you have?  I'm guessing that you have one of those angler dry suits with a neoprene neck gasket.  Those dry suits are less expensive than drysuits with latex neck gaskets, and people like them because neoprene neck gaskets are more comfortable than latex neck gaskets, but neoprene neck gaskets don't keep water out as well as latex neck gaskets.  My drysuits and dry-tops all have latex neck gaskets, and I snorkel for hours in my drysuits while speargunning for pike, and I take big over-the-head hits from breaking waves when whitewater kayaking, and I don't get any water under the neck gaskets.  I often drive home in the clothing I was wearing under my drysuit while speargunning.  I think the neoprene neck gaskets are more for splash protection.  I have a paddle jacket with neoprene gaskets which I use in real warm conditions, like when whitewater paddling in Mexico, and I always get water into the paddle jacket.

I took a swim last week to recover my kayak. It slid further than I expected and shot across the water. I was wearing my drysuit and took some water in through the neck gasket. I was wearing a fleece top and bottom with a  t shirt under. The t shirt was soaked so I stripped it off. I was able to fish comfortably in wet fleece for the rest of the day.

Ling Ling, Goodbye

I took a swim last week to recover my kayak. It slid further than I expected and shot across the water. I was wearing my drysuit and took some water in through the neck gasket. I was wearing a fleece top and bottom with a  t shirt under. The t shirt was soaked so I stripped it off. I was able to fish comfortably in wet fleece for the rest of the day.

Ling Ling, Goodbye

Sounds like ling ling went for a swim swim , how was the water by the way,warmer then usual for this time of year?

I have the Supernova Angler suit. The neck gasket is blown out, so it allows a lot more water into the suit than it had before when I have done re-entry practice. Water temps weren't bad with the suit on. I was really comfortable all day and totally forgot that I was fishing in a wet drysuit.

So you were realy fishing in a wetsuit  glad to hear you got your boat back with little problems and I feel better for having a dock line on my bow 

I have the Supernova Angler suit. The neck gasket is blown out, so it allows a lot more water into the suit than it had before when I have done re-entry practice.

Instructions for replacing neck gaskets are on Kokatat's website at http://kokatat.com/self-repair . It's pretty easy.  I've replaced fifteen or so latex neck gaskets over the years.

I'm sending it in, hopefully they will deem my suit beyond repair and send me a new one 

I have the Supernova Angler suit. The neck gasket is blown out, so it allows a lot more water into the suit than it had before when I have done re-entry practice.

Instructions for replacing neck gaskets are on Kokatat's website at http://kokatat.com/self-repair . It's pretty easy.  I've replaced fifteen or so latex neck gaskets over the years.

Those instructions are for latex neck gaskets.  Not sure if the procedure is even similar for neoprene.

I am curious if the 21 yo with the waders that drowned trying to get on his inflatable had a life jacket on.  It would seem hard to me to drown with waders and a life jacket on.  You would need to become hypothermic, be narcoleptic, knock your head on a rock, or get snagged on something.  It was a river, if you can't get back on your inflatable, swim to shore. That is of course if you are wearing a PFD. 

A couple years back, while bank fishing, I was recovering a lure I'd hung in a tree and tumbled into a slow-moving pool - okay, I splatted-in - wearing waders and a properly adjusted belt, the waders still filled-up.  The belt slows how quickly they fill up, and if you find yourself sputtering and gasping from the surprise of being in the water, they'll fill up faster than you expect.

Only a few yards from the bank, getting out of the pool was a struggle - and I am a strong swimmer.

Full waders may not drag you to the bottom, but swimming in them surely does wear you down, and although I wasn't wearing a PFD (bank fishing) I can easily see how hard it would be to catch up to a kayak, and how dangerous that could be.

The Jim Sammons video is interesting. I suspect if he had been dressed for colder air temps with some bulky layers between his skin and the wading belt that he would have had some water get into the legs, and that it would continue as the fabric 'drained' after re-entering the boat.

That said, waders seem to be a good solution for many conditions, including extreme conditions if paired with a dry top.