Winter Clothing

[Swamprider]

Alright I know it is not really a rigging question. But what the heck. What do you all wear in the winter> Waders? Hip boots? Wet suits? What about hte safety factor with waders? Trying to stay dry and warm.

[Rooster]

same as I wear in the summer, so far, gotta get around to making some scupper plugs though, a numb butt is not fun

[madmarco]

Alright I know it is not really a rigging question. But what the heck. What do you all wear in the winter> Waders? Hip boots? Wet suits? What about hte safety factor with waders? Trying to stay dry and warm.

Waders, Wear them if its too cold for you.
Hip boots, I would just get waders.
Wet Suit, Not for me, thats more for scuba diving.
Safety factor, if you use a life vest, tighten it up when using the waders, you just never know.

Usually wading is water from your ankles to to your knees.
Wearing waders is for keeping yourself from getting wet and jumping off the kayak to fight a fish, where getting wet is not going to give you a freeze shock

And this from just getting information from friends on this site. But I personally will wear chest high waders tommorrow morning.

[Budro]

If you wear waders - definitely wear a belt with your waders. Just in case you dump in deep water, it will buy you a little more time to make it back aboard your boat before your waders fill up

[mauso1]

But I personally will wear chest high waders tommorrow morning.

Tommorrow.. For Gooodness Sake it 64 degrees air temp...Wait until at least January..when it's in the low 40's and a noreaster is blowing

This time of year I don't bother with waders..A good hooded sweatshirt and a pair of nylon fishing pants( wally world FLW) to keep the wind chill at a minimum on bare wet skin.

Note: IF you wear waders be SURE to wear the saftey belt

[FishingDL]

When it is time for waders, get the chest high breathable waders. Orvis Clearwater label is a good choice but there are many others. They will cost you a little over 100 dollars. Get the kind with the stocking feet in them and get another pair of wading boots 1 size larger than you usually wear so they will fit over the waders.

Be sure to wear a wading belt.

[Shep]

Winter is the time of year when I move away from the thong and mesh tank top, and start wearing buttless chaps and long sleeve mesh shirt.

I'd have to say, wear things like fleece. They still keep you warm even when you're wet, and dry very quickly. Shorty wetsuit underneath might also be a good idea.

[mauso1]

Shorty wetsuit underneath might also be a good idea.

They don't make them in my size...besides that I think you'd sweat like crazy once the sun came up.

[Redfisher]

I wish I had my waders on yesterday. It wasn't that cold but I am not good in the cold. The wind picked up a little after I got a little wet and I was cold. Luckily I was on some fish and the sun came up so I was OK.

That's what is nice about the "breathables" if it warms up you wont be too uncomfortable. With the neoprene you will get hot.

[Chief1600]

The waders are probably the best suggestion (wish I had a pair). A wetsuit top is really designed to work when submerged to warm up a layer of water between you and the suit. Out of the water you are either going to freeze when water runs down your back or sweat like a pig in the sun.

[fsule73]

I bought a rain suit from Wal-mart and wear the pants only. Its enough to keep my butt and legs dry, while if I go over, the don't fill up like my waders do. As far as my upper body, I just use a hooded sweatshirt.

[shamus]

Listen to FishingDL. I have a pair of the Orvis breathables. I put a hole in my first pair and when I went into the Orvis store to figure out how to patch them the salesman said what are you talking about there Orvis. Just pick out another pair.

[seeinred]

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/store ... bled=false

Great waders at a great price. I wear sweat pants or basketball shorts and high socks underneathe them.

[GILs_GONE_WILD]

If you wear waders - definitely wear a belt with your waders. Just in case you dump in deep water, it will buy you a little more time to make it back aboard your boat before your waders fill up

Note: IF you wear waders be SURE to wear the saftey belt

From what I've read, you guys are putting waaaaay too much emphasis on a wading belt where a PFD should be touted.

Excerpt:

If waders turn into "anchors" when filled with water, the angling community might have lost one of the 20th Century's greatest trout fishing icons -- Lee Wulff -- long before his death in 1991 at the age of 86. In the 1940s, Wulff gathered some outdoors writers and staged a somewhat famous demonstration designed to dispel the myth about waders morphing into lethal anchors or, conversely, into balloons of trapped air that flip anglers onto their submerged heads.

Wulff slipped into his waders and jumped off a bridge (in February) into about 30 feet of water. His waders quickly filled to the brim, but Wulff didn't sink like the Titanic or float feet-first like a bobber.

He simply swam to shore.

Read the rest here ...
http://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/ ... p?t=490085

[mauso1]

From what I've read, you guys are putting waaaaay too much emphasis on a wading belt where a PFD should be touted.

Interesting point Gil...I think we need someone to put it to a test ( in a controlled enviromnet see below)..

Although this following article is pointed toward stream safety I found it also very interesting..

"Wader Safety:
Excerpt from “Gone Fishin’” by L. Gordon Stetser, Jr.
Michigan Out of Doors, June 1992
Fisheries biologists, who carry up to 70 pounds of gear when they wade, stress that a good technique will
minimize your problems when wading. First, plan your route. Look ahead for exits, should you have
difficulty, and ”read” the water for spots to avoid, such as drop-offs, sunken logs, and tricky currents.
Backtracking is often dangerous or impossible once you’ve committed to a tough situation.
Cross currents at right angles or slightly downstream. Move slowly, keeping the foot on the upstream
side in the lead and pointed forward. Your rear, or anchor, foot should point downstream and be at right
angles to your lead foot. Move the lead foot forward about half a step, feeling for a solid hold. Next,
move the anchor foot forward the same distance – you should shuffle across so that your anchor foot
never passes the lead. This way, both feet are always in position to lend support. If you must turn
around, do so toward upstream.
If, despite your precautions, you take a spill, don’t panic. Your waders, even full of water, weigh less than
on land and the water inside the waders doesn’t add a single ounce as long as you’re in the water!
Further, the common fear that air trapped in your waders will raise your feet higher than your head and
force your face underwater is simply unfounded.
Waders do streamline your legs and make kicking useless, however. If the current is gentle, your best
bet is to bend your knees and use the side or breast stroke to safety.
In a swifter current, lie on your
back, bend your knees, and point your feet downstream so your feet, not your head, will bounce off the
rocks. Sculling with your hands will help direct you to the nearest shallow area, which, of course, you had
noted before. Don’t waste precious energy in the vertical position going for the bottom. Without the
ability to read, this position is virtually impossible to maintain and leads quickly to exhaustion – the major
cause of many drownings. And remember, concentrate on getting out of the water and not saving your
gear!"

IMO even tough the water in your waders might become "bouyancy neutral" there must be a good reason for the safety belt other than for Bass Pro or Cabelas to tack on an additional$6-7...
I think we need a volunteer...maybe someone, a good swimmer, will demo at the next B,A.C.K. meeting ? They are going to be using the pool any way...

Here's a another link I found from the State of Missouri..( show me )

http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/tv/hints/wader_safety.pdf missouri

[Kingslayer]

Why do you need to put the wader thing to the test? It's simple physics.

Take the waders and throw them in the pool. They might float. They might be negatively bouyant. They might slowly sink.

They're going to have that exact same effect on you while you're wearing them.

They don't turn into sinking death traps like everyone thinks. The only time they can be dangerous is if you're wading a stream with a very fast current, then if you fall they can become a problem.

Bass Pro shops tacks on the extra money for the belt because everyone is going to buy it because they believe this nonsense. Might as well make a buck...