PSA: Wear Your Wading Belt

[El Jason]

I joked about this yesterday, but I took a dunk in the river yesterday. Fortunately, I WAS wearing a wading belt.

I was fishing along the base of some cliffs, standing on a rock shelf in the river. I stepped off the edge of shelf and was up to my chin with no terra firma under my feet.

The belt kept my waders from filling with water while I was able to swim with the current back to solid footing. Not sure what the outcome would have been without a belt with rapidly filling waders, and I’m glad I didn’t have to find out.

All told, I dumped about a gallon or two out of them when I got back to the pickup.

 

[mtmuley]

I joked about this yesterday, but I took a dunk in the river yesterday. Fortunately, I WAS wearing a wading belt.

I was fishing along the base of some cliffs, standing on a rock shelf in the river. I stepped off the edge of shelf and was up to my chin with no terra firma under my feet.

The belt kept my waders from filling with water while I was able to swim with the current back to solid footing. Not sure what the outcome would have been without a belt with rapidly filling waders, and I’m glad I didn’t have to find out.

All told, I dumped about a gallon or two out of them when I got back to the pickup.

Had a similar experience duck hunting one time. Scary. mtmuley

 

[Mica Man]

Definitely not fun this time of year. Any steel harmed prior to the bath?

 

[Rack Daniels]

I joked about this yesterday, but I took a dunk in the river yesterday. Fortunately, I WAS wearing a wading belt.

I was fishing along the base of some cliffs, standing on a rock shelf in the river. I stepped off the edge of shelf and was up to my chin with no terra firma under my feet.

The belt kept my waders from filling with water while I was able to swim with the current back to solid footing. Not sure what the outcome would have been without a belt with rapidly filling waders, and I’m glad I didn’t have to find out.

All told, I dumped about a gallon or two out of them when I got back to the pickup.

Kept the pole!?

 

[El Jason]

Kept the pole!?

Yep. I did an awkward sidestroke while holding on to it.

 

[El Jason]

Definitely not fun this time of year. Any steel harmed prior to the bath?

Hooked seven, landed three.

 

[Rack Daniels]

Sketchy shit. Glad all’s good

 

[Mallardsx2]

My best friend almost drown in water 3 feet deep because he slipped and went under. He went under several more times and every time he came up he was gasping for air and choking.

He was flailing about and thought that the water was 20 feet deep. I was 20 yards away rushing down the bank to get to him.

I started screaming at him to “stand up!!!” “Stand up!!” as I was rushing to get to him.

Finally he heard me and he put his foot down and stood up and instantly realized the water was only up to his waist.

He was so scared. It was truly heartbreaking seeing my friend like that. We packed up the decoys and went home.

Wear your wading belt fellas. Hell, wear a life jacket while your wading isn’t a bad idea either.

He told me if I wouldn’t have been there to snap him out of it that he is certain that he would have drowned.

Sounds odd but that incident really affected me in life. It certainly changed the way I waterfowl hunted.

 

[Elkmagnet]

Not a lot of things scare me but swimming in waders is something I hope I never have to do. Glad you are ok.

 

[Hem]

I did it once. Trick is be calm to get to shore, if possible. Thats the easy part...you wont sink to the bottom.
Dont try to stand up once you touch ground. Crawl instead. Waders full of water is heavier than you think.