Personnel flotation devices while water hunting

[Fire Fighter 43]

I m thinking of getting into water hunting and wanted to know who wears a personnel flotation device. Do you have to worry about stepping in a drop off or hole? What if your waders fill with water? Is this a big concern? Being a fire fighter and technical rescue team member, I always have safety on my mind when entering a potential dangerous situation. I remember reading about a detectors that drown in Michigan in 2008. His name was Tom Weaver.

For the hunters that use PFD's. What type do you use and why?

 

[UtahRich]

Water Hunting Newbie here.

I am trying to think of a situation where I would want to wear a PFD while out water hunting. Being a longtime diver, I wouldn't want one if doing shallow water snorkeling/scuba work. If I were to be underwater, I would want my Diver Down Float out so others knew I was there. If there is trouble, I drop my weight belt and bingo, I'm floating, because I have at least a shortie wetsuit.

If I am wading in shallow water out to waist deep, a PFD isn't needed. If I am waist deep to chest deep, using a floating sifter, wearing a PFD is counter-productive, and is going to cause me to float, which I don't want. I need to stay on the bottom. I might be using a weight belt to keep me rooted to the bottom and if I'm in trouble, I drop the weight belt.

The two biggest problems I see is somebody getting in trouble out in the chest deep + territory, trying to avoid dropping their weight belt and snorkelers/divers not using a diver down flag.

Being a newbie, I'm interested in others thoughts.

Rich

 

[ZOFCHAK]

If you wear properly fitting Neoprene waders there's not much of a risk of them filling with water, and if they do it won't be much. With breathables the use of a wader belt will keep most of the water out. Either way the idea that you'll automatically sink to the bottom with waders is a myth. I've taken a few "Rides" in waders while fishing streams here in Michigan, and one unexpected capsizing while duck hunting in late November. All those times my waders took on some water, and when I capsized they filled completely each time I was still able to swim with little effort.

If you're concerned or just want to be better safe than sorry, you may want to look into the manual inflatable vests. There's also a manual inflatable fanny pack that could serve dual purpose as a wading belt as well.

 

[OldBeechnut]

I Wear a manual inflate 80% of the time. Hunting ruff waters, during the summer or winter anything can happen, from getting hit from behind by a wave, someone else getting hit by a wave , hitting you, kids on the boards hitting you..best to be safe...During the early part of the storm Hurricane Earl (18 hours before), friday morning, hunting the early low tide with a buddy..he was about a 100 yards up the way, in about knee deep water..I looked over to see him on one knee, then a wave hit him again....And he was gone.................he was lucky, he was able to pull himself back up and escape.. he was so shaken I had to follow him back home on a two hour drive ...said he seen his life flash before his eyes....................before the hunt I had offered a PFD..he turned it down..........Hunting the Calm waters of the Bay, very Much like Florida's west coast, unknown areas..much easier to controll yourself if you step of a slope...not that hard to just pull the cord if needed...and hold onto the detector.....I have two, both are fishing vest, manaul inflate PFD's, then on my winter/fall setup I use the MSD 900, cold water can gain controll of you fast..I have the op to inflate thur a tube just incase I feel like I need to........I am a average swimmer, And I still take no chances......Good Luck.............

 

[Dig]

I personally don't wear one (Yet, but I am thinking about it) ...but, that being said I don't go into water, that I don't already know how to get out of. I currently wear a full surfers wetsuit when I am in the water which keeps me positive buoyant while I hunt but, I would say the best safety device is to use common sense. If you go to the beach and your going hunting...ease into the water, don't just wade right out to your neck. Take your time to "feel" your way in : How strong is the current?, Which way is it going?, Are there lots of other people in the water who might help you?, or are you the only one?. Take a good reading of the water before hand and treat it like what it is: a wilderness. That being said, I have been rolled a couple of times and I could see how if you took a header you could pass out and fail to heed line #39 of the water hunters bible "Thall shalt not drink the water"... so maybe a pfd or a micro pfd are not bad ideas. Especially if you are using a weight belt to keep you just on the negative side of buoyant. An inflatable pfd might save your bacon. Remember my favorite slogan when in doubt "No treasure is worth your life."

 

[UtahRich]

That being said, I have been rolled a couple of times and I could see how if you took a header you could pass out and fail to heed line #39 of the water hunters bible "Thall shalt not drink the water"... so maybe a pfd or a micro pfd are not bad ideas. "No treasure is worth your life."

"Thou Shall Not Drink the Water" Very Wise Advice.


Rich -

 

[UtahRich]

hunting the early low tide with a buddy, he was about a 100 yards up the way, in about knee deep water. I looked over to see him on one knee, then a wave hit him again....And he was gone. He was lucky, he was able to pull himself back up and escape.. he was so shaken I had to follow him back home on a two hour drive ...said he seen his life flash before his eyes...before the hunt I had offered a PFD..he turned it down...Hunting the Calm waters of the Bay, very Much like Florida's west coast, unknown areas..much easier to controll yourself if you step off a slope...not that hard to just pull the cord if needed...and hold onto the detector.

Excellent point - I'm taking notes.

Rich -

 

[JMW]

I've been using waders without a PFD. Often considered getting a manual one, just never got around to it. But after running across this article this past weekend, that will change. I've hunted here before and unless it's dead low tide, the currents can get pretty strong. Better to be safe than sorry.

http://www.necn.com/09/18/10/Fisherman-dies-near-Sandwich-Mass/landing_newengland.html?blockID=313676&feedID=4206

 

[tvr]

West Marine had auto-inflatable ones last spring for a very good price. Budget was tight then, but I'm kicking myself for not picking one up.

CO2 cartridge, pull a cord if in trouble. One is on my list to get. Like Joe's example indicates, knee deep you can get knocked off your feet and a second wave before you fully orient can turn very dangerous.

 

[johnnywayne]

I was wading in Atlantic City in front of Bally's Claridge Casino and got in a Rip Current that swept me out about 30 yards before I had time to react to it. I'm a former Marine Para Rescue swimmer so I got under control and got back to shore safely but I was shocked how I was caught off guard because I was to busy listening to my headphones and not paying attention to my surroundings.

Safety tip: If caught in Rip Current, stay calm, angle yourself to go paralell with shoreline DO NOT try to fight the current you WILL lose, calmly start swimming paralell with shoreline until you feel your out of current then head in to shore. Some compare rip current with treadmill, my swim instructor described it best to me and he said this:

Imagine you turn on a firehose and aim it at a brickwall, your body gets pushed back by the waters force and it is very very hard to walk torwards the wall because the force of the water keeps pushing you back, easier way to get to wall is to turn off the hose (get out of the current) and then you will have no problems getting to the wall.

If you are not a good swimmer or can not swim at all you should always wear saftey gear regardless of how deep the water is your going to be in, because like me I am a very strong swimmer and even trained to overcome many watering hazards but when your mind is pre occupied with something else your at high risk of danger because your mind is not at full alert.

just my 2 cents

 

[sqwaby]

I do water rescue training and I highly recommend some sort of PFD, even if you are in water that's less than chest deep, its quite possible to step off into a deep gut or wash out. In one step you could find yourself in over your head, or maybe you just trip and fall over, waders will fill instantly. There are many different brands of inflatable vest available, these are not bulky and don't impede arm movement.The auto type might not be a good call since it would be prone to firing while submerged, with some vests you can turn off the auto mode and switch to manual, others are manual only. I own the commercial Mustang brand, but there are many others to choose from. Don't become a statistic.

 

[tvanwho]

I keep it up under my armpits and it don't interfere with detecting.My issue is that I seem to get lite headed after an hour of scooping/detecting in water and have to make a dash for shore when I feel it coming on.I sit down for 20 minutes and the spell passes.I have no idea why it happens. I am good to go after this for a couple more hours. My friend seems to think it is sugar related, like low blood sugar, but I really dunno.The doc keeps telling me my sugar is ok. I am always hearing stories of people walking our local river and drowning from stepping in a deep, unseen hole. Better to have some sort of floatation device even if you look silly with it. I'd rather be alive and ugly looking than to be dead but in fashion?

-Tom V.