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The Proper Freshwater Hunting Attire?

M

MIssouri Secessionist

New member
My Excalibur 1000 arrived this week. I am excited as this will be my fist foray into water detecting. No sandy beaches, nor, saltwater in Missouri, just a few streams, fishing holes, swimming areas, fresh water lakes controlled by the Corps of Engineers.

My question to you, the experienced, what is the right attire, or, is there such a thing for gravel and mud bottom water areas. I guess my first concern would be footwear. What is good protective wear for an area that may have underwater broken glass, tins, and the like? I suppose in the heat of summer that shorts and a shirt would do, but what about fall, winter and early spring? Is a wet suit desirable, or, overkill? What about chest waders, is the look still in? Wish I would have bought those over the back gloves that were on the forum a week or so ago.

Anyway, any help in proper dress for safety and comfort would be appreciated.

Thanks, guys.
 
First thing for sure is a scoop!! Need a long handled one if your wading, Second is your booties, TONS of different ones out there. I use scuba ones of course and so do most waders. You can look on feebay for them. Mine zip up the sides and are tight enough that not much sand gets in them. Wet suit is a LOT better than waders. A shortie for the summer and a long one for the late spring and early fall. Waders do work and I use them and I have trappers gloves from Gander Mountain BUT really that's for experienced people in the water. And that's also when I want to go out in the winter.

The water is DANGEROUS, You step in a hole with waders and they fill up your in HUGE trouble. And boat motor's make HOLES in shallow water. Some of my wader friends use a PFD. An inflatable one they can jerk a string in an emergency. In a wetsuit you will actually float so your choice.

I am saying this because I know of THREE people that have died wading in the water. One of my friends 3 years ago, a member of our club two years ago, and after Tom died, I heard about another guy in Wisconsin. ALL were metal detecting. IFFF you get in trouble DROP the stupid thing!!! You can get it later and its just not worth your life. Also drop your scoop. Be very alert as to your surroundings. Propellers in shallow water dig HUGE holes in the sand, and if your in a popular swim area where the boats park, you will see them IF the water is clear enough. AND if you find yourself close to a drop off. You will find yourself going deeper before you can bat an eyelash.

I will say it again, IF you find yourself struggling, GET RID of your equipment. Guaranteed it can be located and will be alright ONCE your on safe ground.


I would NEVER wear waders in a mud bottom, Never ever know when you hit a soft spot.

Please, Nobody in Michigan read this, it doesn't apply here and is all lies!!!

OK, with all that said, if I were you, I would look into diving during the winter. I dive in 3' of water just to be able to fan my hand and find the target without digging and digging and just missing it. Most targets are right under the sand and sometimes on top of clay. When you can see them, its way easier to pick them up instead of digging into the clay. I also dive on drop offs and find PLENTY where no waders have gone. I love the old stuff. You need other gear and you can get it online a LOT cheaper than at your local dive shop and you do NOT need top of the line equipment for playing in the sand and dirt and muck!!! Once you try diving with a detector, you will not want to go back to wading.

Again Michiganders, Diving doesn't work here. The water is the wrong consistency for it. And its way too wet. So disregard this message.
 
n/t
 
thanks for the advice on the waders, I seen some of those holesand backed away , and am going to be very carfull if you cant see the bottom dont go thear I am sure you would sink like a stone then the hydralic pressure would not alow you to get the hip botts off and unless you could walk under water up the side of the drop off you are dead, only visable flat hard bottom
 
Scuba is right waders are dangerous. I use a wet suit after Sept. The rest of the year i wear swim trunks ,shirts with colars so my neck doesn't burn,a hard soled dive boot, a hat,sunglasses, and drink plenty of water.
The water will fool you when its hot. You can still get dehydrated in the water and guess what there's nothing like getting a kidney stone so drink lots of water while hunting.

If you are going to wade make sure you get a good strait shaft and a good scoop.
For fresh water i use a light aluminum scoop and for salt i use a heavy ss scoop with a handle.

Best of luck to you a remember nothing is worth your life so if you get in trouble dump your gear and get it later.
One more thing... don't start hunting at night until you get to know your machine and the lakes you are hunting. I only hunt areas at night that i know very well.

Good luck and HH
 
Thank you so much, scubadector, for your extremely informative post about the gear and safety issues when wading. I hadn't heard about the deaths in shallow water detecting. Near where I used to live, we have a river called the BLACK. It has a lot of silt and dirt bottom. Lots of swimming in it in the old days. Never had thought about walking along and dropping in a hole and the waders filling up. Your post was an eye opener for me.

I really do appreciate your taking the time to put together such great information.

All the best,

Dex HH
 
Take along a mesh bag, can be gotten at any scuba shop or online. Put all your trash in it and do NOT toss it deeper. If you do decide to dive it will be GONE from the lake. I know WAY TOO many waders that think its funny to toss it where I play. I just turned in a half of a 5 gallon bucket of brass shotgun shell bottoms, buckles and other brass do dads. I recieved 40.00 for it. Not a bad return for trash.

Good luck and hope you get rich fast. ONE ring can pay for your detector.
 
thanks for the tip on cashing in on the trash. I usually toss it in a trash can. From now on, I will toss it in a 5 gallon plastic bucket and see what it brings at the recycling center. I always take my trash with me on land, would do the same in the water. Someone could get a cut foot if they touched bottem while swimming, and besides, my "humor" doesn't run in that direction. I am kind of a "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" kind of guy.

dex
 
What is good footwear protection while working say up to 4' water in rivers, fishing holes, swimming areas, lakes? Mud and gravel bottoms. I looked at dive boots on feeBay, but didn't have a clue as to what I was seeing. Some said "hard sole", others looked like they had tread, but I wasn't sure of what is best. Fins?,......or,is that cumbersome and uneeded in my freshwater 4 foot water situations?

Thanks.

dex
 
Great point about stirring up the water. I was only thinking of foot protection, but that makes a lot of sense.
 
FK Pirate,

Thanks for the photo of the proper boots. That helps alot.
 
From what I read, it seems that a wet suit only is good in the warmer water, that when it turns cold that if someone wanted to get in the water along the shore, say up to 4 foot of water that they would need a dry suit in like November, December, Januiary, etc. because a dry suit keeps you dry and protects you from colder water. Is that right? If so, it seems that for most of us on some kind of a budget, not being blessed with ocean beaches to search, that detecting in streams, lakes, etc. is going to be confined to the warmer months, because of the high cost of a dry suit. I had wondered about using calf high rubber boots, and a military grade rain suit to detect in winter. Wonder if the GORTEX stuff would work, or, if it allows some seepage of water, thus decreasing your thermal capablitiy.
 
Wet suits are good for colder water, depends on how thick of one you wear. I have a 1 mil a 3 mil and a 5 mil. The one mil sharkskin is only to keep leaches off of me in some lakes. The 3 is a shortie, good for warmer water. The 5 mil is for colder water and is pretty comfortable. A seven mil restricts your arm movement and I totally disliked it. I just wait till the next year and put my gear away when its that cold.
 
Scubadetector,

THANK YOU! You have provided me with great information. I really don't need to be in really cold water, but thanks to your info, I won't make a mistake over thickness of a suit.

All the best,

Dex
 
Just wondered if you cold wear a neoprene, or, vinyl rain suit under a wetsuit to keep you dry, and a little warmer in cooler water? Silly me, I used to think that the reason that people wore wet suits was to keep them from getting wet, and to stay warm as they dove. Now that it is getting colder, it is a good time to hit the water because of less people on the beach. If the wetsuit allows the water to reach your skin, doesn't it make you cold, or, have I got it all wrong? I am talking of detecting in up to chest deep water and maybe totally emersing in the water to retrieve a target, if necessary..Just wondered if a vinyl rain suit would keep you dry and warm under the wetsuit.

Thanks. Ya can tell I have never done water before.
 
and your body heat heats it up and your comfortable the whole time your in the water. If its thick enough also. A wetsuit that is too loose keeps letting water in and your body heat has to keep warming it up and you will get colder faster. You need a suit that is snug without being restricting or too tight. Your nearest dive shop should be able to help you with that.
 
Thank you for your suggestion of going to a dive shop. We don't have one where I live, but I happen to be in Poplar Bluff, Missouri and they have a dive shop location, due to the popularity of cave diving. Also, thank you for explaining that a wet suit needs to fit properly because it allows a little water in that the body warms up and keeps you warm. Loose suit, not so much.

I learned the hard way not to guess my size. I just bought a pair of nice Aqua Lung dive boots on feeBay. They said M, but he gave the length from toe to heel as 10.5 inches. I wear a 9.5 xw, and can wear a 10.5 dress shoe comfortably. I bought them, and they are so tiny. Lesson learned.

I have been looking at suits on feeBay, and don't want to use a dive shop to get my size and then buy elsewhere. Just doesn't see fair to the shop. I will see what I can work out with them.

Thanks,

Dex
 
Thank you for all the good info. Do you recommend 2 piece wet suits or one piece. The one piece suits look like a devil to get on and off.
What are the disadvantages of a 2 piece suit to a 1 piece suit?
 
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