How to avoid wader accidents
Many fishermen have tried to fall over in their PVC waders, and if not, they certainly have a theory about how to act.
Our experience is that it is not the water that gets into your waders that poses the danger. However, the air that is 'trapped' in them can be potentially life-threatening.
Because if your waders fill with water, they will of course pull you down a bit, but water is not heavier than water, so the downward force is not insurmountable.
The problem occurs when your waders are filled with air. Imagine that you tighten the wader belt, thereby creating a balloon effect in them. Then you put on your wader jacket, tighten the sleeves well, so as not to get too much water into the sleeve while you are fishing. It is a nice protection against the cold and water splashes. But if the accident happens and you fall, the problem occurs. Your jacket now fills with water, which flows in at the neck opening and at your waist. This in itself is not very dangerous. You will now try to save yourself and swim to shore, but this is where the life-threatening situation arises. Because when you straighten up to swim, the air in your waders will seek the highest point, which is now your feet. Now that your feet are pulling up towards the surface, and your wader jacket is completely filled with water, which is pulling downwards, you really have a problem. Here it is extremely important not to panic.
How to save yourself
First, you unzip your wader, untie the sleeves and untie the wader belt. Now, against all reason and nature, you have to do a somersault underwater. The somersault will help to push the air out of your PVC waders and fill them with a little water instead. Now you have achieved balance in your body. Often you will find that you can still bottom, because you are usually right where you were standing when you fell over. Otherwise, you can easily swim at least 25 meters without any problems, even if you have water in your PVC waders.
Important rules to remember
To avoid this unpleasant experience, always remember to squat down to squeeze the air out of your PVC waders before fishing. But if the accident happens, it is extremely important to remain calm. It can end up being a decisive factor that you do not panic, so that you are able to help yourself. Some fishermen are happy to use a life jacket, in addition, practical pockets contain flotation foam pieces that help with buoyancy. However, the vest is not approved as a life jacket.
Good common sense is always a good thing to have when fishing in waders. Make sure you are able to swim, even dog swimming can be your salvation. Another good rule is never fish alone - always have a fishing buddy with you so you can help each other if needed.
