After very nearly taking a dangerous dip seatrouting last season, I decided to take my safety around river more seriously. I don't know how I fished without a wading staff at night now.

However, I still can't tie down a definitive answer on whether or not to use a wading belt.

Some say that it causes air to be trapped in your legs making you top heavy and tipping you upside down. Other say that waders full of water is a recipe for disaster.

Anyone shed any light?

Cheers

Jon

Think about it logically. Why should the air trapped inside your waders be lighter than the air outside? It can't be, therefore your legs won't be waving around in the air while you quietly drown with your head three feet under the water.

Conversely, why should any water inside your waders be heavier than the water outside? It can't be, therefore there is no reason why you should be dragged under.

I put this to the test - inadvertently - on the Traun in Austria three years ago when I stepped off the bank into 1' of crystal clear water, only it was 3' of crystal clear water! I simply let go of the rod and rolled onto my back and paddled myself to the shore. The air in my waders kept me comfortably afloat and my wader belt allowed only a small amount of water to seep down inside the waders. Once I could touch the shore I rolled onto my front and crawled out of the water where "repairs" were made.

This method was demonstrated by Hugh Falkus who literally threw himslef into the Border Esk with no ill effects.

Hi Jon. My tuppence worth on this is: I would put on a belt as the amount of air that it traps is IMHO, not enough to tip a normal weight + person upside down in a river, even less so if the fisher is wearing a life vest/preserver, which when fishing in the dark is a must.
If you do fall in, the best method is to not panic, "float" with your legs facing downstream so that any rocks will hit your feet first and not your head, and make your way to the bank.

Also it makes sense to carry out a reccy of the beat/pools if at all possible.

Good luck and fish safely
kf28

Good advice from Bob and Kingfisher. You can swim with waders on. I found that a quasi-backstroke can be achieved quite easily, the most important thing being to remain calm.

Alex

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I'd add that you should wear a life jacket at all times when wading. I hadn't thought about this until Kim Tribe (S Wales excellent guide) pointed out to me the danger of being dragged into the branches of a tree and then below the water. That's the flaw in the Hugh Falkus approach if you don't have a life jacket. Hopefully the jacket would be sufficient to keep your head above the surface even when entangled in a tree!

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If you put your weight belt on, then walk belt deep into the water then undo it, the air is pushed out of the legs and you can reattach it with minimal air in the legs.

alternatively buy neoprene, its a very boyant material. when wearing neoprene diving suits scuba divers use a weight belt to combat the extra boyancy at the surface.

in fact, ive often thought about scuba fishing, sitting in wait at the bottom of the lake for a shoal to swim past, then rising to the surface and making a cast....

everything that's been said is good advice, but I would add one thing, always wear a belt. The reason being if you do take a dunking and the waders fill with water, you might be in real trouble trying to climb out of the river up a steep bank with waders full of water. At best it's hard work or you have to cut open your waders to let out the water, at worst you're too exhausted from swimming to the bank against the current to get out, shock/hypothermia set in the longer you try making it even harder, you may misjudge your exit due to the weight and fall onto a rock/back into the water etc etc etc.

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Top replies fella.

langland_fisher's point about the tree is particularly apt as that is exactly the situation I would have been in if I had lost my very light foot hold that night back in July.

The belt will go with me to the Monnow tommorow.

Thanks all

Jon

Surely though the belt is not going to stop you filling up with water, it may reduce the amount of water that can be held by your waders by not allowing them to expand past the belt as the water fills though.

This may be of interest to everyone: http://www.sexyloops.com/articles/killerwader.shtml

By having a tight belt it MASSIVELY reduces how quickly the waders fill with water, a loose belt is pointless.

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