Chest Waders for Launching?

Seajet said:
There's another danger with waders...

Dangerous things, they don't belong anywhere near a boat or the sea !!!
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Oh come on.....I hope you're not serious: try telling that to the thousands of boat anglers who launch, fish and retrieve in neoprene waders every weekend, without any drama.

Getting your wellies stuck in the mud would be the same whether or not they are part of a pair of waders - you'd just leave them behind in the mud if they were not attached.
 
If you had seen the situation you would not be saying 'come on' !

The big difference with wellies is you can get out of them easily; I doubt anglers walk on soft mud, and it was the stretchy neoprene which was the problem; I've worked on those moorings without a moment's bother since 1977, using wetsuits, drysuits or just shorts and well tied plimsolls.

The experienced sailors with me agreed the things I tried were dangerous...
 
If it's getting the boat onto the trailer the OP wants to do, use my method. Works every time.

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Seajet said:
If you had seen the situation you would not be saying 'come on' !

The big difference with wellies is you can get out of them easily; I doubt anglers walk on soft mud, and it was the stretchy neoprene which was the problem; I've worked on those moorings without a moment's bother since 1977, using wetsuits, drysuits or just shorts and well tied plimsolls.

The experienced sailors with me agreed the things I tried were dangerous...
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It was the "Dangerous things, they don't belong anywhere near a boat or the sea !!!" that I was scoffing at.

I've no doubt sticking mud could be an inconvenience, but I'm not sure if that was relevant to the OP.
 
'scoffing' is for people who think they know best when they weren't there, or indeed what schoolboys do to lunches.

I've described what happened, you seem determined to pour scorn - if you think what could have been really serious if I was alone without a boat to lean on an 'inconvenience', please feel free too borrow the waders in question, and I'll point you to the spot !
 
chest waders

Iv'e had chest waders for 10 years - not the expensive ones (round £30) would not be without them but they are a pain if you keep them on when in the boat so, likewise, take em off until you are ready to retrieve your boat onto it's trailer.
Oh, and by the way, I always wear the life jacket (it's inflated once due to my stupidity when I got off my boat in water that was too deep. Stupid? yes but, it did it's job whilst I was filling my waders with Irish Sea.)
I would not wear my waders without a life jacket (and a boat buddy working with me)
 
Seajet said:
There's another danger with waders...

A couple of years ago I was due to go out on the mud to assist in moorings replacements.

My old drysuit had torn last time, so was obviously dangerous if it allowed water in.

So I bought a 'good' set of waders, neoprene ( need the warmth out on the mud in snow ) and good built-in 'wellies'.

The 3 of us set off across the mud pushing our dinghy full of kit; on my FIRST step into the properly soft mud just off the slipway, I went in deep on that foot - but when I tried to pull my foot out I couldn't, the waders just stretched.

I tried a couple more steps but the same happened; they were the correct size, with tight over-shoulder braces.

If I hadn't had the dinghy to fall across while my chums pulled on each leg in turn, I or at least the waders would still be there; not a hope in hell of walking across the mud, though a wet or dry suit & plimsolls is fine, if messy.

They are never going near the coast again, and I don't feel it would be right to sell them.

I see there's a cheap version drysuit going for £76.00 - my waders cost £48.00, for one failed use...

Dangerous things, they don't belong anywhere near a boat or the sea !!!

Editted to add; I wasn't planning on there being any water around for hours, but if I had managed to get water over these things I'd have been lucky indeed to get them off before drowning, it's the stretch which makes them so difficult, though full of water anyway I'm quite sure it would be Goodnight Vienna...
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I think that you have given us a good reason for not using waders for setting moorings in goo and I can see why you don't like them but to make a generalised statement as they don't belong near boats and the sea is taking a specific problem and making a wild generalisation.

I've spent hours up to my knees in goo digging bait and ahem getting my dinghy off the mud and the stuff is difficult to play with. I've left both wellies and waders in the goo when they have got stuck in but I don't think that I've felt in danger, just pissed off that I ending up smelling like a bog.

You are ignoring the fact that thousands of people use them safely day in day out to launch their boats from slipways.
 
I'm not ignoring anything,simply pointing out a serious drawback and danger; thousands of people drive drunk or without seatbelts too...

The 'dangerous things' bit was slightly tongue in cheek. Slghtly; sad you didn't get that.
 
I've got a pair and use them now and again when its really cold, but yes I've always got an LJ on, I'd avoid mud if poss, and yes there are risks attached to using them. There have been too many accidents, mainly to fishermen, to ignore the risks.

So you just have to have your 'be careful' switch engaged. Most of the time I just wear shorts and sandals and get wet. If there's a towel and a spare pair of shorts handy its often less bother. My boat floats in just over 2 feet of water anyway.

Tim
 
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