Wow, don't know how I missed this one!!!
While I disagree with your choice of heading, (There should be no mention of the word "safety" unless it's with the words "Lack of".) good find Mordy
MY PET HATE !!!!
Waders are just that "WADERS" and should not be used for anything else, least of all kayaking.
As far as I am concerned and have personally experienced from similar circumstances;
No waders won't pull you down!!
Yes you can swim in them!!!
Yes they will keep your feet and arse warm and dry if you don't fall in/capsize!!!
BUT !!!!
If and it is an IF I admit, but people are still dumb enough to do it !! If you do not wear a PFD and enter the water head first in plastic waders, the air inside will push to your boots and hold you up side down cause a drowning unless your are trained to counter act it. Neoprene waders may also do it, but are less likely due to the buoyancy of the neoprene, just depends how high they come up your chest. A shorter neoprene legging wader will definitely turn you up. (Note he walked in which pushes the air out as he walks in). And while belts slow water ingress, they also slow air and waters exit
.
They can and will no matter if you are wearing a belt/PFD (if in the water long enough) fill with water and once full of water are next to impossible to drain.
Once full of water, double your weight to lift from the water.
Once/if you do get out of the water, water draining from your clothes cannot drain away and stays inside the wader, this water then sucks important body heat away from the skins surface and muscle's which causes cramping and hypothermia and minimizes freedom of movement.
Often the argument is, "I will remove the wader or cut the wader to drain it" The whole idea of protective clothes is to wear the clothes for protection and not spend precious time removing them or even worse risk more damage by stabbing/cutting yourself.
Also note; it is a calm water test, ask yourself; Would he have coped the same with waders full of water in poor conditions, once the legs are rolled down any/if any air flotation was in them is gone and it is even harder to remove the foot section and impossible to swim. While wrestling the waders off, how far away has your kayak been blown.
Waders have no place on a Kayak
