foam or no foam??

[Eddie Floyd]

Langford... I friend of mine pick one up last year. It really doesn't stiffen up when it gets cold and it's pretty warm...

[David Langford]

that ought to work-if we go in im hanging on to you

[david colwell]

in answer to my technical question.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXJR1hZbzXk

[david colwell]

This post and the one above are from a thread on the main refuge forum. I know, I know if it's on the internet it has to be true...none the less... pretty good read....

Lot of good stuff here ....................For cold water survival, short of buying a Mustang full body, the best you can have going for you is your neoprene waders and a Stearns float coat. You need to use the wader belt every time!!!!!!! I have done training demonstrations where I have jumped off the 10 meter board with a pair of waders on. Freaks people out when they watch , they all think waders take you right to the bottom. Well yeah from 10 meters up I do go under 6-8 feet, BUT the air that is trapped in the waders by the belt, surfaces me right back up like a Los Angeles class submarine. And then I just float on the surface as I continue the class. You then add the Stearns float coat ( the hooded ones are best since most heat loss is from your head) and you stave off hypothermia by a factor of more than 10. The key is you have to have your gear on, BEFORE you enter cold water. The second that you enter cold water, you body will respond by restricting the blood flow to your hands and feet and keeping your body core warmer. Your hands then loose dexterity to put on a life jacket. It takes the average person 3 minutes to properly don a life jacket in warm water when they are already trying to tread water. In cold water it becomes almost impossible. In cold water it becomes very difficult to hang onto something to float you as your fingers and hands lose function. Duck hunters are notorious for getting killed by the old wader myth that they sink you. So the first thing they try to do is to take them off------ damn near impossible, precious energy is wasted, they get hung up in them as they try and they die. WEAR the wader belt and use them to your advantage- Invest in the Stearns float coat and wear it. This is an awesome thread- I have unfortunately had to be involved in over 140 body recoveries, guys talking about stuff like this helps.
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[John Coleman]

Brent and I could use those float coats NOW

[France Burger]

I hope you all are all ok......watched those storms last night and saw a bunch about it on the internet this morning.....mother nature was not kind......we have had some wild weather this spring but nothing like that......hopefully none of you had any real damage.....

[Dennis Farlin]

were good.