re: Can you actually drown in waders?

I almost fell over the transom in the gulf stream releasing a snake sailfish. I was alone and the boat was idling in gear...had I gone in there is NO way I would have ever caught the boat. I have not gotten out of my truck at a boat ramp since without putting on a PFD before doing anything else. In cold weather it goes under my coat. At best a base layer, a shirt and the PFD.

I NEVER wear waders in a boat anymore after taking a slipping on ice on the deck of my boat and going in about 3 feet of water. The surface temp was 35 degrees and the air temp was about 40...it was as painful as falling 25 feet and hitting concrete - I know from a industrial accident when I was 23 years old. I was in 3 feet of water of 35 degree water and 40 degree air temps and hitting the water almost knocked me out. It took some time to actually get in the water...it wasn't a bad as jumping in would be...I grabbed the blind and more or less eased in...it still was like getting blindsided on a football field and having the wind knocked out of you. I did not have a coat on but had on a pfd. I never thought to deploy it. I floundered around until I managed to get my feet under me...almost completely panicked for a few seconds until I remembered I had meant to wade the spot and it was only about waist deep. I liked to have never got back in the boat. The front of the boat was about chest high and the gunwales were about halfway between my chest and waist...normall I could have clambered up on the gunwale and swung one leg over and stood up in the boat. Not only were my legs not working but the rest of my body was not working...cold water will do that to you. I finally managed to pull myself up until I could belly flop into the boat. My waders were only about filled to the top of the boot...my lower body was nearly dry....I took off my waders, put on a coat and hunted about 4 hours until the sun warmed the air temps up to about 45, picked up and idled back to the hill. It was touch and go. Had it been in 6 feet of water I do not think I would have ever got back in the boat. Even with a transom ladder...i did not have one...I don't think my arms and shoulders would have worked well enough to get back in the boat. It is damned dangerous. Cold water is like a sledge hammer hitting your entire being. It will almost knock you out immediately....it is extremely dangerous.