re: Duck boat flipped in the river near Ft. Jackson???

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I saw a guy finishing concrete fall into the shallow end of a swimming pool almost drown. He was fighting the whole time until his son jumped in and grabbed him in a bear hug and made him stand up. The water was 3’ deep.

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You were videoing?

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You were videoing?

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No, I was drinking beer watching two guys finish concrete around a swimming pool.

I wonder how many people have practiced jumping in a pool with their waders on to get comfortable with it

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onder how many people have practiced jumping in a pool with their waders on to get comfortable with

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I’ve done it about a dozen times to prove you don’t sink and can swim

The issue i envision with any rubber boot on is you, at least i, cannot swim with them on. Therefore i wear red wings or something i can get off my feet if needed.

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Please rookie.....waders don’t affect bouyancy one bit

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It's still harder to swim with them on, especially if there's any current. Not wearing a life jacket is the real killer though.

I agree. Even swimming with jeans on is a lot tougher.

Plus everyone saying it’s possible, sure, but I imagine it’s a lot different in these circumstances (dark, cold, unexpected, etc) then a controlled swimming pool environment. Hope to never find out.

it’s easy to armchair from the bank. I’d have to float on my back to the jump from Ft Jackson before I could make it to shore. We discuss this every year, bottom line wear your damn life jacket.

Ive never hunted that area so I apologize, but why are so many guys wearing waders in a boat? Are they hunting flooded timber or otherwise leaving their boat when they get to the spot? I mean they aren’t driving to a blind or hunting out of their boats I guess? Most the time we have one guy in waders to set the dekes and chase ducks, rest in boots.

Also, as said yes waders don’t make you sink. BUT when you are on big water with waves and current especially at night when you first hit the water you get extremely disoriented. Guys that are overweight, not in shape, and can’t swim well need all the help they can get. One or 2 set backs is all it takes. Most people don’t think to just float on their back and relax, they panic.

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why are so many guys wearing waders in a boat?

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Good question, I grew up hunting down there and I can not think of a single realistic situation where other equipment wouldn’t be be better suited to that environment. Hip boots is the most we ever use and something has to really get fricked up for them to be necessary. We mostly hunt out of pirogues/duck boats with a push pole and I now wear ankle boots or maybe those low cut insulated muck boots if it is cold.

These guys hunting state land in mud boats with pop up blinds have even less of a reason but you see it all the time.


Heck, one of the 2 major landowners down there that people were mentioning in the jet-ski deer thread hunts barefoot during the teal season and will walk through cane stubble to pick up his ducks! Granted, when it comes to experience and killing shite down river he is on another level.