# Dry or Wet suit?



## Scuba Mike (Sep 5, 2002)

I am getting excited by the picture from the concrete ships and want to give it a try. I am a warm weather keyaker, mostly puppy drum in Lynnhaven during the summer. What should I wear to fish the concrete ships? It looks like a lot of people wear dry suits - any suggestions on which to get and where to get it? I am also a diver, will a wet suit work?

Also, where do you park for the ships and how far a paddle is it to the fishing grounds?

Thanks for the help!


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## redgrappler (Nov 18, 2005)

When I'm able to go, I wear farmer johns neoprene waders with a Kokotat drytop with Gaskets on the waist, wrists, and neck.


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## Sharkbait23602 (Nov 23, 2006)

a wet suit will absolutely work. if youre confident in your paddling skills, pic a calm day for the ships, and be sure to wear your PFD you should have no problem. are you paddling a SINK or SOT? Either way, a good wet suit will keep you from catching hypothermia so you can get back in your yak and hopefully make it to shore. you want to be sure your wet suit can handle warm water just in case you do go in....3/4mm is plenty i believe


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## reelax84 (Jun 27, 2007)

U will be extremely miserable once ur wet suit gets wet and the wind is blowing on you. neoprene is crap unless u r gonna stay submersed in the water.


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## Mdt1992 (Sep 3, 2007)

reelax84 said:


> U will be extremely miserable once ur wet suit gets wet and the wind is blowing on you. neoprene is crap unless u r gonna stay submersed in the water.


yeah learned that in rudee when it was like 35 degrees and 20 knot winds


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## charliechurch (Nov 27, 2007)

The dry suit is definitely worth the money if you have it.


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## ruthless (Sep 5, 2003)

Drysuit is the absolute best option, next would be dry top and waders, then a wetsuit, which is better than a jacket and snow pants. Which by the way I have seen in the last fews days at Kiptopeake. 

The key is not to go alone and know how to self rescue. The water is around 40 degrees, you will not last long if you are not properly dressed and trained.


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## red_fish (Jul 22, 2007)

ruthless said:


> Drysuit is the absolute best option, next would be dry top and waders, then a wetsuit, which is better than a jacket and snow pants. Which by the way I have seen in the last fews days at Kiptopeake.
> 
> The key is not to go alone and know how to self rescue. The water is around 40 degrees, you will not last long if you are not properly dressed and trained.


woooooooooow thats not only crazy but irresponsable not only do you put youre self in danger wearing snow pants and such but you put others around you in danger when they have to try and pull someone up thats soaking wet i dont know many people that will sit and watch someone floating (or sinking ) in 40 degree water and not try and help out


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## dangsy (Jan 7, 2008)

red_fish said:


> woooooooooow thats not only crazy but irresponsable not only do you put youre self in danger wearing snow pants and such but you put others around you in danger when they have to try and pull someone up thats soaking wet i dont know many people that will sit and watch someone floating (or sinking ) in 40 degree water and not try and help out



Would snowpants be more dangerous than waders? If water were to fill the waders up wouldn't it be near impossible to get out of the water then?


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## ruthless (Sep 5, 2003)

dangsy said:


> Would snowpants be more dangerous than waders? If water were to fill the waders up wouldn't it be near impossible to get out of the water then?


Yes they would. Most kayakers who use waders also wear a drytop and a pfd, which prevents most of the water from entering the waders. USing theses three items has been proven to work. But the key is knowing how to self rescue, and actually being able to do it quickly.


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## red_fish (Jul 22, 2007)

i have been in the drink more then once only one cold water turtle and there were about 6 others out to witness it:--| i had a pair of waders and a rain jacket and a pfd and i think only right above my neck was a lil wet still dont know how the rain jacket keeps water out from underneath but it works i think its something to do with the PFD


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## ruthless (Sep 5, 2003)

red_fish said:


> i have been in the drink more then once only one cold water turtle and there were about 6 others out to witness it:--| i had a pair of waders and a rain jacket and a pfd and i think only right above my neck was a lil wet still dont know how the rain jacket keeps water out from underneath but it works i think its something to do with the PFD


Bingo, the pfd compresses the waders and the jacket, limiting the amount of water that enters. Getting back on your kayak quickly will also reduce exposure. Get a true dry top with good neck and wrist seals, and it acts like a dive bell. As long as the air stays in there it displaces the water. In th turtle classes that I assisted with, most of the wader wearing angler only got wet when they kicked up into the vertical position to get their belly over the seat.

Great dicsussion, maybe we will try to do an in water session again very soon.


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## SkunkApe (Dec 9, 2006)

red_fish said:


> i have been in the drink more then once only one cold water turtle and there were about 6 others out to witness it:--| i had a pair of waders and a rain jacket and a pfd and i think only right above my neck was a lil wet still dont know how the rain jacket keeps water out from underneath but it works i think its something to do with the PFD


Help!!! Help!!! Help!!!! I was there and it was classic, but we did manage to recover most of your tackle. Hey, I've been there and done that too...

Skunk


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## Fireline20 (Oct 2, 2007)

Ok;

dumb question maybe, but to keep the water out, are u wearing the pfd outside the rain jacket or inside....seems to me inside would hinder getting to the rip cord to inflate the pfd


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## SkunkApe (Dec 9, 2006)

Fireline20 said:


> Ok;
> 
> dumb question maybe, but to keep the water out, are u wearing the pfd outside the rain jacket or inside....seems to me inside would hinder getting to the rip cord to inflate the pfd


Always outside the suit, but I wouldn't recommend a pfd that you have to inflate. Just get a standard foam based pfd. NRS makes a great one for fishing. It's warm, and safe..

Skunk


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## red_fish (Jul 22, 2007)

SkunkApe said:


> Help!!! Help!!! Help!!!! I was there and it was classic, but we did manage to recover most of your tackle. Hey, I've been there and done that too...
> 
> Skunk


haha the first turtle is always the most exciting


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## ruthless (Sep 5, 2003)

I also am against the self inflating pfds during the winter, especially the one you wear around your waist.


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## red_fish (Jul 22, 2007)

Plus they don't have any storage


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## dangsy (Jan 7, 2008)

Awesome Info, I've always worn waders but I was always worried about the water filling issue. Need to find a good dry top now!


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

ruthless said:


> Bingo, the pfd compresses the waders and the jacket, limiting the amount of water that enters. Getting back on your kayak quickly will also reduce exposure. Get a true dry top with good neck and wrist seals, and it acts like a dive bell. As long as the air stays in there it displaces the water. In th turtle classes that I assisted with, most of the wader wearing angler only got wet when they kicked up into the vertical position to get their belly over the seat.
> 
> Great dicsussion, maybe we will try to do an in water session again very soon.


I would be interested in that, I have done the flip the boat over just to try and get back in thing but it was summer and all I had on was shorts and a t shirt, I haven't tried to get back in wearing cold weather gear.


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## notso (Jul 18, 2005)

dangsy said:


> Would snowpants be more dangerous than waders? If water were to fill the waders up wouldn't it be near impossible to get out of the water then?



Here's a video that's very pertinent to this subject. Generally speaking, waders are not going to "fill up" with water.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=OYwG52p4yjs


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