Is it safe to wear chest waders in a boat?

I am going fishing next week. I will be solo in my little boat (see below). I will be lake fishing, air temperature 5-9C.

My question is: Is it safe to wear chest waders in a boat?

I get wet launching and in these temperatures that's a bad thing. I have both neoprene and PVC chest waders and always wear a wader belt with them (tight!). I will also be wearing a PFD. In winter a Mustang MC1535 floater jacket with beavertail and in summer a good vest PFD.

If the danger of wearing them is great then another option is to wear them during launching or recovery and then take them off while fishing.

What do you fishermen and hunters do?

The boat is a 14' Lund SSV. I have a rescue ladder mounted on the starboard side of the transom so I think that I will be able to get back into the boat very quickly should I go overboard while it is not underway.

Any opinions or advice will be greatly appreciated.

https://i.imgur.com/1wOlBvel.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/O2NFNaRl.jpg

I wear neoprene boot foot chest waders in my boat every weekend for duck hunting. I also wear a life jacket while travelling or setting up and wading in sketchy channels while also hanging on to the punt. I don't see any alternative to doing this. If you fall in you should float given neutral buoyancy but current is another matter and that could complicate things. The problem I see is getting out of the water and back in to your boat once you are in. Waders full of water will be heavy. I have a knife on my wader strap on the view that if I ever really got in the shit I would cut them off. Not a theory I have had to test yet though.

Wait for a nice warm day in Summer, have a couple of able bodied rescue swimmers on hand then intentionally fall overboard near the Boat Launch with your gear on.
This will give you the answer your looking for for sure. Some very fit 70year old could rescue themselves, some overconfident 20 year olds would drown.

Be sure, be safe, cold Water can be unforgiving !

Cheers

Are you tethered to the boat? Waders or not, if you get tossed from your boat in anything but perfect calm, it won't likely float toward you.

Once you've got positive bouyancy and a secure line to your boat, waders or not are a small matter.

I used to sail small craft in rough weather and the only time I was scared in the water was when the boat and I got separated.

Nice boat! I think you’d be okay I wear waders in my boat when duck hunting.

Surely you can use hip waders? Then take them off while using the boat. Even chest waders. Your boat looks stable enough after launch to take them off. Have a set of gumboots there or whatever. Why won't that work? If you can't do that, wear a good life jacket and hit a tight fetal position when hitting the water. If you can lock the air in your waders, it may help you float. Never tried it, don't know if it would work, would lose the waders for gumboots right after launch.

Lots of guys wear waders when drifting rivers for steelhead. In my experience with neoprene waders, I can tell you that your bouyance level goes up. As long as the Neos fit fairly snug which most do, it's almost like wearing half a survival suit. If you are going to wear PVC waders, I would definitely be wearing a belt around them. If you fall in with those, it could be a different story and possible fatal. With either wader I would also wear a good inflatable type life jacket or vest like a Mustang.

I've heard lots of different opinions on this over the years.

Yes neoprene floats, and no, wearing waders in calm (no current) water wont drag you to the bottom. Yes, I guess air could get trapped in your waders helping with floatation. Never tried it, but I'm thinking climbing back into the boat after falling into cold water with waders on would be tough?? Falling into the water with current (river) wearing waders, no belt, and no pfd would be very bad.

Personally, when the water/weather is cold I just throw on some gumboots to launch the boat and stay dry, then change them out when I'm in the boat. If I were to fall in I'd rather swim around/climb back into the boat with the least amount of gear on as possible....and I find waders constrictive and don't really like wearing gumboots.

Just my two cents...

If I was planning on staying in the the boat after launching, I'd take off the waders. It only takes a minute.
A good PFD, a personal tether, and an engine tether would be musts for me.

There’s quite a few youtube videos showing waders actually helping rather then sinking you. Neoprene with a belt should be completely fine in the event of an accident. Air pockets build up in your legs and the neoprene adds to buoyancy. Many guys run boats with waders on.