Can you swim

[burrows]

My brother in law owns a boat, and he doesn't talk about it but he can't swim, he always wears his pdf all the time. I guess something happened in high school from what I've heard during swim and now he just won't go in more than waste deep. He loves to fish though and he loves being on the water just not in the water.

[Bluebasser86]

I'm a good swimmer, but I can tell you that when I've gone for a surprise swim, it took a few seconds for me to process what happened and get my body doing what it needed to do, especially when I flipped my yak in sub 50 degree water. 

[soflabasser]

My favorite sport is freedive spearfishing. I am more fond of freedive spearfishing than I am of bass fishing, which says a lot how comfortable I am in the water. You have to be a very good swimmer to excel in this sport, and be calm under pressure that most men would not be able to handle ( sharks stealing your catch and you defending yourself). Have done many +10 hour beachdives where I do not touch the floor for the whole duration of the dive. I do lots of running to keep myself in excellent cardiovascular shape since it helps with the endurance needed for long hours of diving. With that said, I will never go on a boat that I feel has a unsafe captain. I will not enter a boat without a lifejacket, other flotation devices, and a good marine radio. I will not go on a boat with someone that likes to ''run and gun'' and drive the boat too fast.

[Oregon Native]

15 hours ago, slonezp said:

I'm not really sure. I used to be able to swim. I haven't been in the water since I tore apart my shoulder. If I had to guess, I could probably stay afloat. No one is allowed in my boat that can't swim. Captains rules.

@WRB brings up a good point about swimming with your clothes on. It's why I fish naked most of the time. Seriously though, I do worry sometimes when fishing in the single digits and teens. I wear boots and Carhart bibs. I don't envision me surviving falling out of the boat with all that added weight. Clam makes a floatation parka and bibs for ice fishing that runs about $600 for both pieces. I've thought about getting them, just never pulled the trigger.

When I fished the west coast I purchased a Mustang coat that was very comfortable and kept you afloat and warm too.  Felt alot safer in the ocean with this one.

[TnRiver46]

I love swimming and I use a styrofoam pfd 

[BillP]

I started wearing my pfd when my son started to go fishing with me when he was only about two years old. I just didn't like the old adage " do as I say not as I do".

I can swim but I don't have near the endurance I had so when I'm in the boat I always wear my pfd. I only remove it if someone is taking a picture of me. Then I put it back on.

I also have a Mustang pfd coat that I wear in spring and fall when the temperature is cooler

[N Florida Mike]

I taught myself to swim as a teen , by staying in shallow water and treading water , dogpaddling etc. Then I would go out over deep holes. Once I lost my fear of the water it was was easy.Then you couldn't keep me out of the water. I still nearly drowned in a rip current at the beach , and trying to swim across a pond with my friends. ( although they never knew ! ) I had a class later on and to pass you had to swim 1/4 mile , but I'm pretty sure I couldn't do that now. 

My wife almost drowned in a rip current last year with my g- daughter. She miraculously swam out of it after going Under 2-3 times. My G-daughter ( who swims like a otter ) was nearby ,but wasn't caught in it. I remember seeing them way down the beach right before it happened and breathing a prayer for their safety as it was rough. They were not far from shore but still there was danger.

A young man drowned that day just out of sight from where they were.

I guess the moral of the story is be prepared . Don't take risks.

 

 

[fishwizzard]

I am an ok swimmer and wear a PFD whenever I am in my kayak and have started wearing on when I am wading bigger water alone.  

 

I am shocked to learn that bass boats don't have seatbelts, I have managed to eject myself from my lawnmower before (I will admit to being a bit loaded at the time), I can't imagine not having one on a boat that goes that fast.  

[thinkingredneck]

Yes.  Was a life guard.  Always wear my pfd.  I have an inlatable I wear in hot weather and a regular one during cooler weather.

One thing I do in my kayak is have my pliers, boomerang, etc all attached to my pfd.  That way I have to wear it, and I always have what I need.

[Seth_7]

Certified life guard here. Feels good in the back of my mind knowing i wont drown while fishing.  

Totally agree with the swimming with clothes idea. or tread water with a 10 pound weight for a minute. Oh boy will you  feel it!!

[Pro Logcatcher]

After a close call with the undertow, I made sure to learn how to swim. I also live right next to a pool, and swim there during the summers.

[clark9312]

On 1/6/2018 at 3:26 PM, Bankbeater said:

I go swimming every chance I get.  I have had to swim when the boat launched without me, and to retrieve a rod. 

I had to make the swim of shame one time. No one was at the ramp except me and my girlfriend. She thought it was hilarious. Me not so much 

[OCdockskipper]

My parents grew up in the Midwest, both were below average swimmers.  Later, while living near the ocean in California and vacationing up at the Delta, they realized they couldn't competently watch their kids when they were near the water.  So they had all 6 of us swimming competitively, all starting as early as possible (I began at 3).  At the time, this also included life guard training (pool life guard, not Baywatch).  It resulted in all 6 kids being extremely comfortable around both freshwater & the ocean.

 

I believe the best feature of being comfortable in the water is the ability to stay calm while underwater.  If you spend anytime in the surf, you are going to get turned upside down by a wave, which can freak out the uninitiated.  As long as you just take a moment to get your bearings, it is not a big deal, although it does help if you can keep your eyes open underwater.  Years of swimming in 1970's pools loaded with chlorine not only turned my hair green, it made opening my eyes in salt water easy.

 

It is also handy when you do something stupid.  On vacation years back, a tow rope for an inner tube got tangled in the prop of the boat we were in (it was an inboard with the prop under the hull).  With the engine off & the keys in my wife's death gripped fingers, I jumped overboard in about 8 feet of water.  I worked my way to the prop, and spent about 30 seconds untangling the rope.  As I cleared the rope, I let myself drop down to the bottom, so I could push off towards the surface.  As I did that, BONK, I cracked my head against the bottom of the hull; for some reason I had forgotten there was a boat above me.  It didn't knock me out or cause any bleeding, but it did disorient me for a moment.  I took a second, realized what I had done and swam out to the side of the boat.  As I surfaced, the first thing I see is my wife, whose eyes are like saucers.  She had no idea what was trying to come up through the bottom of the boat!!

[ClackerBuzz]

My advice: first learn how to float.  A good floater can last as long as the best swimmer.  I can swim like a fish but the one time I almost drown was b/c I was fighting river current.  I didn't know the river (could have been a dam downstream) and was frantically trying to cross at the wrong place.  I gassed hard and started to go under.  Finally I rolled over and looked up at the sky thinking "better to float and risk a dam downstream than die here and now".  I floated two hundred feet and the current washed me up on the opposing side I was swimming for.   Spend time learning to float.  As Tom said jump in the pool fully clothed.  Learn how to keep ur composure and tread water while you remove your shoes and jeans.  Then float for a while until the cavalry comes.  That alone can save your life.

[DINK WHISPERER]

I've heard many mentions here so far about "treading water". What exactly does this mean? 

[Alan Reed]

Yep, as a former Triathlete I would swim 1.5 hour to 2 hours 3-4 days. Week.

This is treading water.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.wikihow.com/Tread-Water%3famp=1

[DINK WHISPERER]

Yeah I've tried that before..... Sank like a rock.

[soflabasser]

10 minutes ago, DINK WHISPERER said:

I've heard many mentions here so far about "treading water". What exactly does this mean? 

 

Treading water is keeping your head above water while your body is vertical. I would not solely rely on threading water to save my life and would focus on learning how to be a strong swimmer ( focus on endurance not speed, speed is nice but doesn't do much for being on the water for long periods of time) and learning drown proofing techniques (from a qualified professional).

8 minutes ago, DINK WHISPERER said:

Yeah I've tried that before..... Sank like a rock.

 Swimming is like bass fishing, the more you practice it the better you get at it.

[senile1]

I am a good swimmer; however, as some have stated that will only get you so far in a boating accident.  Wear the PFD and be aware of your surroundings at all times, especially on a busy body of water.  You want to avoid mishaps if at all possible.  Cold water spills can lead to hypothermia quickly.  For dangerously cool water, always have dry clothes nearby - preferably in your boat.

[Porkrind]

I was always a strong swimmer up until around 2010 when I had a back injury rear it’s ugly head. I never had any idea of how it happened but I woke up one morning and it never went away. The pain progressed daily and in 2013 I had surgery. Long story short I wound up have severe nerve damage in my left leg and foot. I’ve come to find that there is only one stroke that I’m anygood at and it’s the side stroke. I cannot kick my left leg much so when I do it’s pretty darn funny cause it just makes this huge splash in the water with a loud ploosh sound. So nope I stink at swimming now and always wear my pfd because I’m so nervous about falling in.

[burrows]

There are just some ppl that can't swim, it's just the way they are wired. There are ppl that are in great physical shape that can run, jump and get threw American ninja obsticles but just can not swim...

      

[BassNJake]

How many people have bought something only to find out you got something defective?

 

This was my experience after buying a Mustang inflatable life jacket for tourney fishing.

I was to co angler and the boater ran into a barely submerged rock pile.

We both got tossed at about 60 MPH.

My boaters Mustang inflatable opened properly mine did not open at all.

 

Luckily, I was able to make it to the boat before he was because he was dazed and panicked.

He hit the steering wheel hard on ejection where I was just thrown out cleanly.

 

Mustang issued a recall on the model I purchased.

I now always wear a foam life vest when running(using the outboard)

[A-Jay]

4 minutes ago, BassNJake said:

How many people have bought something only to find out you got something defective?

 

This was my experience after buying a Mustang inflatable life jacket for tourney fishing.

I was to co angler and the boater ran into a barely submerged rock pile.

We both got tossed at about 60 MPH.

My boaters Mustang inflatable opened properly mine did not open at all.

 

Luckily, I was able to make it to the boat before he was because he was dazed and panicked.

He hit the steering wheel hard on ejection where I was just thrown out cleanly.

 

Mustang issued a recall on the model I purchased.

I now always wear a foam life vest when running(using the outboard)

Glad you guys were OK.

Walking away from one of these is truly winning the Life Lottery.

 

Stay Sfae

A-Jay

 

[D3FT]

I can swim "OK" and never wore a pfd while fishing. Then a few years ago a guy fishing not far from me drown. It's sad it took something like this to open my eyes but now I'm not on the water without wearing my pfd. At first I thought I would never be able to fish with it on, now it doesn't feel right without it. 

[BassNJake]

59 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Glad you guys were OK.

Walking away from one of these is truly winning the Life Lottery.

 

Stay Sfae

A-Jay

 

Yes, we both got really lucky that day.

His boat on the other hand, not so much as it was totaled.

 

We got picked up by Boat US and I became a member ever since.