Floatation suit or not ?

Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 11:26 pm

Hi folks

I am probably classed as a fair weather angler but due to being wheelchair dependent through a spinal cord injury my body struggles to regulate heat (just a side effect of spinal cord injury) but I do wrap up when I go fishing, which just now is from the quay side but I am looking for more accessible places.
Anyway, I saw a deal for a floatation suit for under £50 which consists of a bib & brace and jacket. The bib & brace bit sounds good as it would keep my legs warm and the jacket would do the same when required. I was also thinking about putting the jacket over the back of my wheelchair to stop in getting wet. I have a leather backrest on my chair so when it gets wet it takes an age to dry. I feel that there are times when I have set off with my son to go fishing, just got set up and it starts to rain, we abandon the trip due to me getting cold and wet.
I normally have the car reasonably close to the spot where we are fishing so we retreat there but I can’t get the chair in and out of the car every time I get a bite so I was looking at this suit to keep me warm and dry, well drier than I have been.
I know this is slightly different as I am not in the beach but I would appreciate any thought on the idea of a floatation suit.
Am I wasting my money?
Should I just but more layers and waterproof trousers?
Any hints, tips or comment appreciated. Don’t worry about offending me about being in the chair as I have pretty much heard it all and at the end of the day I am asking for any advice.
Cheers
Reels
confused

Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 6:18 am

Hi reels
If you are going to be fishing from marks that offer no edge to stop the wheels of your chair moving then I would advise a flotation suit or flotation device.

You say that you want to put the jacket over the back of the chair in wet conditions. Do you mean over yourself and the chair? Because if you do mean that it has the potential for disaster, if you are pinned to your chair by the flotaion jacket and have an accident the suit would have to float you and your chair.
Just wearing the bottoms of a flotation suit can cause your legs to be more buoyant than your top so its advisable to wear the complete suit.

When coaching disabled anglers we usually use small lightweight life vests and have a rope with a float that can be thrown to them in emergencies.
The advantage of a life vest is that you can still remove your top layers to regulate temperature but still keep the vest on to offer protection ( always keep vest over the top layer of clothes ).

Why not look down this road. There are plenty of bib & brace fishing (not flotation) suits that would keep you warm and dry. Then look for a suitable life vest

As for the leather chair, can't you fashion a cover from builders plastic and duct tape?

Hope this helps
cool

Guest

I wouldn't leave the house in the winter months without 1, but if you do purchase one in the end, you will be gutted that you never got one years ago.

Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 12:54 pm

I suffer like yourself but not as nad as I arthritus in my spine and it can be quite painful at times. I always wear a flotation suit for shore, boat and pier fishing. Get a pair f skeetex boots and you can face the elements no matter what mother nature throws at you. keith in blackburn.

Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 10:31 pm

Hi guys

Thanks for the replies. Crazy-dude, I take on board what you have said about the jacket being over the back of the chair, I had never thought of that but to be honest the places that I fish have barriers but as I said in my original post, I am looking for alternative places to go so this might change.
Regarding getting a bib & brace, I did look at a few but they were not that appealing after looking at the floatation suit and I do appreciate that you have to be wearing both the bib and jacket for it to be effective. They looked quite sparse with regards to insulation compared to the floatation suit and this put me off. I guess if I looked at my budget I could find better garments but I thought the suit was a better option.
As for the leather on the backrest of my chair, using a bag and duct tape give other problems and this is why I thought about using the suit over the back of the chair but as this is ruled out I need to look at something different.
The biggest problem is that the rain runs down my back between me and the chair and it puddles up under me and this is what I am trying to stop. I even looked at butchering up an old gore-tex jacket to make something but it still results in the same problem. Someone did suggest a kind of poncho type garment but I am not keen on this. It is bad enough being in a chair but looking like a gimp in a chair is not something I relish. I do know it is not a fashion parade but there are things I draw the line at.
Thanks again for all the comments.
Reels

Guest

A quick comment on the Anyfish Anywhere bib and brace - if I were you I'd avoid it because like the IMAX, it has a neoprene "seat" so it is easier to move around in. However, when it pours down (Orford Saturday) the seat becomes wet and the water goes straight through to your clothes and then your ar5e so you spend a lopng time wet through which isn't nice. This was more apparent when I sat down as the water tends to drain of your jacket and "pool" around the chair seat making you even wetter. I expect this woould happen when using your chair. The IMAX one does have a wtaerproof lining, so thoertically, this shouldn't happen , but as I've never used one, can't comment.

Hope that helps.

Guest

Bread wrote:

A quick comment on the Anyfish Anywhere bib and brace - if I were you I'd avoid it because like the IMAX, it has a neoprene "seat" so it is easier to move around in. However, when it pours down (Orford Saturday) the seat becomes wet and the water goes straight through to your clothes and then your ar5e so you spend a lopng time wet through which isn't nice. This was more apparent when I sat down as the water tends to drain of your jacket and "pool" around the chair seat making you even wetter. I expect this woould happen when using your chair. The IMAX one does have a wtaerproof lining, so thoertically, this shouldn't happen , but as I've never used one, can't comment.

Hope that helps.

The Imax leeks like a sieve! crying

Having said that I'm not sure there is anything out there that would have kept you completely dry on days like Saturday..

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:19 am

Hi Bread, soleman

Thanks for the comments. The suit I was looking at is on this link:
http://www.fishingmegastore.com/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Floatation_Suits_570.html#a3857
The suit I was looking at is the Blue Sky 2 Piece Floatation Suit.
Anyone had any issues or any comments on this would be appreciated. Bearing in mind it is £50 and I am not out fishing every weekend in the pouring rain, I am out most weekends and if it rains that bad I take cover. I am just looking for something to keep me dry and warm when I do get caught out and of course there is a massive safety elements as well but as mentioned previously, the majority of fishing I do is from a quayside.
Cheers
Reels

Guest

I have a Mustad 2 part floaty suit hasnt let me down yet! wouldnt go anywhere in bad weather without it. big grin

Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 9:02 am

I currently use a pair of waterproof insulated snowboarder trousers (got from Lidls for £20) and thermal longjohns if its really cold. You might have to hunt around a bit to find some but they are the business as far as I am concerned. Just use a good quality fleece with a Regatta jacket for top half mainly because it does not restrict movement as much as those proper expensive fishing suits.

Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 4:48 pm

Hi

I 1st off i have a Sundridge FLoatation suit and it keeps me well toasty and a steal from Veals at £60.

I am also an Occupational Therapist and advice i would give you is regarding the bib n brace ensure it is something you can put on off easily depending on the method that you transfer ie sliding, standing. Your local wheelchair service who would have helped you with the wheelchair would be a wealth of info, particularly with keeping the chair dry.

The basic fact is do whatever you need to to keep warm, i have worn tights before and that keeps you nice and warm. There is nothing worse than being cold and then your fishing is over.

cheers

lee

Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2007 8:30 pm

Hi Iceman and thanks for the comments. I am fairly mobile when it comes to transfers so I should be alright. I am used to getting dressed in the chair so I would expect to get the bottoms on relatively easily. I have a spinal cord injury at T10 so I am reasonably mobile.
I spoke to one of the OT's in the spinal unit and they suggested a smock type piece of clothing but I didn't really fancy anything like that in case it was windy and I got blown away. I think they look cumbersome anyway.
The local wheelchair services aren't that good and the fact that I have my own made to measure chair means the dropped me like a hot spud as soon as I got this because it was not one from the NHS. I did consider butchering up and old Goretex jacket but I don't really want to sacrifice a jacket just to keep my backrest dry. I am still looking for other ways but I appreciate the comments.
Cheers
Reels

Guest

An alternative to the flotation suit could be the Pro-logic Thermo Armour Max4 stuff. It is expensive and, you do end up looking like a tree but, in the lashing that we got at Orford, I was warm and dry from 07:00 Saturday morning to 08:00 Sunday! If flotation is a concern, then go with Crazy-Dudes idea of a flotation vest to go over the top.

Asfor stopping the water pooling, how about getting some waterproof material and tying it round your waste like an apron but at the back? If you wear it under your jacket and push the tail out between the seat and the chair back, the water running off your jacket will go straight on the floor and not pool on your seat.

Member Joined: Nov 13, 2006 Posts: 94

i recently purchsed a one piece mustard suit from the same supplier your looking at , wore it on orford as bread said it was extreme weather and i was dry and warm on the inside, suit dried of very fast when hung to dry, can honestly say its worth the great price they have them on offer for, did take near on ten days to get it but worth the wait

Member Joined: Nov 13, 2006 Posts: 94

i recently purchsed a one piece mustard suit from the same supplier your looking at , wore it on orford as bread said it was extreme weather and i was dry and warm on the inside, suit dried of very fast when hung to dry, can honestly say its worth the great price they have them on offer for, did take near on ten days to get it but worth the wait