help a newbie

ok. Sorry if this has been asked a million times already. I'm new here, and new to tubing. Was going through posts, but couldn't find any with the info I was looking for (but did find a lot of useful info I wasn't necessarily looking for!).

So here it is... I just got me a new tube. I now need a life vest. What kinds should I get? Any better than others as far as comfort while tubing? I was thinking of getting an inflatable one, but they are a little higher than I want to spend, but still may do it. Suggestions?

Also, an anchor. Do I need one? If so, what kind should I get and how to do I carry it on my tube before I drop?

Jayman,

I use a life vest that goes around your waist and you pull the cord to inflate. Bass Pro Shops usuall has them on sale for around $40.00. I like it because you dont have to wear a vest all day and it doubles as a wading belt (a must have) for your waders. As to the anchor, I have never used one and I dont think any of the guys do either. The tubes are pretty easy to hold in place with your fins. Good luck and ask as many questions as needed, everyone here is more than willing to help!

we use the suspender style inflatable.
the issue for me is that it fits pretty close on the sides of my neck.
of course i do have a large neck.

Well i wear a vest doesnt bother me but danos is very nice.
anchor i thought about getting but i real dont see the need of one unless you are going to be in one spot for a long time my buddy has 10 or 15 foot rope were he tethers to a dock when the current is strong and he want to fish that area for a period of time.
Good luck
ed

I use a bush anchor. Its just a large plastic clamp with a rope and I can clip it on to a dock cleat or lip etc when I want to fish an area that is sizable and with the current which is optimum. But I do not always use it I just have it with me. I am going to explore the use of an anchor just so I can speak from experience but I doubt it will be regular protocol.

Life vests...I like Danos set up. But Dano has all the neat stuff cuz hes a really neat guy I wear a Wally World special and its annoying to say the least. But I do believe in having one and wearing it. Tied to the back of your tube is going to keep your tube afloat and only your tube.

Wading belt is a must. In fact its the corner stone of your water safety. A life vest won't help if your waders fill up and your deep six.

Happy tubing!

waxon67 wrote: Tied to the back of your tube is going to keep your tube afloat and only your tube.

Wading belt is a must. In fact its the corner stone of your water safety. A life vest won't help if your waders fill up and your deep six.

Ok here is the scoop! I have been tubing for over 10 years now and have always used the cheap $5 standard life vest attached to the back of my tube with a carabiner. I have never had to use it in all my years but if I had to it is in reach and easy to access. As a matter of fact even if your tube lost inflation in a bladder it will still float you! I know this for a fact because last week during a night session in NPH I had my back rest pop and deflate while I was in the middle of the channel. I knew that my tube would hold till I got back to the launch and it did.

Now on to the wader statement....I always love it when people state you will sink if your waders fill up. This is a toatlfallacy and I am will to bet anyone to proove me wrong. In fact I have been in the water in waders filled up...guess what? You will actually float to a point but you will not sink.

Long story short...hit up Walmart and get a $5 standard life vest so you are legal and attach with a carabiner...don't tie it on.

I like the idea of the inflatable vest, wearing a life vest can effect your ability to move freely in the tube. I did not know that the wader belt PFD were only $40 that sounds like a good idea to me. The only reason I dont have an inflatable now is simple cost

Jeff the inflatable vest are cool...the only problem is that they need to be recharged every so often.

sonarbp wrote:

waxon67 wrote: Tied to the back of your tube is going to keep your tube afloat and only your tube.

Wading belt is a must. In fact its the corner stone of your water safety. A life vest won't help if your waders fill up and your deep six.

Ok here is the scoop! I have been tubing for over 10 years now and have always used the cheap $5 standard life vest attached to the back of my tube with a carabiner. I have never had to use it in all my years but if I had to it is in reach and easy to access. As a matter of fact even if your tube lost inflation in a bladder it will still float you! I know this for a fact because last week during a night session in NPH I had my back rest pop and deflate while I was in the middle of the channel. I knew that my tube would hold till I got back to the launch and it did.

Now on to the wader statement....I always love it when people state you will sink if your waders fill up. This is a toatlfallacy and I am will to bet anyone to proove me wrong. In fact I have been in the water in waders filled up...guess what? You will actually float to a point but you will not sink.

Long story short...hit up Walmart and get a $5 standard life vest so you are legal and attach with a


carabiner...don't tie it on.

I respectfully disagree. A life vest is for an emergency...a complete panic situation. Have you considered the possibility of loosing consciousness? What about injury? These things happen however unlikely.

Waders do fill up and can make staying a float (with and without your vest on) very difficult. Tests have been done. They speak for themselves. If my "deep six" embellishment seemed a little much it is simply to drive the point home. I would wager it differs from wader to wader and material to material as well.

I do not mean to incite an argument but
I would never steer someone away from taking every possible measure to be safe. Wouldn't you agree?

Safety is top priorty, the last few time I have been out after watching your tube pop wax has made me feel more concerned for safety. My vest has always been in arms reach but that is not goin got matter in the moments that it is needed.
Jayman, think safety always, we are all going to do what we feel is right for us, but in this matter we should be thinking what is right for the situation.
Good point Wax

Thanks Jeff. The debate on sinking with saturated waders will always be there. We can all figure out the water inside is no heavier than the water outside. If you are in a relatively controlled situation. But there are other scenarios to consider. Any white water changes the conditions. I speak from experience. I was toppled in the surf and my waders only filled partially. I sunk deeper in the sand and had difficulty with footing. It was like being pegged to the sand. More waves and my balance was severely affected. I was getting pulled out more and more. That is when I decided a belt was a good idea. When gravity enters the equation full waders are going to work against you. If I had to be pulled from the water fast I would not want to add the additional weight of saturated waders If I could have done something simple to help and I emphasize, help prevent it. I also would not want to add the additional hindrance to the rescuer to get them off me before hand.

Your right it is personnel choice what we do. As I have become older I have become more conservative in my approach to things. I can't help but express that.

You know the saying,"Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it".

Jayman, I hope what ever choices you make serve you well and happy tubing!!

To everyone in this post you all have great info and point just want to thank you for reminding me on safty once again because i have been getting a little braver as go each time and i have forgot my vest a few time and to lazy to walk back to the car to get it so thanks for the reminders guy
Ed

Safety first! Like some people stated here everyone has a different comfort level. Just make sure you ALWAYS have a life vest with you...IT IS THE LAW!

I do want to put this challenge out there to anyone who still thinks you will sink if your waders fill with water.

There are going to be doubters (aren't there always), but what I've explained here is fact. I challenge anyone who believes otherwise to don a set of chesties and jump into a shallow indoor pool, and to intentionally let all the water they want inside. Now, make your way over to the deep end and fall back. If you're able to sink to the bottom...and I do mean sink, not swim, I'll buy you a new pair. If you can't...and you won't...you lose and as punishment get to buy me a beer some day. By the way I like a good IPA or hefeweizen!!!

Here is a link showing the killer wader myth busted!

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Thanks everyone for your responses. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that I can't swim?

I'm kidding. I grew up with a pool in our back yard, so our parents made sure we all took swimming lessons as soon as we could. Been in the water as much as I could ever since!

Probably going to pass on the anchor for this trip. I'm not really one to stay in one spot when I fish from shore, so probably will be moving around a lot when I'm on the water as well.

Dano,
this the waist life vest you're talking about?

/Stearns-Multipurpose-Inflata-Belt-Lite-Manual--Model-0340/product/50112/-960486?cmCat=CROSSSELL_THUMBNAIL

(argh! "New members are not allowed to post external links or emails for 7 days. Please contact the forum administrator for more information." Restrictions! just add basspro.com in front of that.. sorry!)

I'm guessing you just wear it as your wader belt (deflated) and pull cord if case of emergencies? I have a cheapy I bought earlier this year, but this sounds much better. And sucks is not on sale right now , but that's what I get for doing everything last minute. Gonna try to hit up BPS tomorrow to see if I like it.

Thanks again everyone
Jason

they make SSSOOOO many differant kinds of vests, belts & suspenders that anyone can find one they like (eventually)
one more note tho, PLEASE make sure floatation device fits properly!
no fun floating on top INSIDE of your vest!
watched a skier drown because his vest Pulled his arms straight up and held his head just under the water.
sinch up those straps guys

jayman wrote:Thanks everyone for your responses. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that I can't swim?

I'm kidding. I grew up with a pool in our back yard, so our parents made sure we all took swimming lessons as soon as we could. Been in the water as much as I could ever since!

Probably going to pass on the anchor for this trip. I'm not really one to stay in one spot when I fish from shore, so probably will be moving around a lot when I'm on the water as well.

Dano,
this the waist life vest you're talking about?

/Stearns-Multipurpose-Inflata-Belt-Lite-Manual--Model-0340/product/50112/-960486?cmCat=CROSSSELL_THUMBNAIL

(argh! "New members are not allowed to post external links or emails for 7 days. Please contact the forum administrator for more information." Restrictions! just add basspro.com in front of that.. sorry!)

I'm guessing you just wear it as your wader belt (deflated) and pull cord if case of emergencies? I have a cheapy I bought earlier this year, but this sounds much better. And sucks is not on sale right now , but that's what I get for doing everything last minute. Gonna try to hit up BPS tomorrow to see if I like it.

Thanks again everyone
Jason

Thst is the one!

I mainly fish smaller lakes and ponds with my tube and I haven't worn a life vest yet (my tube has three chambers, so I have never been too concerned about a total failure).

I am planning to try some striper fishing on Lake Mojave this fall, and that is very big water, so I will add an inflatable vest to my kit. I've been meaning to pick one them up when BPS has a good sale or I have enough points saved up.

I always wear a wading belt every time I go fishing. I grew up river fishing in New England (some very slippery rivers) and I have taken a couple of falls in icy cold water over the years. Each time, the belt has kept my feet dry and warm, so I think it's worth it. I can say that the air trapped in my waders provided plenty of floatation (actually, too much as it's hard to get your feet back down), so I never felt like I was going to sink (maybe float away, but not sink). Waves and rip tides are a different story, I've never had to deal with that.

I've been reading about you guys fishing the salt in your tubes. Maybe I've seen too many Shark Weeks over the years, but I'm not sure that I'll ever try that in my tube. Maybe in a Kayak. I don't like the idea of my feet hanging down and kicking in water where something bigger than me could be lurking.

Thats half the fun !!!!

Dano67 wrote:Thats half the fun !!!!

Dont tell him about the 300 lbs shark in SD harbor when you were tubing and that caught a ride on it before the boat stoled your hook up i know you could have gotten it on that super fat fish cat lol

Well maybe I shouldn't post this....but last year there was a few small thresher sharks in NPH.


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This was a small one...only 8+ feet long and a few hundred pounds!!! Got to remember that sharks really don't like shallow water. Most harbors are only 15 to 20 feet deep.

You should give tubing the salt a try atleast once. I pretty much guarantee you will get hooked on fishing the salt!!

I'm sure it's a blast. I used to like fishing for Blues and Stripers in Long Island Sound when I was growing up. Didn't have a tube back then.

I'm based in Las Vegas, so I would have to make it a weekend trip if I want to do any saltwater fishing.

Lake Mead and Lake Mojave are less than an hour from home, so that's where I plan to do most of my fishing (waiting for it to cool down a bit). I also fish at Kolob Canyon Reservoir in Southern Utah once in a blue moon.

I'm hoping to make it up to Mammoth Lakes with my tube before the kids go back to school at the end of the month. We were there right after ice out in mid June, but I left the tube home for that trip. Did great on stocked rainbows at Lake Mammie and caught one wild rainbow at Lake George.

Dano67 wrote:Thats half the fun !!!!

sonarbp wrote:Well maybe I shouldn't post this....but last year there was a few small thresher sharks in NPH.


[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

This was a small one...only 8+ feet long and a few hundred pounds!!! Got to remember that sharks really don't like shallow water. Most harbors are only 15 to 20 feet deep.

You should give tubing the salt a try atleast once. I pretty much guarantee you will get hooked on fishing the salt!!

my buddy just hauled one in on his kayak very close to the end of the jetties. dude offered to tow me out to open water so i could go for threshers too. umm, yeah, that aint happening.

seals and sea lions are more of a threat in harbors than anything. heck, even pelicans are a bigger problem.

i wear a wader belt for comfort not safety. the whole reason for wearing waders is to keep dry. belts make them more effective.

with life jackets, the more security you want, the less comfort you'll have. if you want one that will keep you afloat with your head out of the water even when you're unconscious, it'll restrict your movement. i like the pfds designed for personal watercraft. they allow good movement and motion. they also keep your head about water MOST of the time. i'm of the opinion that you should wear your pfd all the time. you could be the most even keel person in the world, but no one is immune to panic.

i personally dont think anchors are necessary. i got a float tube anchor for free, it's nice but it'll barely slow your drift in the harbor unless you drop it into some eel grass.

what about 2009 the small great white found by balboa island!i havent seen pics but it was on the news. who cares about sharks. you dont know what is in that harbor(nph). there could be a number of things around you at all times and how would you know you cant see under water! im more scared of sting rays and shit. the thing that scares me the most is fishing with rookies who dont know how to cast well yet, and can hook you with out even trying! hahaha good luck out there guys and tight lines.

haha yeah. i saw a rookie underhand cast on newport pier. the line sailed aboved her head and landed in the on the other side of the pier.

come on we were all rookies at one time and if you see someone having trouble show them a lil bit and you will be surprised on how many people will be thankful and plus if you show them how to cast and they do good you will not only feel good but a lil safer if your going to be fishing close to that person lol good luck out there and be kind
Tight lines eveyone
Ed