Tube For Quick River Crossings: Lightweight / Tough Enough / Easily Inflated

[Troutsource]

Looking for something that fits the above just to float across unsafely waded sections of rivers like the Yuba, American or parts of the Pit, for example. Just for quick transport across the river. Ideally it would be lightweight and not require a pump and could be stowed in the back of a typical vest. Trying to avoid drowning with my wading gambles.

Thanks for any ideas.

[MThompson]

If something like that existed everyone would have one.

[tcorfey]

perhaps wearing a wet or dry suit maybe farmer John style? with quick drying pants and shirt over it, might work or a waist belt manual inflation device like this...
https://www.sportsmans.com/fishing-gear-supplies/life-jackets/onyx-m-24-camo-manual-inflatable-belt-pack/p/1445307

[JohnR]

Such a device could contribute to drownings, not mitigate them.

[JasonB]

I think John is probably correct. In the right hands, and used sparingly, it could in theory be very helpful...but it would also have lots of potential to get people into much more hazardous situations too. There are a few options out there which fit some of your criteria, but I think your final one would eliminate any that I would consider. If you did find something that could be stowed in the back of your fishing vest, I think the set up time to get it ready would make it a bit of a hassle? A good fitting PFD while wet wading has worked well for me in a few situations on smaller streams, but I’d be way too lazy to try that on a wider or faster stream.
JB

[JayDubP]

Float tube: how will your propel it? Fins or kayak paddle will add weight and bulk for you to carry while fishing.
Plus float tubes are not designed for moving water, so wet wading it might be okay but with waders and wading boots it spells danger. Scadden has some lightweight, frameless, "U" boats but he made them lighter by using thinner material- probably too heavy and bulky to carry all day.

PFD- I wear a NRS Chinook PFD/fishing vest when I use an inflatable.


THE BEST: Several firms sell lightweight, "kayak-style" inflatables designed for backpacking. These weigh around 3-5lbs not including weight of kayak paddle, but they are designed to safely handle white water.

Alpacka is one I used on a fly-in, paddle out with hiking between rivers. They now make some from Vectran (spun liquid polymer material- stronger than steel) but these are pricey.

https://www.alpackaraft.com/rafting/


NRS and AIRE also have similar boats.

If you plan to walk to a spot to cross and return-- consider a boat designed for that: SeaEagle Packfish 7, a 1 person, 22 lb, raft. Inflated you can carry it like a backpack. Not a vinyl toy, good quality. I used one to float the Yuba and it was great. $350 or so new. Also, look at Outcast Commander and Scadden used to sell similar "kayak-style" open bottom inflatable.

Jim

[ICE]

He he....
Pack light get a light dry bag or dry back pack. Get naked and go for a swim you'll appreciate the waders more as you dry off!
Watch out for the big browns I hear they eat trouser trout!

[Reese]

You could try one of these: https://klymit.com/products/litewater-dinghy?variant=31722990207066

I've never tried them but I've seen a couple guys in Desolation use them for fishing, float tube style.

[PV_Premier]

I have heard about a guy who wears a wet suit to fish the McCloud and swim across the river to the opposite side, roping trout on all the seams over there that do not get regularly fished, as if he was a human otter. This is probably the safest approach if you are a good swimmer. I would definitely not attempt a float tube in any of the rivers you mentioned, except perhaps only to cross the slowest of the slow pools.

[Troutsource]

Thanks for all the interesting ideas, from naked to wet suit to some cool inflatables.

The idea I had was simply to cross a place that's just a little to deep or swift to cross -- a marginal riffle (or tailout that morphs into a relatively harmless run). Something that would keep me from trouble if I slipped and fell. Or something that would allow me to just wade until it's too dangerous, then float/drift the rest of the way.

For example, I was crossing the lower Yuba a few weeks ago with my brother in a riffle/tailout that had been easy the week before but was now sketchy. The water below was not too dangerous. It was in the dark, of course. He went first and about 3/4 of the way across he lost his footing. He was able to float on his back for a few feet and then was able to maneuver into some shallower water and emerge wet but unharmed. I then started losing my footing and decided to just "walk" with the flow rather than fight it and go down. It was like moon walking -- low gravity. Easy to keep moving, but of course hard to stop. It was kind of a deep riffle. So my idea was what if I had something that helped me stay above water if I tumbled. One idea is a small, lightweight inner tube around my waist that I hold above water level until I need it, then I just moon walk the rest of the way. Another is a swim buoy, or two of them, that I latch under my armpits. This is also a lightweight solution. The key would be finding the right water, the safest water to do this in.

Swimming across would be doable with a wet bag or waterproof pack -- or if wearing a wet suit (I heard about a guy doing this on the Pit -- but not the McCloud -- either way sounds effective except neoprene gets hot as hell in the summer if you're walking around a lot, and it's real heavy (I'm thinking about the old school neoprene waders). Inflatables would be safer, but also heavier, and possibly overkill for what I'm trying to accomplish.

Maybe I'm dreaming, but I'm just looking for a safe way to push the envelope a little further

If I do attempt anything I'll post.


PS The guy who uses the wet suit on the Pit (and maybe the McCloud?) is Fred Gordon, and he has Prince Nymph variety named after him

[PV_Premier]

Thanks for all the interesting ideas, from naked to wet suit to some cool inflatables.

The idea I had was simply to cross a place that's just a little to deep or swift to cross -- a marginal riffle (or tailout that morphs into a relatively harmless run). Something that would keep me from trouble if I slipped and fell. Or something that would allow me to just wade until it's too dangerous, then float/drift the rest of the way.

For example, I was crossing the lower Yuba a few weeks ago with my brother in a riffle/tailout that had been easy the week before but was now sketchy. The water below was not too dangerous. It was in the dark, of course. He went first and about 3/4 of the way across he lost his footing. He was able to float on his back for a few feet and then was able to maneuver into some shallower water and emerge wet but unharmed. I then started losing my footing and decided to just "walk" with the flow rather than fight it and go down. It was like moon walking -- low gravity. Easy to keep moving, but of course hard to stop. It was kind of a deep riffle. So my idea was what if I had something that helped me stay above water if I tumbled. One idea is a small, lightweight inner tube around my waist that I hold above water level until I need it, then I just moon walk the rest of the way. Another is a swim buoy, or two of them, that I latch under my armpits. This is also a lightweight solution. The key would be finding the right water, the safest water to do this in.

Swimming across would be doable with a wet bag or waterproof pack -- or if wearing a wet suit (I heard about a guy doing this on the Pit -- but not the McCloud -- either way sounds effective except neoprene gets hot as hell in the summer if you're walking around a lot, and it's real heavy (I'm thinking about the old school neoprene waders). Inflatables would be safer, but also heavier, and possibly overkill for what I'm trying to accomplish.

Maybe I'm dreaming, but I'm just looking for a safe way to push the envelope a little further

If I do attempt anything I'll post.


PS The guy who uses the wet suit on the Pit (and maybe the McCloud?) is Fred Gordon, and he has Prince Nymph variety named after him

If you are really insistent on trying something, I would definitely recommend not doing it in waders, and not strapping anything to your body unless it's a coast guard approved PFD

If it doesn't go well and your waders fill with water, you'll be in trouble. Wading belts do not prevent water from getting down in the legs, they just slow the process a bit.

Being strapped to an inflatable device in moving water will make it more difficult to navigate and avoid obstacles and will interfere with any need to swim freely.

When wading is overly "sketchy", I take that as evidence that perhaps the fish have "won" that spot.

[Troutsource]

PV, Excellent points regarding safety. I am leaning towards a thin wet suit, wading boots and a sling pack. Maybe add an emergency flotation device to the mix. The sling pack would have a waterproof bag inside containing (among other things) wet wading pants for any long out-of-water hikes in the heat, or for extreme heat wading.

[DLJeff]

When I was in the Army they taught us how to use our nylon ponchos to make a waterproof raft to swim stuff across a river. I did basic training at Ft Lewis, WA and I remember watching trout rising all around that morning and getting distracted until the instructors had me "knocking out twenty". Two people paired up, snapped ponchos together, rolled over the seams, took off gear, boots and stacked it in middle, then rolled the ponchos a certain way and then swam across. We kept our steel pots on and had to hold our weapons on top of the poncho raft. It was cold water and the instructors were from the RECONDO School (kind of a precursor to Ranger School) and made us yell RECONDO the whole time we were in the water to make sure we weren't getting hypothermia. Got out on the other side, dismantled the poncho raft and went on with the patrol. Worked like a charm. Not the fastest way for sure. The dry bag idea would be similar and faster.

[Troutsource]

DLJeff, thanks for the ideas. It seems like there has to be some way to make an easy, lightweight, temporary flotation device to cross a river. Something that can be carried on a typical day on the river -- that may already be carried. I've gone ahead and splurged on a submersible Patagonia Stormfront Sling which at 20L is a pretty decent size (seems to be the largest of the big-name submersible slings -- Simms, Orvis, Fishpond, etc.). I read one review where someone used it for just this purpose.

Here's the sling: https://www.caddisflyshop.com/stormfront-sling.html

While using it, I'm going to try replacing my vest with the Simms Guide Shirt which I also just bought: https://www.simmsfishing.com/guide-solid-ls-shirt-s17

I'm hesitant on the wet suit idea because I'm glad the days of neoprene waders are behind me -- good riddance. On a hot day, neoprene waders can cause overheating if you're hiking in them due to the insulation and the extra exertion which comes from the extra weight (worse when wet) and resistance you feel with every step. I think a wet suit has a niche application on intense, spill-prone stretches (e.g., on the Pit) with a lot of wading, little walking and limited trails. If you're only using it to cross river, then most of the time in summer you'll be hot.

Maybe wet suits are a different ball game than neoprene waders, but I haven't found a thing on the web about anyone fishing rivers with wet suits (except one comical video and one short very high-level video which recommends a Farmer John style wet suit).

In addition, as a newbie to wet suits, there appear to be lots of unknowns when choosing the right one:
- Friction rashes from walking (wear another layer underneath?)
- Fabric tears from thorn bushes
- Tricky sizing -- can't be too tight or too loose
- Buoyancy may limit depth one can actually wade safely
- Wading too deep makes casting difficult (need to raise arms up high)
- Need different thicknesses for different water temps (vs. normal waders, just have different thickness insulating under-layer - very cheap)
- Apparently difficult to get in and out of
- Need to wash after use - get all the sweat off (and may be damp and cold the next morning)

I've thought of getting a wet suit or cut-off neoprene waders with either a zipper or a slit that would allow me to put them on and take them of easily throughout the day and swap with wet wading pants. But this would require quite a bit of backpack storage -- and weight quite a bit when wet.

I heard Fred Gordon (of Fred Gordon Prince Nymph) does something like this but haven't been able to learn anything more about his technique.


PS Just had the idea of clipping another rolled-up submersible 20L bag onto my belt-- a cheap, light weight one like this: https://www.amazon.com/Rockagator-Waterproof-Fully-Submersible-Liter/dp/B07MHZLDJB

Then at the right moment, I would take it off, put my waders into it, and float across using the two 20L floating bags (maybe in wet wading pants that I pull from the sling pack).

What could possibly go wrong?

[PV_Premier]

in New Zealand, the guides wear a very specific type of polypropylene long underwear that is warm when wet, even on the coldest days. very few guides wear waders unless it is below about 40F. the fabric of these long johns feels like a fleece, but it behaves more like a wet suit. i have never been able to find these stateside and i haven't bought any down under yet but i need to take the time to do so on my next trip.

one time when rafting a river in NZ the rafting company had us wear full body suits made of the same material. it was 50F outside roughly and the water was in the mid-40's. even soaking wet after getting dumped out of the raft a couple of times, i stayed very warm throughout the trip.

this fabric might be a good solution to your problem of wanting to avoid a wet suit.