Flotation Suit Worked

Flotation suit payed off for me this morning. I don’t post much but this is important and might save someone’s life. I was fishing alone this morning at Smithville lake. Was tying up to a bridge pier, while trying to get a rope around the pier I stretched out over the side trying to reach the rope. I saw I couldn’t reach it and was trying to raise up from a knelling position had too many winter clothes on and a very heavy pair of arctic weight muck boots. Wasn’t very mobile and put a hand against the pier to help push and raise up. The boat moved back and I went in the water. It was 37 degrees and 30 ft deep. I have a striker flotation ice suite that my wife bought for me a couple of years ago. I have also watched a lot of videos of surviving falling thorough the ice. I am a pretty good swimmer but don’t think with all the cold weather gear I would have made it out without the flotation suit. I swam around to the back of the boat and straddled the motor and used the power trim switch to raise the motor and lift me up enough to crawl back into the boat (also from watching cold weather survival videos). Hope no ever needs to use any of this. The flotation suit will save your life if you are going to be on the water in winter, especially by yourself, please invest in one.

Glad you're OK!

Glad you are ok and thanks for the post, may very well save someone's life.

Glad your ok and thanks for the post. Everyone thinks it won't happen to them. Better to be safe!

WOW!!! I’m glad you’re ok.


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Glad you're OK!

Glad to hear you r ok


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Thanks everyone.

I don't know if I would have ever thought about straddeling the outboard to get back in the boat!

Worked pretty good.

Wow, a tough day for sure, glad your suit worked!!!

Like you I don't post much either but I do winter fish. My wife an kids bought me the same brand suit in camo a few years back, glad to hear it works an your ok.
I hope to never test mine.

Glad you are ok!

Thanks for posting this and I'm very glad you're okay. It's a very timely post for me. I've been looking at the suits this week. I have some questions about them, but I'll start a new thread so as to not derail yours.

I'm glad to hear you had a good outcome to your unfortunate experience. Great post and certainly well worth mentioning as many times as it takes to strike a nerve with anyone who fishes by boat and especially those who do so alone. I would stress just as much emphasis on kill switches and avoiding the use of trolling motor auto pilot (or auto cruise control) features; as I can't think of anything more awful than accidentally falling into the water while fishing alone and watching your boat steadily going away from you (faster than you could ever swim) when you come to the surface. You only have about 15 minutes in the frigid water temps before hypothermia sets in and your body starts shutting down.
Thanks for this important safety reminder.

They are expensive. If you never have to rely on it for flotation you still have the warmest suit going imo

Thanks for posting! Glad your ok ! they are expensive but you can’t put a price tag on life!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Special K

I'm glad to hear you had a good outcome to your unfortunate experience. Great post and certainly well worth mentioning as many times as it takes to strike a nerve with anyone who fishes by boat and especially those who do so alone. I would stress just as much emphasis on kill switches and avoiding the use of trolling motor auto pilot (or auto cruise control) features; as I can't think of anything more awful than accidentally falling into the water while fishing alone and watching your boat steadily going away from you (faster than you could ever swim) when you come to the surface. You only have about 15 minutes in the frigid water temps before hypothermia sets in and your body starts shutting down.
Thanks for this important safety reminder.

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+1000000
glad to hear you are here to report, dmac. every years places like hillsdale, Stockton, Truman , Tuttle, etc. take someone out enjoying themselves.


I fish all winter and wont get in my boat without my mustang survival bibs and coat on unless the water is over mid 50s and then I have on a life jacket. It was close calls with duck hunting, winter fishing and having a family that moved me to spend the $800 or whatever it was. They are warm and comfortable. compared to the $60K truck, $50K boat, and the $10K I spend annually on gear, gas, MINNOWS, travel, insurance, storage, taxes, etc. the $800 is the smartest money I spent. the kill switch, life jackets etc mentioned above is equally as important.

I had a guy fall out of my boat last February by the dam. You should have seen how fast and to the extent he was effected. I had him in within 30 seconds, but he was already struggling to move. it was cold. ...for those of us out alone, nobody is there to pull us in....

I have the catalyst gear.
Flotation Clothing

Glad you're okay that could have been a scary situation.
LittleJohn

Thank God your ok. Great report my wife has been on me about this very thing. She doesn't fish in the winter and she worries. Thanks for the report.

Glad your okay.

Absolutely. Best investment if you are fishing. I have a lot of responses and tell every one if you never need it it is still the warmest suit you can buy.

Thanks for the report. I remember Hogster saying that he had to get on the back of his motor and use the trim to get back in the boat.

Just curious what suit is it that you had?

I made a mistake this is what I got and it is very warm. Not coast guard approved when I got this, the mustang suits were the only ones approved, but I have no doubt it works.
Arctic Armor Products - Products

Ride along that is the striker predator coat and bibs. My brother just ordered a pair from fishusa I Thank around 375.00 today

Wow yea glad your ok that's great advice. Another idea for everyone to I have to share is we always use a floating thing like a life jacket to tie the rope to the drive boat around the pillar back the life jacket when we tie off it works great

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Woodsman. Yes I too use a boat bumper to throw around the Pilar. Works well. Well most of the time LOL

Glad to hear that you're OK. Sooner or later, everybody takes a bath.
I always wear a Mustang auto inflate vest. Wife got it for me and made me promise to always wear it.
Don't fish much in the winter but that water is still plenty cold in March. I'll look into one of these flotation suits.