🦺 Wading Safety

Essential Rules

1. 1

   Never wade alone — always have a buddy who knows your location

2. 2

   Use a wading staff for balance in moving water — even experienced waders use one in heavy current

3. 3

   Shuffle your feet along the bottom rather than stepping — test each foothold before committing weight

4. 4

   Face upstream when crossing current — brace against the flow with your body turned sideways

5. 5

   Wear felt-soled or rubber-soled wading boots — they dramatically improve grip on wet rock

6. 6

   Unclip your wading belt if you fall in fast current — it can trap air in your waders and flip you upside down

7. 7

   Know your limits — chest-deep in moderate current is manageable; the same depth in fast current is dangerous

8. 8

   Watch for undercut banks and smooth river rocks — smooth rocks are far more slippery than rough ones

9. 9

   Never wade in flood conditions — even shallow floodwater has tremendous force

10. 10

    Keep a rescue throw rope accessible when wading with a group