If you go with neoprene waders they float- not as good as a life jacket because they don't keep your head up- but they won't suck you down either, and because they fit tight they don't fill will AS MUCH water which makes climbing back out easier... In fa
ct any rubber waders have SOME bouyancy, but you drown because they are so bulky you can't swim with them on and you get into trouble if there is any current. In calm water you will float- even when they fill with water. I was in a EMT class where they
made all of the firefighters jump into a swimming pool in full gear just to prove to them that rubber boots and gear will not make you sink like a stone. The real trouble is when you try to pull yourself back onto the jetty with several hundred extra lbs
of water in your waders.
CHS