Injury from extraction.

[mud_dreamer]

When I fish for trout I wear chest waders. Every now and then I encounter some deep mud or clay so I try to see how deep I can sink in it with the waders on. I don't even get to knee deep and I am concerned about being seriously stuck. Yikes ... no wonder you got injured.

I realize that some mud has things in it that might harm your skin so I do understand why some prefer waders.

[lonesinker]

Yes it is not fun when you injure yourself. I crawled into one of my favorite pit areas and should have known something could have happened, I noticed a lot of dead fall and large branches and twigs in the pit area and as I walked in I sank in a good 3 feet and scraped a tree or limb that was hiding on the bottom,that pain takes the fun right out of it but alas it was my fault,there is always a risk going in bare feet

[Boggy Man]

Yes it is not fun when you injure yourself. I crawled into one of my favorite pit areas and should have known something could have happened, I noticed a lot of dead fall and large branches and twigs in the pit area and as I walked in I sank in a good 3 feet and scraped a tree or limb that was hiding on the bottom,that pain takes the fun right out of it but alas it was my fault,there is always a risk going in bare feet

One of the places I sometimes sink into is a pond with really soft mud that is full of submerged logs and sticks, and had sustained some scratches from the branches/logs that were under the mud. For many months afterwards, the scratches remained raised and hard and pink against the white skin (normally covered with shorts), almost like they had become scars, and took forever to vanish, but they eventually did.

[mud_dreamer]

I have mentioned this in several of my posts now. I found that by injecting water into the mud down near your feet you can relieve the strong suction and it will let you pull your legs out with significantly less effort.

I keep it with me in case I go a little too deep or need to get out fast. It is also good to practice with it so that you will have confidence using it if needed. Also doubles as a "theatrical" prop.

Do a search for the "Stream Machine". I bought two of them for $10 on clearance. I think that if you can avoid sucking up sand and pebbles it will last for many outings.

Come to think of it... I should try just injecting air. Might have to do it a little slower than water but it should work. Could also make some pretty amazing sounds.

Injecting air would also keep the mud from becoming diluted with too much water. I'll get back with the results of using air in the Stream Machine.

[mud_dreamer]

I have mentioned this in several of my posts now. I found that by injecting water into the mud down near your feet you can relieve the strong suction and it will let you pull your legs out with significantly less effort.

I keep it with me in case I go a little too deep or need to get out fast. It is also good to practice with it so that you will have confidence using it if needed. Also doubles as a "theatrical" prop.

Do a search for the "Stream Machine". I bought two of them for $10 on clearance. I think that if you can avoid sucking up sand and pebbles it will last for many outings.

Come to think of it... I should try just injecting air. Might have to do it a little slower than water but it should work. Could also make some pretty amazing sounds.

Injecting air would also keep the mud from becoming diluted with too much water. I'll get back with the results of using air in the Stream Machine.

Ok... so I am quoting myself here. I did try the air injection with the Stream Machine. The mud I used was at a different location than usual. This mud was more fluid and not real hard to get out of even when I got to neck deep . Best sink so far. The air actually bubbled up through the mud . I did find that if I pushed the Stream Machine under my foot and injected air and at the same time I pulled up on my foot, it seemed to be a little easier. No additional sucking noises added by injecting air here. I will try this at my other location.

As far as injuries ... I did have a few knee tweaks the next day. Probably from lifting and turning my leg (from the hip) with my foot stuck down deep. This probably puts a nasty torque on the knee joint. I'll have to be a little more careful in the future.

[Sinkman61]

I love it when the pressure is finally intense enough to hold my limbs in place, making it nearly impossible to move them. I particularly enjoy sinking down into rather think, deep mud with my hands in my pockets. That’s because as you’re arms start to go beneath the mud, they’ll be held far more tightly against your sides then if you had just pressed them Into the mud elsewhere. They end up getting squeezed up against up against your sides and become more or less useless during the sink and extraction, making it a struggle to get back out. Thinking of sinking...I’m heading out to my favorite spots this afternoon.

[Sinkman61]

I too LOVE the feeling of being squeezed by the mud (except downward squeezing on my toes). As a scuba diver, I can also get this feeling when wearing my drysuit on a dive by simply not putting air into my suit to counter the pressure from the water. And if you ever want to feel what atmospheric pressure feels like, climb into a tall garbage bag, seal it up around your neck, then use a vacuum to suck all the air out. As for getting a back injury from straining while being stuck deep in the mud, that hasn’t happened. Chances are it never will either. That’s because I go sinking with a heavily damaged spine that’s been repaired already. I’ve had one vertebrae and seven disk removed from my lower back because of a motorcycle accident when I had been rear ended by an SUV that was doing 60 mph when it his me. So my lower back is made up of a large titanium cage and multiple titanium rods/screws. I’ve pushed so hard during an escape from the mud once that I could literally feel everything that had been screwed into my back. I haven’t pushed that hard since, so escaping takes a bit longer. The fact that I can’t bend my lower back also makes it more difficult to escape. But I don’t let that stop me from sinking. I’m just a bit more careful so I don’t over stress any of the hardware in my back, as any repairs would require surgery. I have NO DESIRE for more surgery than that which I’ve already been through.