Waterproof bibs for packrafting?

Swimming, treading water, and maneuvering in cold whitewater can be very different things. Getting dumped in cold moving water is a shock and if you aren't injured (wearing a helmet?), you may need to avoid rocks, waves, holes, sweeper logs and all the other terrors of whitewater travel. You must be prepared (and trained) for multiple threats at the same time. I equate whitewater travel with rock climbing: it takes just one screwup to end badly.

i was just asking in general for what was typical. I agree that bib style "hiking" hard shell pants would be inaproriate in swiftwater/whitewater.

Yeah, the bib style hard shell pants would be for situations where I felt comfortable floating in just rain gear, but I figure the bibs would add a little more protection from pooling water.

Justin what kind of raft did you try? I tried a Yak identical to Morgan's. Swimming issues aside I agree that bibs would help with that one. OTOH if you get a better deck you won't have nearly as much water working.

I was using Dave C's boat, I think it was a yak? Anyways I had the spray deck zipped open because it was really warm out until the last day when it started storming on us. I didn't think to put it back up and I ended up with a wet back in cold rain. The spray deck would have helped. But I'm thinking if I goretex bibs can keep my back/butt dry then I could skip the spray deck, less weight and money spent. But really I'm a noob at this.

Justin that was a 2010 Yak with what is now the cruiser deck (only option available 5 years ago), now Clayton M's boat after I won a 2015 Yak with whitewater deck at the APA Roundup in July. I was a skeptic of the WW deck, mainly due to having to pack pieces of PVC while hiking, but the thing sure is dry. Totally dry in rain, and 98% dry in moderate WW. Justin, you want a deck. Aside from the extent to which even the older, pre-2010 keep you dry or at least dryish, the warmth they add by creating dead air space is considerable, even when you're not getting wet. You and Morgan were also out during the rainiest day of 2015 thus far in the Flathead, representing something of an extreme test.

Ok, you convinced me to get a WW spray deck if it really keeps me that dry. Is it removable if I don't need it or I want to kick my feet up in warm weather?

You can't zip it off like the cruiser, but the opening is big enough to get both legs up and out in raftalounger mode.