Found a trick for clearing out silt in low vis that actually works

I was working on a bridge pier inspection last month in the Hudson River and the visibility was maybe 6 inches. Total nightmare trying to feel my way around the pilings. A older diver I know told me to try using a garden hose nozzle on my air supply line to blast water sideways instead of straight down. It kicked up way less muck and I could actually see a foot or two after a minute. Has anyone else tried something like that for murky water jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

iris_davis9018d ago

Hold on, is silt in low vis really that big of a deal though? I mean yeah it sucks, but you can still feel your way around most pilings just fine. Seems like a lot of work to rig up a garden hose nozzle on your air line when you could just take it slow and use your hands. Plus messing with your air supply like that feels like a safety risk if you ask me. Your mileage may vary, but I've done plenty of murky water jobs and never felt the need to get that fancy with it. Maybe it helps in really tight spots, but for a standard bridge pier inspection I'd just deal with the silt.

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vera_murphy18d ago

Why would you want to add a possible leak point to your breathing system when your hands work fine?

patriciap528d ago

Has anyone else had a change of heart on this? I used to be in the same boat - just deal with the silt and use your hands. But a couple jobs back I tried one of those little air-fed nozzles and it honestly made the whole thing way less frustrating. Still not sure I'd rig it up for every job, but I get why someone would.