Question about adding extension to 2 1/2" Combo Hibanker/Dredge

[Buckshotnc]

Recent winter floods rearranged some of the stream on my property as to gravel bars, depths etc. I've saw an area between two large rocks exposed that hadn't seen before because it is deeper and it looks like a natural place to catch any gold. The problem is that it's deeper than I can long arm and I don't have air so thought I would ask if anyone had ever tried adding a piece of pvc to the end of nozzle to reach deeper. I would probably need at least 2-3 feet additional and what are your thoughts and/or other suggestions.

 

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[mikep691]

I may take you up on your offer. While I'm working a creek that rarely has more than knee deep water, but has past dredge holes over five feet deep, I doubt I'll ever need to "get deep". There is always that possibility though. My first and likely best option will be to lower the water level in the pool (once it is actually one). Easiest way to do that is to work the downstream gravels and let the water out. By September, I'll running a gravity system, no motors, so needing one just to power an air pump defeats the purpose.

Nothing will be needed until I get to the bedrock. Just my opinion, extending the nozzle just creates more work when we want to make the job easier. Feel free to follow the journey in the Journals forum.

 

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[Buckshotnc]

Thanks to all suggestions: Here's what I'm probably going to do since I have no experience at all with air and not willing to invest in it at this stage of my life. Add a plastic PVC pipe to end of nozzle long enough to reach area I want to work with a bolt across bottom to help with plugs and possibly use the snorkel I currently have to get my face under the water to help see where I'm working.

 

[N-Lionberger]

Years ago I tried cutting a chunk off of my pressure hose to my suction nozzle and clamped it onto my snorkel and let me tell you it doesn't work, as mentioned earlier its nearly impossible to suck in a breath as the water pressure will prevent you from expanding your lungs, another problem with Mikes idea is that scuba regulators are designed for high pressure air input and therefor have super small orifices which also makes for issues when converting for hookah use, it would be like sucking air through a cocktail straw even without all that water on your chest. If you want to go deeper than standard snorkel length you need to either hold your breath or get on a hookah system. I have since upgraded to 2" pressure hose to my 2.5" suction nozzle and use the 1.25" hose I used to use as my pressure hose as an extension hose for working cracks, I stuck a piece of PVC pipe into the hose as a reducer ring, take the open end and put it up the nozzle a few inches and tie it off with some wire.

 

[Buckshotnc]

This whole area flooded this past week and creek still so high can't get to this area, there is a flood control dam downstream and the discharge is so small it stays backed up for days after a flood. Now 6 days and still can't ford the creek, water still 6-8 ft deep at ford so don't know if this will be an issue now till I see what it did to the stream.