Items for River Dredging

[Merc]

I am new to the dredging and have never been out on a river yet. I have some questions about what is needed, must have items and recommended items.

My must haves list so far:
An inflatable boat or canoe to store stuff on with paddles/oars & life vests. Do we need a divers flag?
Two anchors with 25ft of rope on each anchor.

What else am I missing to be safe?

[mark]

This answer requires more time than I have right now. I will try and answer later today.

[Deleted]

This is gonna be a long list..

[Merc]

Good, You know I need all the help I can get and then some.

It is always best to plan for the worst and hope for the best.

Thanks in advance Mark!

[mark]

First off, I would suggest a divers flag for no other reason than they look cool. I have one, but have not gotten around to mounting it. Technically we should all be flying them.

It looks like you have the basics covered, but you may want to consider an attachment that would allow your jet log to act as propulsion in case you want to travel very far from where you put the dredge in. I made one from scrap steel and hang it from my dredge frame under the motor. It is attached to the frame with C-clamps so it can be removed in minutes.






I use an inflatable raft (heavy duty 3 man) and will actually sit or lay in and let the dredge tow me where I want to go. It takes some practice to steer the dredge, but it is not that difficult. I control the throttle with a handy graphite rod that Will-D made for me about 6 years ago.

I also want to touch on safety, as no gold is worth your health or life. The diving that we do is generally a lot safer than SCUBA, but I always recommend that new dredgers take a basic SCUBA class complete with pool time to practice some skills. Skills that are needed could include removing and replacing your mask underwater, clearing the mask, and overall just getting used to being underwater and breathing through a regulator. This is always better to learn with a dive instructor right there beside you. I took a basic open water class and fell in love with Scuba diving! I don't get a chance go very often, but I feel a lot more comfortable underwater because of it.

I think you may also want to consider a weight vest from Keene. It uses soft weight bags and is supposed to be a lot more comfortable than strapping all the weight on your waist. Dredgers need lots more weight than regular scuba divers so plan on having at least 40 pounds available. I have floated out of my hole before while wearing 40 pounds, and that is no fun struggling to stay on the bottom. To give you an idea, with my scuba rig, I use 12 pounds of weight, but dredge with 40 to 45.  The wet suit also has a huge bearing on how much weight you need.  A 1 piece 3mm  requires a lot less weight than a 2 piece 7mm so plan accordingly

Another much needed item is a took kit and spare parts box.  I carry a spare for every size clamp I use, every hose washer, every bolt and nut, and spare o-rings for my mask and regulator.  You can get a "save a dive" kit from just about any dive shop or online retailer that has every size o-ring that is used.  I cant tell you how many times this has saved a trip.  I also make sure I have a wrench that will fit every bolt on the dredge, and I also carry spare parts for the motor.  Last year I saved someone else's trip by having some rope to repair a broken pull starter.


I also want to suggest that you start somewhere nice and easy with shallow water.  I am not saying do not go to a large river, but what I am saying is to stay very close to the bank where you put in.  You may not find as much gold, but you will need to practice.  You need to sort out your hoses, get the kinks worked out of your mask, make sure the dredge is operating properly etc.  It will take some time in getting used to walking around in the water in a wetsuit also.  Imagine trying to move around and your feet wanting to float out from under you!  Very dangerous and care should be taken when you first get in the water.

That is all for me for now, There is tons more, but honestly the best thing to do is just start doing it.  There is no way you can be prepared for everything, but you have to be flexible enough to roll with the flow.  That is part of the adventure of it all.

[goldgit'r]

Very good post Mark. Wes

[Gold Seeker]

Nice post/list Mark!!

But I will add the most important item to the list....toilet paper!!!LOL

Also make sure you bring a good first-aid kit, and gloves so you don't have to use the first-aid kit that much, you will get cuts from handling the rocks!!!

And although you will be in water you will get dehydrated very quickly dredging, so bring plenty of water and or sports drinks and drink often!!!

[mark]

The rocks are rough on your gloves also. Some people are dipping their dive gloves in the plastic tool coating to protect them, but I have not tried that yet.

[Merc]

I am the one you helped out with the crank rope. ywevis jerked it out the first time I took the dredge out. Not his fought though Reminds me, I need to add crank rope to the list of things to get before this weekend...

I lost a 11mm wrench Sunday. It is why I am buying most of my tools from harbor freight. They are cheap and when you lose them you are not out that much. I carry extra plugs and a few other things. Ammo Cans make very good water tight toolboxes and spare parts boxes, which reminds me I need to get a few... I am working on getting all some of the extras you said. Now I have a much longer list.


Copperhead creek looks like a good place to start diving at too. Practice with a full face mask is a must. Mark is right no amount of Gold is worth your life and diving is dangerous.

Even if you have a full face mask you also want to consider having an extra stage one regulator on a separate hose and goggles with you. You never can tell when something will happen and the person tending the sluice will need to come underwater to help move a rock or come to the divers aid. It is also very important have a spare air tank in case the engine stops if you are going to dive in more than mid waste high water. Mark talked about how important having an air filter is in another thread. Having a separate emergency air source is also a very good idea.

Going over our equipment and make sure it is safe is one of the most important things we must do. The last thing we need is to be on the news with a diving accident or tragedy. The less we are in the news right now the better.

Crowbars and pry bars are also needed to help move rocks and in case a rock shifts unexpected...

This is a good start.

Thank You Mark!!!

[WILL-D]

Very informative post guys. I tried the tool handle coating and it works great. Put on a layer at a time and then try them out to see if they are still flexible. I put 3 coats on my first pair and couldn't move my hands. My grandson gave me several pairs of glass cutters gloves and they are perfect but not for cold water.
I've had several times when water rose very quickly and learned a few lessons about anchors. You want an anchor that holds solid both upriver and downriver. The longer the rope the less chance of swamping your dredge. Always be aware of the current. When it drives you out of your hole its time to come up check things around you. It can change quickly. Pick a rock or something permenant that you can gauge water height and check every so often. Its very easy to get caught off gaurd. Water force is one of the most powerful forces on earth and very few people consider it so.
If you are afraid of the water it will kill you faster. Learn to overcome that fear before going into deep water. As Mark said practice taking your mask off under water, putting it back on and clearing the water out until you gain confidence. Don't dive by yourself. I've learned the hard. Use to dive for boat motors as a teen and lost a cousin that got trapped in a net and I was too far from him to help. Also lost my breath in swift water and had to holler at Shay to help me.

[daubster]

You will also need something to hold your dredge cons when doing a clean up. A large plastic tote works well.

I also like to classify cons in place. It is much easier to float out 30 lbs of cons verses 200 lbs.

+1 on staying hydrated. Skip is dead on here. Dehydration sets in quickly while dredging and can be dangerous.

I also like to throw in something to snack on. Take your dredge a mile up river and Taco bell is a long way away.

Bruce