Salvaging Underwater Shipwrecks - Equipment??

[Eiko]

Hi,

I remember watching a movie some years ago, where some divers went on a treasure hunt in an ancient spanish shipwreck. They had something like an "underwater vacuum cleaner" with which they cleaned away the mud in which the wreck was buried.

I assume something like that is still used today in salvaging shipwrecks?
And if so, could you operate a machine like this with only one man?
And could you possibly turn the "vac" on and off while being down at the wreck? Or do you have to keep the machine running all the while you're going down to the wreck?

Any ideas or information on that??


Thanks!

Eiko

[Tsu Dho Nimh]

The salvage vac needs more than one man ... one on the boat to run the pump, two in the water on the vacuum (one vacuums, one controls where the sediment is dumped and acts as watcher). It doesn't have to be kept running, and I have seen them with controls at the bottom.

You could have a diver doing it alone, but it's damned stupid. He's have to start the pump, then dive down and start the vacuum ... diving alone is not easy.

[Eiko]

You could have a diver doing it alone, but it's damned stupid. He's have to start the pump, then dive down and start the vacuum ... diving alone is not easy.

Great, "damned stupid" just sounds right for my story. That diver is too obsessed with his idea to realize it.
But if it's possible, he will of course do it.

Thank you!

[Lilybiz]

Good article here that might help you, Eiko.

http://www.archaeology.org/0707/etc/insider.html

[Stijn Hommes]

Even without the vacuum, diving on your own is not something recommendable... It's one of the first things a diver is thought and I can know. I know a lot of divers...