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Permalink Reply by Nick Daly on April 7, 2011 at 6:56am

We (a crew from Tiburon) got our hands on it a few years ago along with a Russian guy who was trying to sell the thing. We were in the Sabine River looking for hatches on a mat rig that was covered in 3 feet of oyster bed. Previously we were down there with sledge hammers busting our knuckles to hell trying to find the hatches. So this guy comes out there with the cavitation blaster, its basicly a high pressure gun with the inside of the barrel machined in just the right way, pretty cool invention in my opinion. It knocked off the oysters nicely but would not make the metal show or shine, we were talking about a good application for it offshore and decided it don't do what a grit blaster can for inspection purposes. When the Russian guy heard me on the radio, I was really happy to save my knuckles, he started running and jumping across the barge screaming, pretty funny stuff.

 

The guy had previously taken it out on a Superior job in deep water to clean up some bell guides. It worked great for that and it does not remove paint. The amazing thing was that it would tear through barnacles and you could still run your hand across the stream of water it pushed out and it won't cut your fingers off like a regular water blaster (I was a little hesitant to try it but how can I not trust a Russian comrade eh???). Of course it won't cut concrete though. Anyways he was out there in deep water and the hose for this thing was hooked together with quick diconnects. Not sure how this went down but one of the Q/D's turned lose and bye bye prototype cavitation blaster! The guy didn't tie off any connection and the thing was found at 250+ feet on bottom, but it was recovered.

 

Basicly it was great for removing growth. Pretty tough gun as well, hopefully he re-evalued the Q/D hose and got a better one. First thing we did when we got it was try to break it, Freddie was down there using it as a hammer and it held up to that, although we banged up the tip a bit, it still worked. I think he had several tips but I can't remember the purpose of each one.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

 

 

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Permalink Reply by D Layda on April 8, 2011 at 9:01am

Sounds like a typical diver move... "Wow Ivan, that's a really cool looking tool..." -wham-smash-boom-crack-bang-bang-slam-  " Guess it'll work ok.."

 

Gives me an idea, they should have a dive crew take over for the congress on planning a feasible budget;  The logic being that before divers give the thumbs up on anything we pretty much have to see a prospective idea or tool put through a blender, set on fire, dropped to the bottom of the sea, burned with a broco rod and be able to survive being coated in chocolate and endure a three hour mauling by Roseanne Barr...or simply used, as above, as a hammer; regardless of it's intended design and purpose...

 

While they're at it they should let us play with the national debt, the logic being that the same thing would happen to the national debt as anything else that divers are put in contact with; We'd break a third of it, loose another third of it on bottom, the final third would likely be found in the bottom of one of our hat-bags a month or two after the end of the job...

The same could work for the wh*** middle east, the patriot act, obamacare and my personal favorite, the federal reserve... all we'd need is to be hired as consultants to "evaluate"...

 

 

 

They better put us back to work, before we put em all out of a job! 

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Permalink Reply by Christopher Calero on April 7, 2011 at 9:16am

Our company owns one, they work well for removing marine growth, will not damage paint in good condition and are safe and easy to use.  They will not remove hard calcerous growth  (i.e. barnacle bases), but in the right application it is a great tool.

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Permalink Reply by Acadian Marine Diving on April 7, 2011 at 9:45am

For blasting mussels, would you think it would be able to do the trick?

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Permalink Reply by Nick Daly on April 10, 2011 at 4:51am

I think it will, if you put the right angle on it, put a little more time cleaning certain spots, it should remove most any growth.

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Permalink Reply by A.. Parnell on April 10, 2011 at 7:32am

Where can we get one and how much does it cost? Thanks

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Permalink Reply by Joseph on April 10, 2011 at 8:34am

Review the Following;

 

http://www.cavidyne.com is the Manufacture.

 

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Permalink Reply by A.. Parnell on April 10, 2011 at 9:16am

Joseph, thanks.

Ace

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Permalink Reply by Nick Daly on April 10, 2011 at 4:40pm

See the Q/D in the first few seconds of the video, that's gotta go. Seriously, how many tools underwater have quick disconnects on them???? Pretty sure the answer is zero... The rest of the hose, at that time was made up of those same fittings and pretty high risk. 1800 psi running straight into your hand hurts, but it don't severe, because of the machining inside the barrel. It's pretty amazing. I think the part at 3:30 is the same job where they lost the blaster.

 

I can't believe they didn't add the part where Freddie was using it as a prybar.... of course we were in no viz so none of us got in this video :(

 

I like the part where it says: "Simple" "Complex Geometries"

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