Question about using a lift bag for a 400 pound pump in a tight spot

I was talking to a salvage diver in New Orleans last week who said he never uses a lift bag for anything under 500 pounds, he just rigs it and brings it up with his own buoyancy. That got me thinking about a job I did last month with a 400 pound pump in a really tight spot where a bag would have been tricky. Do you guys have a weight limit where you switch from muscle to a bag?

2 comments

2 Comments

hollyramirez1mo ago

Man, a tight spot with a 400-pound pump sounds like a nightmare. I've been there wrestling gear in a wreck where you couldn't swing a cat. That salvage guy's rule is interesting, but sometimes physics wins. For me, it's less about a set weight and more about control. If I can't get a clean lift without kicking up a slit storm, the bag comes out, even for something lighter.

gibson.robert1mo ago

But that control thing sounds like an excuse to quit early.