Am I the only one who uses a cheap garden hose instead of expensive dive gear for deck cleaning?

I see everyone dropping big money on special scrubbers and pressure washers for cleaning boat hulls and docks. But last month on a job in Charleston, I grabbed a regular garden hose with a simple brass nozzle and turned the pressure up. Worked just fine for knocking off light barnacles on a small Boston Whaler. The customer didn't care and I saved around $200. Has anyone else found a low cost trick that other divers seem to hate on?

3 comments

3 Comments

anderson.piper3d ago

Tbh using a cheap garden hose on a boat hull is begging for trouble. Those brass nozzles can scratch gelcoat if you're not careful, and light barnacles turn into heavy barnacles real fast when you don't use the right gear. A proper pressure washer setup saves you time and keeps the job consistent, plus it keeps your customer from watching you struggle with a hose. Ngl you got lucky on a small Whaler, but try that on a 40 footer with a thick growth and you'll be back in a week doing it all over again.

jana_jones3d ago

Y'all act like a little barnacle is gonna sink the whole boat.

oscarc121d ago

Barnacles on a 40 footer ain't just a cosmetic issue either, I've seen them clog up raw water intakes on old Mercruisers and cause the engine to overheat in under 10 minutes if you don't scrape 'em off weekly. The real hidden cost nobody talks about is how a thin layer of growth can throw off your fuel burn by 15-20% on a long run, which adds up fast on a big gas bill. So maybe a little barnacle won't sink you, but it'll sure drain your wallet before you even get back to the dock.