r/jetski • u/Crafty_DIY • 10d ago

Grabber tool for debris in intake?

Most of us have been there, you are trying to grab a piece of wood that has lodged up inside your intake grate. Maybe you rolled your ski over on the side of a shore, maybe you had to put it all the way back onto your trailer.

Yesterday my 2015 Yamaha Waverunner sucked up a piece. Had to limp it home in No Wake mode for an hour. I'm glad I did not jump into the 60 degree water because it would have been futile trying to dislodge the tiny stick.

I put the ski onto my boat lift, go under the thing with my paddle board, and tried to grab at the twig with a pair of long channel locks. It was F-ing awkward and would not do the job.

I have one of those little plunger-style claw tools that's made for grabbing at a small tool that you drop into the engine bay of a car when working on it. It doesn't quite have the grabbing power necessary to get at a lodged piece of wood inside the ski.

Does anybody have the "goldilocks" size tool that will fit through the vent, and have the grabbing power to fish a piece of wood out?

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u/xspook_reddit 10d ago

I do not have this, but it looks promising:

https://jettech.com/en-us/products/intake-recovery-tool

I do have these, though:

https://www.amazon.com/Long-Curved-Hemostat-Forceps-Stainless/dp/B09B9SZ7D9/ref=sr_1_9

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u/Plcoomer 10d ago

Does what you have work?

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u/xspook_reddit 10d ago

Crossing fingers, never needed it since I bought it.

But I wished I'd had it when something similar happened. Sucked up a 3" wood chip and that little basta*d would not come out. Got home and hit it with a long screwdriver - came right out.

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u/Head_Protection_9475 10d ago

We ride with a big group so people suck stuff up frequently and I heard good things about these intake tools. A few of the guys keep one in their ski at all times