Grabber tool for debris in intake?

[u/Crafty_DIY]

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?

[u/kingtuft]

Only thing I’ve found to work every time is another ski, putting them back to back and using the other skis pump to backwash the stuck ski.

[u/cleetusneck → u/kingtuft]

That’s a great idea I’ll try it next time