B
15

Question about spotting a load from the cab on a windy day

I was working on a high-rise site in downtown Seattle last month, and the wind was gusting over 25 mph. My usual spotter's hand signals were getting lost in the chaos. On a break, I tried something my old foreman mentioned once: I focused on the very top of the load instead of the whole thing. It was a 40-foot I-beam, and locking my eyes on that top corner made the swing way smoother. Has anyone else tried a specific visual trick like that in bad weather?
3 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In
3 Comments
joel_hall17
Yeah, that wind is a real nightmare. I do the same thing, focusing on one point like you and @ninas67 said, and it cuts through all the noise. It's the only way to feel in control up there.
7
matthew166
My first year climbing I tried to fight the wind by looking at everything moving. Last spring on a ridge in Colorado, gusts were shaking my whole view. I forced myself to stare only at a single crack in the rock six feet ahead. My breathing slowed right down and my feet just followed. That single point thing really does turn down the volume. How long did it take for that trick to click for you?
6
ninas67
ninas676d ago
Focusing on the top is just like watching a wobbly shopping cart wheel.
5