Jet Boating through Clyde Dam Diversion Gates (January 1992) 

Grew up watching this project from scratch. A lot of controversy, sadness, and awe inspiring all in one. The Kiwi designed key boat.. take a look at that control in a tight spot. Downstream shows the real nut grinder skill... take your foot off, and it's concrete... A day out in the boat... well done for making a lasting memoire.... Jogged some memories of jet boating on the Clutha.. thank you

The shots looking up at those big holes felt ominous. Scary currents swirling around too. Cool video to watch.

Thanks so much for posting this. This is History with a capital H.

That is beyond scary!

Wow that seems crazy thanks for the video if you told someone today they never believe you unless you had this video.

Better footage than most of today’s

That was great....I guess that won't be able to be done again.....thanks for the trip

Wow! That was terrific! Thank you so much. I have a series of photos I took of the dam construction over several years. On the back side of the dam, you get a truly unique perspective of the massive scale of this Think Big project. The mighty Clutha river truly was spectacular through that section of highway. Let us all pray that when the big alpine fault quake comes, the damn holds up, it doesn't get overtopped by a tsunami, and they get to shut the system down before the S-waves hit.

Spectacular

There are some things you have to do just because you can.

I was five years old when this footage was taken...amazing

That looked so rad!

Thats balls!..no way I would do that...

Man I’m so jealous! that is so cool. And it will never happen again!

That looked amazing! 👌

1992 . . I would have done it if I had the opportunity , super cool experience to be able to share so many years later .

That’s a great video…not sure I would have the balls to do it so kudos!! 👍

That was too freaking cool .😃

That made my heart race! Zero room for mistake! The river doesn’t give a shit!

Powerful boat engine

Hell yeah what a rush just watching

I took my kayak threw there.

Shows what one of the first VHS or Beta-max cassette cameras was capable of.

That's great! Watching from Alexandra

Awesome video. I'm fairly sure my late uncle took his kids under the dam in his jet boat before they closed the gates. Don't the penstock sockets look impressive. They were for a proposed extension of the dam which would have increased the generating capacity to 648 megawatts, but the Clutha River is not big enough to supply the necessary water to drive the turbines that the generators would have needed.

Wow! That was the business. My sphincter had just relaxedand then ‘right?’ the man said. And the other fella’ said, ‘right’ and it was back through. Bowel control lost it at that point! Cheers for sharing.

The size and thinking how deep the water was soon to be. Creeped me out.

Dam that was was crazy..

I went through there on a truck tire tube

I've been in early jet boats up Central Otago rivers...that looks scary.

That shit is scary

Boat handled well considering the weight of the drivers gigantic balls.

nice! wild!

You gotta be fucking kidding me. Literally nuts

Amazing your allowed to do that! And to think its all underwater. So awesome!

Wow! I don't think the fun police would allow this now!

no going back kids..

That can’t be legal but looks worth trying

Those currents whirlpooling around. I honestly thought they were on a bigger boat in the end.

back when places like this let the public tour it

Someone has a camcorder on there shoulder. No go pro here.

I felt really sketchy just watching. Given the chance I don't think I'd actually do it but that was really cool especially for 1992.

007 is now 008.

That jet boats got some ponies eh?

Was that illegal?

Yeah nah…..no way I’d ever have the nerve to do this

Really curious what kind of jet boat is it

wow

So this is no longer a lake?

Looks like something from Contra (classic nes game)

OH.HELL.NAW! NOPE to the tenth power brother! I would of made them drop me off on shore abd I would have walked or waited to be picked up. Nope nope nope. Worst fear imaginable. Dams terrify me. Just watching the video makes me dizzy and hot.

balls

Wouldn’t have wanted a motor to quite and go through the tunnels on the right

New Zealanders know a freedom the United States lost long ago.

Talk about sketchy!

This is sketchy

Yep sounds like a smart thing to be doing, Not,