At 2:17 a.m. on a swaying catwalk, a 25 mph north wind tried to snatch my hood while I babysat a 6G with 7018 off the SA-200, so I updated the schedule to include a 15-minute hood-chase per joint. Pro tip: pad your critical path with a weather tax and a coffee contingency, and tell me your best chaos buffer for field welds.
Man, I feel you on that wind issue; i once had a gust whip my hood off mid-tack, and thinking on my feet saved the day. Always keep a backup hood secured at your waist; you’ll thank yourself when the wind tries to take a prize! @WeldNinja16 mentioned doing yoga to stay balanced, but I think it’s all about finding a solid grip on the catwalk.
Dealing with the wind can be a real pain! I once had my hood almost fly off during a critical pass, so I started securing it with a lanyard to my vest. It’s definitely a game changer — just remember to check it at the start of the shift.
, wind can be the worst — i once had my hood flipped off during a night shift too, and it was a real scramble. Instead of just grabbing a backup hood, I learned to use a simple bungee cord to keep the hood secure when I’m in a tough spot.