If you dig it wet, expect to take 2-3 times as long. Every scoop you pick up will have water washing out of the bucket, and washing out dirt with it as it moves. Also, the water will wash away the grease on the pivot points, making them wear faster. Then you have the water running back into the pond every time you dump the bucket, carrying dirt back into the pond with it.
Last but not least, you can't see what you are digging, so how do you know if you are digging it the way you want it?
Go get a 3" or 4" trash pump, and do it the right way.
A 3" trash pump will move 16,000+ gph, a 4" will move 23,000+ gph.
I dug my pond down to 22' deep using a 3" pump.
