Simple irrigation siphon

I did lots of that as a young boy on the family farms to irrigate the potato fields in Co. but we had raised earthen canals and ditches kept full by 18 and 24 inch wells. the pipes we used were just long single curved crescents mostly 2 inch but on the longer fields we had 4 inch pipes. to start the siphon you would cup your hand over the end of the pipe or in the case of the 4 " pipes squeeze the length of inner tube to seal it off allow the end to be open when pushing the pipe in the water and closed as you pulled it out a couple quick pumps in and out of the water keeping the end from breaking surface and you would get the siphon started

Simple irrigation siphon - GIF