Zipper gave out about 3 minutes in, and I spent the next 20 minutes shivering on the ice while my buddy laughed. Learned the hard way to check that little plastic slider before every dive - anyone else have a gear fail at the worst possible moment?
Had a guy on a rig out in the Gulf last month who swore by hot water on a cut to stop bleeding faster, but my old training says cold water to keep swelling down. Which side do you guys come down on when you get nicked underwater?
I got my first real deep dive in the Gulf of Mexico and broke 1,000 feet on a pipeline inspection. Some guys say that's nothing compared to sat diving, but it felt huge to me. What's your take - does hitting a milestone depth actually matter in this trade?
He told me last month that the best tool for finding lost anchors on murky bottoms is just a long steel rod you drag by hand, and after fighting with a $2,000 sonar for three seasons I finally tried his way and found three anchors in one afternoon, has anyone else had an old-timer make them feel like they overthink everything?
I was struggling with my left ear on a 60 foot dive near Galveston last week, kept having to abort. A buddy told me to tilt my head back and pull my mask down slightly before clearing, and it worked perfectly on the next try. Has anyone else found a weird little body movement that fixes their ear issues?
I used to think you needed heavy weight belts to stay down. Then I heard a guy at the dive shop in Morgan City say he drops 10 pounds of lead and uses a 5 pound belt. Said the less drag lets him move faster on bottom jobs. Tried it last month checking a pipeline in the Gulf and it worked way better. Any of yall run lighter belts for long bottom time?
Was doing a routine inspection on a platform riser when a buddy's hose coupling let go. Mask filled instantly with 50 degree water. Had to do an emergency ascent because I couldn't clear it fast enough. Now I check every o-ring and hose fitting twice before jumping in. Has anyone else had a fitting fail on them like that?
Honestly, I thought I was saving money by buying this big repair kit from some online shop. It had patches, glue, and all this stuff, cost me $200. Tried to fix a small tear near my wrist seal last weekend and the patch peeled off after 5 minutes in the water. The glue didn't bond at all with the trilaminate. Has anyone else had luck with a specific brand or method for drysuit fixes? I'm done guessing.
I was working a bridge job off the coast of Norfolk back in '98 and we spent all morning taking turns holding our breath to run lines. A guy from a different crew showed up with a portable shot line and I watched him set an anchor in about 5 minutes while we were still coughing up saltwater. Has anyone else seen these new diver recall systems that ping your wristband, or is that just another gadget that'll break on the first deep dive?
I was working a pier repair job in Everett when my lift bag started venting at 60 feet. Turns out I had a tiny tear from a sharp barnacle I didn't check. Has anyone else had issues with lift bags getting damaged from unseen debris?
I used to just spray my drysuit and regs down real fast before heading home. Last month I took the time to soak everything in warm water for 15 minutes and pull the zippers clean. Turns out a guy I know kept getting salt buildup in his exhaust valve and it was failing during deco stops. That stuff can lock up your second stage too if you let it sit. Now I budget a full half hour just for cleaning after every shift. Has anyone else had a valve freeze up from dirty gear?
Had a tiny pinhole leak in my 50lb lift bag from a wreck dive off San Diego last month. Took me two whole weekends to find it because it only showed underwater, not on the bench. Anyone else spend way too long hunting a simple air leak?
Last week on the St. Lawrence, I had zero visibility one day and then 15 feet the next. It was wild, like someone flipped a switch on all the silt and mud. I was doing a pipeline inspection and could actually see the marine life and the structure clearly without feeling around. Anyone else have that one perfect day where everything just lines up?
I had to buddy breathe 15 feet back to the surface while my second stage kept free flowing, and now I'm wondering if anyone else has had a sudden housing failure on a Poseidon reg or was it just me?
I always glanced at my SPG on the way up, but last June a dive supervisor in the Gulf told me to actually stop and read it static. Has anyone else realized they were rushing through something basic for way too long?
I used to slather on that thick silicone lube every morning until my zipper froze up solid during a 38 degree dive in Puget Sound last December. Switched to a light wax spray and haven't had a jam since. Anyone else find their zipper getting stiff after certain lubes?
Guy named Sully on a Gulf rig told me harnesses were safer for deep work. I laughed it off until I got tangled on a lift bag at 110 feet last month and the weight belt nearly pinned me. Has anyone else had a close call with a belt that made you switch?
Ive been diving for about 5 years now and finally swapped from a Ocean Reef Neptune to a Kirby Morgan 17 last season. The difference in comms clarity is night and day especially when youre on a job with heavy current and need to hear the tender. The KM is pricier but after a 3 day pipeline inspection gig off Port Fourchon my ears were actually sore with the Ocean Reef. Any other guys find the KM worth the extra cash or do you stick with something lighter?
Was working a deepwater job off Louisiana and clipped my bag to the railing like always, but that old zipper gave out when I reached for my wrench and watched every single socket and fitting sink 200 feet down, still had to finish the shift with a spare spanner borrowed off the tender because the client wouldn't pay for a recovery dive, anyone else had a piece of gear fail at the worst possible second?
For like 3 years I was fighting my drysuit on every dive, always felt like I was either floating up or getting squeezed. A buddy at a job in Long Beach last month showed me his method... instead of reaching over his shoulder for the dump valve he just rolls his left shoulder down real quick. Tried it on my next dive and suddenly I could control my buoyancy without flailing around. Anyone else have a simple trick like this that took you way too long to figure out?
I heard a guy at the dock saying dry suits are the only way to work in 50 degree water. I've been doing paid bridge inspections in the Great Lakes for 12 winters with a thick wetsuit and a wool hoodie underneath. Has anyone else found dry suits aren't always worth the hassle for short bottom times under 30 minutes?
I was working a bridge project in Tampa and decided to try this silicone-based sealant another diver swore by. Slapped it on my neck seal the night before, thought it felt good. Got down to 90 feet and felt that cold trickle running down my back, had to abort the whole dive. Cost me half a day and had to explain to the foreman why we were behind. Anyone else had bad luck with those quick-fix sealants or is it just me?
Got called out to fix a grate at the Port of Seattle intake pipe. Current was ripping at about 3 knots and visibility dropped to zero after 10 minutes. Spent almost 4 hours feeling around blind trying to get those bolts lined up. Has anyone else had a day where you just couldn't catch a break with the current?