A diver in Florida told me my surface checks were too fast

I was doing a quick hull clean in Tampa last year, and my topside guy said I was rushing my pre-dive checks. He pointed out I was spending maybe 30 seconds on my comms and gas check. He said, 'If your comms fail at 90 feet, that 30 seconds is gonna feel real stupid.' I slowed way down, adding a full minute to my checks to really test everything. Has anyone else gotten called out for rushing the simple stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamesfox1mo ago

Honestly, that topside guy did you a solid. It's wild how we can get so focused on the main task that we blow past the basics. What was going through your head before he said something? Were you just eager to get in the water, or did you genuinely think your quick check was good enough? That mental shift from rushing to being deliberate is everything.

max4151mo ago

Tampa's visibility is usually pretty good, so a quick check might feel fine. I get the safety thing, but adding a full minute for every single check seems like overkill sometimes. If your gear is well maintained, a solid 30-second check should catch any real problems.

riveradams16d ago

Honestly I gotta push back on that. A 30 second check sounds like you're already halfway out the door mentally. In Tampa with all those boats and currents one loose hose or a cracked o-ring you didn't catch could turn a fun dive into a real bad day real quick. Ngl that extra 30 seconds feels like nothing compared to the time you'd waste waiting on a rescue.