Overheard a guy telling a new diver to just strap on an extra 20 pounds. Doesn't matter, he said, you'll sink fine. Anyone else think that's bad advice for a newbie?
I was using a fancy double figure eight with a backup knot and he told me to just use a clove hitch and a half hitch like everyone else. Been doing it that way for 6 months now and it's way faster plus never had an issue. Any of you guys get called out for overcomplicating deck stuff?
I was down in Port Fourchon last month doing a bell dive on a platform riser repair, and I noticed something weird. About half the guys on the barge were wearing those Kirby 901 hats with the stiff vis trim, and they were all swapping out their standard visor bolts for brass ones because the stock ones kept snapping off in the current. Meanwhile the other half were still rocking the older Kirby 500 with the softer trim and had zero issues. I asked one of the older tenders about it and he just laughed and said the 901 trim is made for oilfield cleanup, not for underwater bolt work. Has anyone else run into this problem where the trim catches on everything when you're trying to do fine manipulation?
I was on a job off the coast of Louisiana last spring and my primary air line got snagged on a wreck. If I hadn't double-checked my bailout bottle before the dive, I'd have been in real trouble. Now I always run a quick gear check with my tender before any deep water entry.
Bought a used Kirby Morgan band mask off a guy in Louisiana for 300 bucks and the thing fogged up so bad I couldn't see my own hand after 10 minutes down. Anyone else deal with this or did I just get a lemon?
I was diving on a pipeline job near Port Fourchon last August and kept complaining my drysuit was leaking at the neck seal. My dive supervisor finally pulled me aside and said 'it's not your suit, it's how you're prepping the zip before each dive.' He showed me I was missing a full 10 seconds of wax application along the groove where the zip teeth meet. After I started spending 30 seconds on that one spot instead of rushing, I went from getting damp on every dive to bone dry for a full 3-week hitch. Has anyone else had a supervisor point out a tiny habit that was causing big problems?
I was at 80 feet with zero visibility and he wouldn't send down a standby diver until I stopped cussing, has anyone else dealt with a supervisor who treats every problem like it's your fault?
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?