My Kirby Morgan band clamp broke mid-dive off Port Fourchon and I nearly panicked

Last Tuesday I was about 40 feet down doing a hull inspection on a supply boat when I heard this pop and felt my mask seal go loose. The band clamp on my Kirby Morgan 37 just snapped right at the hinge. Water started flooding my faceport instantly. I grabbed my backup bailout and signaled topside. By the time I got to the surface I had a solid two cups of seawater sloshing in my helmet. The supplier said the clamp was probably a bad batch from the factory but it was only 8 months old. Now I always carry a spare clamp in my kit bag. Has anyone else had a band clamp fail like that out of nowhere?

3 comments

3 Comments

chen.casey20d ago

Damn, that's rough. I had a similar thing happen with my neck dam on a KM 18 a few years back. What worked for me was switching to a stainless steel band clamp from a brand I actually remembered the name of, not the stock one. I also started keeping a spare clamp in a dry bag taped to my harness, plus a small adjustable wrench. The worst part is when it goes, it goes fast. You only get a few seconds before your face is full of water. Glad you got topside okay. That supplier line about a bad batch is garbage, they just don't want to admit the stock clamps are cheap.

amy_foster7920d ago

Read somewhere that even the military divers carry redundant clamps on deep ops, so it's not just us weekend warriors being paranoid. Good on you for sharing that story though, might save someone else a nasty surprise.

derek99420d ago

Man, that is terrifying to read. I gotta admit, @chen.casey, I used to be one of those guys who thought factory parts were always good enough. Never saw the point in upgrading stuff like that. Figured if it came with the helmet it was built right. But your story changed my mind completely. I had a similar scare a few months back where a cheap o-ring gave out on me and I spent a whole dive with a slow leak. Now I keep a stainless band clamp in my kit too, and a little wrench. It is a pain to carry but three seconds of face full of water will make you a believer real fast.