Last month I was working a salvage job at 180 feet in Galveston. Decided to try this modified schedule I read about from some diver forum. Thought I was playing it safe with extra stops. Came up feeling fine but 30 minutes later my elbow was screaming. Spent 12 hours in a chamber and learned real quick that the old tables exist for a reason. Anyone else ever cheap out on deco and regret it?
Figured out it was just a tiny piece of grit in the seal, but I must have taken that whole assembly apart three times before I saw it. Anyone else waste a full afternoon on something that simple?
About 5 years ago I was working a bridge job near Lake Charles, 60 feet down with zero viz. My Kirby Morgan kept flooding through the neck seal and I was getting frustrated. An old timer named Earl came over during a break and told me to flip my drysuit neck seal inside out before putting it on under the hat. He said I was pinching it wrong. I tried it the next dive and it worked perfect, no more leaks. Anyone else have a random tip from a guy on site that fixed a common problem for you?
My old band mask finally gave out after 10 years of abuse. The rubber was cracking and the seal was shot. I had about $2,500 set aside and I could either get a brand new KM 37 or a fresh 300 foot umbilical for my current setup. I went with the mask because my umbilical still had life left in it. Big mistake. The mask is solid, no complaints there, but on my next job the umbilical started leaking air at the fitting and I had to borrow one from the dive supervisor. Took a whole day to sort out. Should have just fixed the old mask and gotten the umbilical. Anyone else ever make a gear call that backfired?
I was doing a hull inspection on a tugboat last Thursday and my brand new drysuit seal let go at the wrist. Water got into my thermals and I started shivering bad within 10 minutes. Had to call the dive and surface early which cost the client a half day at $800. Has anyone else had trouble with those new silicone seals from the 2024 batch?
I tried to fix a stuck zipper on my Viking suit myself with one of those budget repair kits from Amazon. The zipper tore worse after 20 minutes, and I had to pay a shop $150 to replace the whole thing. Lost the $50 for the kit PLUS the repair cost. Has anyone else had a bad experience trying to DIY gear fixes?
I was doing a bridge inspection near Portland and my suit started getting stiff. Realized the inflator valve was stuck shut and I couldn't add air to level out. Had to finish the job fighting the squeeze and breathing heavy the whole time. Popped up with a headache and bruised ribs from the suit compression. Anyone else had a valve fail mid shift and how did you handle it without panicking?
My first time welding on a pipeline in 60 feet of water off Galveston, I was using all my energy to hold position against the tide. The supervisor said I was making it harder by tensing up instead of letting my body relax with the flow. Has anyone else found that loosening your grip actually gives you better control down there?
Back in April I was working a bridge inspection gig in Charleston and had this old salt named Doug giving me advice. He told me to always stage my gear on a deck board laid flat instead of directly on the wet concrete. I figured he was just being fussy, but I went along with it. Turns out he was dead right because right after my dive a crew member slipped on that same concrete and nearly went over the side. My fins, tank, and mask were all sitting dry and stable on that board, not scattered around. That little trick probably kept me from losing a thousand bucks in gear or worse. Anyone else got a simple setup habit they picked up from a vet that made a big difference?
I was at the safety meeting last Tuesday down in Houma and some kid fresh out of school said that. Told him to try running a hot water suit off a 20 amp breaker in 40 degree water and see how smart he feels. Knowledge on rigging and air consumption separates the guys who make a career from the ones who quit after one season. Anyone else run into new divers who talk like they already know it all?
Was doing a harbor inspection over in Port Townsend last month, got to 40 feet and my comms unit started chirping the low battery warning. I brushed it off because I thought it had another hour easy. Turned out the battery gauge on that model reads wrong when it's cold, and I was stuck down there with a dead radio for 15 minutes before my tender figured out something was up. Now I swap batteries at the van before every jump no matter what the display says. Anyone else have an electronic tool that lies to you at depth?
I was doing a hull inspection on a barge in the Gulf near Port Arthur when my drysuit inflator valve jammed open. Air kept pouring in and I started floating up fast. I had to crack my exhaust valve wide open and swim down against the lift to keep from rocketing to the surface. Got it under control, but my ears were ringing for an hour after. Anyone else had a close call with gear that just gave up on them mid-dive?
I had a valve cover on a CAT engine that wouldn't budge after 20 minutes of prying near Galveston last month. Tried tapping the corners with a rubber mallet like an old timer on here said and it popped right off on the third hit. Has anyone else had luck with that on older diesel engines or am I just lucky?
Pulled it apart three times, checked every thread, swapped bottles, and it was just a $2 O-ring that needed a dab of silicone grease, has anyone else spent way too long on such a simple fix down there?
I was on a job last month in Norfolk harbor and watched a diver tie off a 50 pound lift bag with a zip tie instead of the proper rope. The bag popped loose at 40 feet and nearly took out the tender on the way up. When did we stop teaching the basics of rigging to entry level guys?
I got a new housing for my GoPro last fall, thought it was the real deal. Paid 400 bucks for a brand called SubGear, supposed to be rated for 200 meters. On the third dive near a bridge piling in Mobile Bay, the seal let go at 40 feet. Water filled it up in about 10 seconds. Lost all the footage and the camera. Has anyone else had bad luck with those aftermarket housings?
Turns out I was just shaving my mustache wrong after every 3 week hitch, the hair angle was breaking the seal every time I tipped my head back on a 60 foot dive near Santa Barbara.
My heater failed 20 minutes in. Spent the next 3 hours shivering through a pipeline inspection. Couldn't feel my fingers by the end. Had to have the tender help me get my gloves off topside. Anyone else had a heater die on them mid job?
I did a 6 hour job in Puget Sound last January and my Desco kept me warm while my buddy in his $3,000 KM was shivering after hour 3, has anyone else noticed the new stuff isn't always an upgrade?
I had to choose between a crushed neoprene drysuit and a trilaminate one for a 10 day gig on a platform jacket off Aberdeen. I went with the crushed neoprene because my buddy swore by it for warmth and durability. First day was fine, but by day three the suit started taking on water through a pinhole leak I missed during inspection. The trilam would have been easier to patch on site, but neoprene soaks up water like a sponge and I was freezing my tail off by the end of the shift. Spent three nights trying to dry the thing in the changing room with a space heater. Has anyone else had a preference between suits that bit them in the butt on a long job?
Been doing salvage diving in the Gulf for about 12 years now. Back when I started, everyone wore the standard steel hard hats with the chinstrap and the classic heavy feel. Felt like you were anchored to the job. Now I'm in an aluminum hat and it's way lighter, but I miss that solid thunk when you knocked something. My old mentor said the weight kept you honest. What do you all prefer, steel or the newer gear?
He said I was wasting energy fighting the current instead of using it, so I started taking his advice to hang back and read the flow before moving in. After three days of drilling that into my head, my air consumption dropped by 15%. Has anyone else had a supervisor call out something basic that completely shifted how you approach a task?
Last spring off Galveston, I had a week of zero viz and tree trunk currents, then Thursday morning the water cleared up like a swimming pool for about 4 hours. Found a massive anchor chain tangled around some old pipeline that paid out a bonus for recovery. Anyone else ever hit a random perfect day that made all the crap ones worth it?
I was swapping out an anode on a riser clamp last week and struggling with the bolt alignment. This guy named Earl who's been diving since the 80s walked by and told me to use a pry bar to tweak the bracket half an inch instead of fighting it. I tried it and the bolt slid right in. Took me maybe 2 minutes after that. Has anyone else had a random shore-side tip that just made your whole day easier?