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Had to choose between a new comms unit or a better drysuit for a cold water job in Seattle
The job was a month long on a pier repair, water temp around 45 degrees. My old comms worked but had static, and my drysuit had a slow leak at the wrist seal. I picked the new drysuit, thinking staying warm and dry was more important than clear talk. It was the right call, the leak would have been miserable for four weeks. Anyone ever had to make a similar gear choice where comfort beat out tech?
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jordan_hill6mo ago
Perfect spreadsheets but chilled to the bone" is a brutal trade-off. Did you ever get close to a mistake because you were just too cold to focus?
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ross.christopher6mo ago
Man, you absolutely nailed that call. I had a similar thing on a long survey job where my heated vest battery died, and the spare went to my data logger instead. Spent two weeks chilled to the bone but with perfect spreadsheets. Dry and warm is a basic need, static is just an annoyance. You can always yell and point, but you can't tough out being wet and cold for a month. Solid choice.
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tessap736mo ago
Back in '09 on a pipeline job up near Fairbanks, we had a guy try to use his personal hand warmer packs to keep the radio batteries from dying. It sort of worked for a day, but then he was just a guy with cold hands and a working radio. You really do learn that lesson the hard way once. Comfort isn't a bonus, it's what lets you finish the job without making a dumb mistake. Your story about the data logger getting the spare battery hits that nail right on the head.
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