Vent: Tried the 'slow and steady' approach on a deep wreck dive and nearly ran out of air

Everyone always talks about being methodical down there, taking your time to check every bolt and weld. But last week off the coast of Galveston, I spent almost 20 minutes just finning around a single section of a sunken shrimp boat, and my tank dropped way faster than I planned. I had to cut my inspection short and head up with barely 500 psi left. What I learned is that being too thorough can actually be dangerous if you lose track of your gas consumption. Has anyone else had this happen where sticking to the textbook almost got you in trouble?

3 comments

3 Comments

sammartinez15d ago

500 psi is just bonus air for the next guy anyway...

scott.olivia15d ago

Nah, I've been burned thinking that way before. That 500 psi sounds like nothing until you're 30 miles from the nearest fill station and your buddy's tank is reading zero. I always make SURE everyone tops off completely before we head out, even if it means waiting an extra 5 minutes. Pack a pony bottle for emergencies too, that little thing has saved my butt more than once when someone miscalculated their air. You never know when a current is gonna kick up or you gotta make a safety stop longer than planned. Treat every drop of air like it's your last, because underwater it really could be.

wren23015d ago

Hang on @sammartinez, I gotta push back on that. I treat every single psi like it matters, not like it's free for the taking. That 500 psi is what gets you through a surprise current or an extra long safety stop when something goes wrong. I've seen guys blow through their whole tank and have to share air just because they didn't top off. You're gambling with your buddy's life if you leave even that much on the table. Air is cheap, but running out of it is expensive in ways you don't want to find out.