c/commercial-divers

Got called out on my umbilical handling during a salvage op

A diver with 30 years in the Gulf told me I was letting it drag and risked a snag. I started clipping it to my harness every 15 feet on the descent. Anyone else have a simple habit that made a big difference?

I finally tried a different way to clean my drysuit zipper after a job in Seattle

For years I just used fresh water and a brush, but last month I started using a silicone spray lube (the kind made for drysuits, not the hardware store stuff) after every rinse. The difference is huge. The old way, my zipper would start to feel rough and sticky after maybe 20 dives. With the spray, it's still smooth as new after 40 dives on the same job. It takes an extra 30 seconds, but it saves so much fight getting the suit sealed. Has anyone else found a small step that made a big difference in gear care?

My dive partner in Seattle said to pack an extra mask strap in my kit, and I called him paranoid.

We were on a hull cleaning job in the sound last Tuesday when my main strap snapped at 40 feet. I had to surface and swap it out, losing maybe 15 minutes. He was right, and now I'm rethinking what else I brush off as overkill. What's one piece of 'extra' gear you guys actually swear by?

Swapped my usual comms wire for a thinner gauge on a shallow harbor job

The signal was way clearer than expected, even with the extra boat traffic noise. I guess less bulk in the cable meant less interference from the hull. Anyone else run into this with comms gear?

Unpopular opinion: I used to think a $300 dive computer was a waste for harbor work.

Last week in Seattle, my old analog depth gauge failed at 85 feet during a piling inspection, and my backup computer's ascent rate alarm is the only reason I didn't get bent.

Question about switching from a standard Kirby to a bandmask for shallow inspection dives

I stuck with my Kirby for years out of habit, but after a murky harbor job in Seattle last month where I needed better peripheral vision, I switched to a bandmask and the difference in situational awareness for those 20-foot visibility checks was huge, so what's your go-to mask for low-vis inspection work?

Can we talk about switching from a standard Kirby to a bandmask for shallow inspection dives

I used to fight with fogging and a sore jaw on every 2-hour dive, but after a salvage op in Mobile Bay last fall where the dive sup made me try his, I switched and haven't looked back, so what's your go-to for comfort on long, low-vis bottom surveys?

Bought a new dive light that flooded on the first job

I picked up a fancy 1000 lumen light online for a bridge inspection job in Mobile. It cost me $350 and looked great on paper. First dive down to 60 feet, it filled with water about ten minutes in. Had to finish the whole inspection using my backup light, which was not fun. I should have stuck with my old brand that never let me down. Anyone have a good light they trust for deep, dirty water work?

Realized I was checking my bailout bottle wrong for years

On a job in Mobile Bay, my tender pointed out I was only checking the pressure and not actually opening the valve to confirm flow before suiting up. He said, 'That gauge could lie, but air in your face won't.' How many other little habits have we all picked up that are just slightly off?

Shoutout to the diver who told me my drysuit hose routing was fine

Had a primary comms failure at 90 feet in Lake Michigan because the hose was rubbing against a sharp edge on my harness. I had to switch to backup and cut the dive short. Anyone have a better method for securing comms lines on Kirby Morgan gear?

I finally tried a new underwater epoxy on a hull repair in Seattle

Mixed it exactly like the old stuff, but it set up way faster in the cold water. Ended up with a lumpy patch I had to grind down later. Anyone know a good slow-cure epoxy for cold harbor work?

Read a report that said the average saturation diver works less than 180 days a year. That's way less than I thought.

Found it in some industry stats from the ADCI. I always figured you guys were on rotation, but I thought it was more like 280 days on a rig. Makes the day rate make more sense, but also makes the job sound even more brutal when you're actually down there. Is that number close to what you've seen, or is it just for the big offshore projects?

Just switched from a standard dive knife to a line cutter for most jobs

Used to carry a big blade for everything, but last month in Tampa I got tangled in some old monofilament. The cutter got me free in seconds, way faster than trying to saw through it. Anyone have a favorite brand for these?

I finally hit 500 hours on my Kirby Morgan 37 helmet and the service log surprised me

Just got the log back from the shop in Seattle and the internal parts wear was way more than I expected, especially the exhaust valve. I was pushing the recommended service interval by about 50 hours thinking it was fine. Anyone else had a specific piece of gear tell them they were cutting it too close?

TIL the average commercial diver's career is only about 7 years, not the 20 I always thought. Read it in a union safety report from last quarter.

I used to think a full face mask was overkill for most inspection dives

I was working on a dam inspection in Oregon last year and got paired with a diver named Mike. He always brought his full face mask even for what I saw as simple visual checks. One day, the current picked up hard and I got a face full of silt, which meant surfacing to clear my mask. Mike just kept working, talking to topside the whole time. He said, 'Clear comms and no water in your eyes means you finish the job, not the conditions.' That stuck with me. I bought one the next month and it's changed how I handle murky water jobs. Has anyone else made a gear switch that seemed unnecessary until it saved your day?

Our crew switched from standard steel shackles to aluminum ones for a big bridge job in Tampa last month. The difference in handling topside was huge.

Spent a whole month in the Gulf doing hull scrubs with my wetsuit on backwards. A deckhand finally asked why my zipper was on my chest.

Serious question, why do so many divers cheap out on their comms cable splices?

I was on a bridge piling job in Mobile Bay last month, and the new guy's comms kept cutting out every time he turned his head. Turns out he used a basic waterproof butt connector instead of a proper molded splice. That's a $2 part risking a $10,000 day when you can't hear 'STOP' from topside. I've seen this three times this year alone. What's the dumbest comms gear fail you've had to fix topside?

TIL coordinating schedules with my brother who's also a diver saves holiday chaos

My brother and I both work offshore, so family gatherings were always a mess. We started using a shared calendar app to block out our rotation dates months in advance. How do your families handle when multiple divers are in the mix?

Found artifacts during a pipeline survey and didn't know what to do

In my experience, you're supposed to report historical items, but telling the client might stop the job. Some divers say to note it quietly, others argue for full disclosure. Your mileage may vary, so how would you handle this?

Vent: My crew thinks I'm nuts for ditching the dive computer on routine jobs

I know everyone swears by dive computers for tracking time and depth, but on simple hull cleans or shallow inspections, I stick to my watch and tables. Last week, we were scrubbing a boat at 40 feet and my computer froze up, so I just followed my planned schedule from the paper charts. We got done on time with no issues, and I didn't waste minutes fiddling with buttons. Maybe it's just me, but relying too much on gadgets can make you forget how to plan a dive the old way. For complex stuff, sure, use the tech, but for the everyday jobs, keeping it simple works better. I've seen guys get stuck when their screen glitches, but with a good plan in your head, you always know where you stand.

My sandwiches always get soggy between dives, any fixes?

I work on offshore rigs, and during surface intervals, my sandwiches end up wet from condensation. Tried wrapping them in foil, but it just steams them. What do you all do to keep food fresh? I need something that can handle being in a dive bag for hours. Maybe there's a better container or packing method you've found useful.

I finally appreciated surface intervals after a goofy mistake with my gear.

I used to skip breaks to get more work done. On a hot day, I put my drysuit on inside out by accident. My crew cracked up, and we had a good laugh while I fixed it. That moment showed me how breaks help team bonding and prevent silly errors.

On icy dives, green lubes can jam, but regular ones might harm the sea. Debate: which way should we go?