Heads up: I keep seeing divers skip the final equipment check on deck

I was on a job last month in Port Fourchon and watched three guys in a row step right off the dive ladder without double-checking their regs or drysuit valves. One of them had to get pulled up after 15 minutes because his exhalation valve was stuck open and his suit kept flooding. It's not like it takes long to do a quick pre-dive once you're dressed, just feel for the dump valve and test your reg before you hit the water. You guys ever see people cut this corner and get burned?

3 comments

3 Comments

wyatt5221d ago

Five guys in Ventura last year all had to abort a 60-foot dive cause one guy skipped his valve check and couldn't equalize.

the_nina21d ago

That "couldn't equalize" part is what gets me. If a diver can't clear their ears at the surface before descending, that's a red flag they should have caught during the buddy check. I think @wyatt52 might have mixed up valve check with an ear pressure check, but either way skipping any pre-dive step kills a whole group's plan. A valve check is about your air supply, but equalization trouble comes from not clearing ears properly before going down.

benc5311d ago

Wait, so one guy forgot to check his ears and now five guys are sitting on the boat watching the fish swim by without them? Sounds like a real team player right there. Did he at least buy everyone a round of tacos after?