My old dive buddy in Houston changed how I think about pre-dive checks

I was talking to a guy I used to work with out of the Gulf, he's been doing this for 25 years now. He told me about this time he skipped checking his dry suit valve before a 90 foot job, damn near froze his backside off when it flooded at depth. He said something like, 'Every time I get lazy, the water reminds me who's boss.' That hit me different because I've been getting sloppy myself lately, just rushing through the checklist so I can get in the water faster. Last Tuesday I actually took extra time before a morning dive, went over every seal and gauge twice. Nothing went wrong, but that calm feeling of being solid on your gear is something I had forgotten about. Anybody else got a story where a senior guy called them out on something small that actually saves your bacon?

2 comments

2 Comments

wyattrobinson1mo ago

Fun how complacency sneaks up in the slowest parts of the job.

hayes.jake1mo ago

Idk, I get what he's saying but sometimes a quick check feels more honest than dragging it out. Rushing can still be solid if you know your gear cold.