I was going over my logbook after a job repairing some intake pipes at a water treatment plant near Cleveland. Just adding up hours for recert stuff and realized I crossed 500 hours underwater. That number caught me off guard. First 100 felt like a lifetime. Now 500 just kinda snuck up on me while I was bolting flanges in murky 55 degree water. It made me think about how much your body just adapts to this work over time. Anyone else have a milestone like that sneak up on them? When did it finally sink in that you're not a new guy anymore?
Was doing a pipeline inspection off Port Fourchon last month and my supervisor lit into me about my approach speed. Said I was churning up silt and making visibility zero for the diver behind me. Had to slow down to 1.5 knots and use a different thruster angle. Any of you guys run into this with older ROVs that dont have fine speed control?
Last spring I had a week-long salvage gig off Port Fourchon and it was one of those rare jobs where nothing went sideways. The vis was around 15 feet, the current was mild, and my lift bag setup worked perfect on the first try. We pulled four tons of scrap chain in five days, which was way ahead of schedule. The boat crew even had hot coffee ready every morning, which never happens on those early starts. Has anyone else had a job where all the little things just lined up for a change?
Been diving commercial for about 4 years now and I kept having issues with my hot water shutoff valve sticking or failing mid-dive. Tried replacing the whole valve twice, wasted around $80 on parts. Buddy of mine who's been doing this since the 90s saw me struggling and said 'stop using silicone grease, try christo-lube.' Switched to that MCG 111 stuff and it's been smooth ever since. That was 3 months ago. Anyone else have a random trick that solved a recurring gear problem?
Working a job off the coast of Galveston around 2015, I was struggling with a lift bag line when this crusty guy named Red swam over and tied a perfect clove hitch with one hand in about 2 seconds. He just said, "Don't fight the water, let it help you," and swam off. Anyone else had a mentor like that who gave you one piece of advice that still sticks?
Five years ago I started out doing dockside maintenance in New Bedford harbor, and I always wore a wetsuit because that's what the older guys used. I figured dry suits were just for sport divers or people who couldn't handle cold. Then last winter we had a 4 week job inspecting pilings in January, water temp around 38 degrees. My buddy loaned me his spare dry suit and I was done shivering after 20 minutes. It cut my surface interval almost in half because I wasn't numb anymore. Now I see how much longer I can stay focused underwater when I'm not fighting the cold. Has anyone else switched later in their career and noticed a big difference in how much work you can get done?
I was on a 90-foot dive in the Port of Houston, sitting on deco, and all of a sudden my comms went dead. Turned out the cable connector had corroded right where it meets the helmet shell, something I never thought to check. Anyone else ever had comms fail on a critical dive, and what did you do to fix it fast?
Last Wednesday I was on a job off the coast of Galveston and my mask started leaking bad. Decided to tweak the buckles while 40 feet down and ended up flooding the whole thing. Took me a solid 90 seconds to clear it. Has anyone else had trouble dialing in their mask fit without surfacing?
He was talking about how he switched to those lightweight composite tanks a few years back... said his neck and shoulders feel 10 years younger after a full day on the bottom. Got me thinking about all the heavy steel I've been dragging around since I started commercial diving in 2009 down in the Gulf. Never really questioned the kit I was using because that's just what everyone had when I came up. Anyone else make the switch to lighter gear and feel a real difference on those long salvage jobs?
I was swapping out an anode on a pier job in Galveston last month and cross threaded a 3/8 bolt. Simple fix right? Nope, ended up cutting, drilling, and using an extractor that snapped. Whole job went from 30 minutes to a full shift. Has anyone else had a simple task turn into a nightmare like that?
He told me my straps were too loose and I was asking for a blowout on the up. Changed how I rig everything now even on shallow jobs where I thought it didn't matter. Anyone else get humbled by a simple rigging tweak that saved them gear?
I was looking at the Bureau of Labor Stats last week for a project and saw that in the Gulf, entry level offshore guys are averaging around $45k, while some inland HAZMAT guys in the Northeast are pulling $70k. That caught me off guard because I always figured offshore was the money. I thought deeper water meant bigger checks, but it looks like the specialized certs inland pay more. Anyone else see numbers like this in their area?
Was swapping out an anode on a pier in Astoria and the tender passed me this old dive knife that was basically a hazard. Made me realize I need to keep my own spare cutting tool on a lanyard instead of relying on whatever's on the boat. Any of you guys carry a backup cutter you swear by?
He told me I was gonna get a free lungful of rust if I kept ignoring the grit in the intake screen, and that one comment made me check my gear way more carefully ever since, has anyone else had a surface-side guy catch something you missed?
I was at 110 feet doing a hull inspection when my radio just went dead. No warning, no static, just silence. Has anyone else had a comms unit fail mid-water and had to rely on hand signals the whole way back up?
Used a worn out Kirby Morgan hat on a dive last week in the Gulf and got a slow CO2 buildup in the mask. Started getting a headache 40 feet down and barely made it back up. Check your exhaust valve seals before every dive, not just when they look bad.
I always thought steel handles were tougher. Then a buddy down in the Gulf passed me his fiberglass knife after mine snapped on a line. Felt lighter, no rust, and it didn't slip in the wet. I ordered a set that night. Any of you guys made the swap and had regrets?
I was gearing up at the dock in Port Fourchon last Tuesday and this old timer goes 'dive tables are for rookies, I just know when it's time to surface'. I bit my tongue but man, that attitude gets people bent. One coworker I know ended up with a DCS hit because some cowboy skipped the surface interval. Why risk your neck to save 15 minutes on a job?
I was crunching numbers from last quarter's gas bill and that stat from the NOAA diving manual really hit me, do you guys factor helium costs into your bids upfront or just eat it as overhead?
I did a dive last week off the coast of San Diego on a wreck at about 130 feet. My ears have always been fine down to 100 feet, but at 110 they just wouldn't clear no matter what I tried. I spent a solid 10 minutes fighting it and had to abort the dive. Has anyone else hit a wall at certain depths, or is there a technique that works better past 100 feet?
I always swore by hot water suits because I thought drysuits couldn't handle the cold at 60 meters, but after a buddy lent me his for a job off Aberdeen last month and I stayed warm the whole time, now I'm wondering if I've been overcomplicating things has anyone else made the switch and regretted it or not?
I was doing a hull inspection on a supply ship and somehow wrapped my umbilical around a mooring line. Took me a solid 8 minutes to untangle myself while getting tossed around. My tender was laughing so hard over the comms I could barely hear his directions. Has anyone else had a close call with their own gear like that?
My wrist seal kept leaking on dives near Port Angeles last month, and I was about to ship it off for a $200 fix. Instead, I just added a second inflation valve off my hose setup to equalize pressure inside the suit better, and it stopped the leak cold. Anybody else figured out a cheap workaround like that for seals that just won't seat right?
I used to just drop my umbilical straight down from the dive ladder and call it good, every single dive for years. Figured it was fine since the crew always had slack managed above water... but last month on a bridge pier job in Charleston, a boat wake yanked my line hard and nearly pulled my reg out. That's when I finally switched to a dedicated tending line clipped to my harness with a carabiner, running the umbilical through a pulley at the surface. Took me 30 minutes to rig up and cost like 40 bucks for some line and a block. Now my umbilical rides clean off my side and that tug from surface movement is way less jarring. Who else is still doing the ladder drop and ignoring the risk?
I was working a harbor job in Seattle last month and noticed that once I got past 50 feet, the topside guys just go quiet. I mean they still check in but it feels like they zone out. Anyone else get that feeling or is it just my crew?