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A guy on a barge in Mobile Bay told me to check my bailout bottle every single dive
We were doing some hull cleaning on a supply boat, just a normal Tuesday. This old diver, must have been in his 60s, was sitting on the deck watching us gear up. He didn't say much until I was about to go over. He just pointed at my bailout bottle and said, 'You open that valve today?' I mean, I had checked it that morning, but I did it again just to be sure. It was maybe a quarter turn from being fully open. He saw my face and said, 'Almost got me once. Thought I was fine until I needed it and got a mouthful of nothing.' That was six months ago and I still hear his voice in my head. Now I physically open and close the valve at the start of every job, no matter what. Has anyone else had a simple check like that save their skin?
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the_sage1mo agoMost Upvoted
Ever check your gear and find something you missed? That voice in your head is a good thing.
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mila_harris1mo ago
Last month I almost left a loose carabiner on my harness. That little voice @the_sage talks about made me double check. I found it wasn't clipped right, just hanging by the gate. Could have been a real bad day on the wall.
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