felix478•21d agoMost Upvoted

Showerthought: A deckhand in Port Fourchon told me something that still bugs me

I was working a job in Port Fourchon last spring and this old deckhand pulls me aside. He said "You guys worry too much about the gear and not enough about the buddy breathing." I laughed it off then, but later that week we had a minor issue 60 feet down and I realized he was right. We drill on equipment checks all day but barely practice sharing air. Has anyone else run into old timers giving advice that actually saved your skin?

2 comments

2 Comments

bailey.xena21d ago

Man, that's a tough one because I totally get both sides of this. It's wild how a little piece of advice from someone who's been there can totally shift your perspective.

blair_dixon21d ago

I've been diving for 8 years and I'll push back on this one. Buddy breathing is important but the gear stuff saves your life way more often in actual emergencies. Had a first stage fail at 90 feet and a quick reg swap with my buddy got us up fine, but only because we both knew our equipment cold. Those gear checks feel boring but they're the difference between a bad day and a dead one.