Had a close call with a lift bag last Wednesday off the coast of Galveston

I was running a 20-foot lift bag on a pipeline repair and it started venting sideways at about 40 feet... nearly pulled me into the current. Anyone else had a bag misbehave like that and found a way to keep it stable?

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the_patricia25d agoMost Upvoted

A 20 foot bag venting sideways at 40 feet is a bit of a rodeo for sure, but calling it a "close call" seems a little dramatic. Unless you were tangled up in the lines or your lift was way undersized for the job, a little sideways action is just part of the game. Honestly, those bags get cranky if you don't have the dump valve cracked just right, or if the lift rings aren't perfectly centered. Next time, try a longer tag line and a slower inflation rate to keep the thing pointed straight up. It's usually just the bag trying to find its happy spot, not a life ending event.