Lost comms at 80 feet off Santa Barbara, backup light saved the dive

Last month I was doing hull inspection on a research vessel and my comms unit went dead around 80 feet. My tender couldn't hear me, and I couldn't hear topside at all, just static. I switched to my backup handheld radio and it worked for maybe 2 minutes before that died too, so I had to rely on my surface marker and tank raps. My buddy had drilled me on hand signals for every tool call, so we finished the inspection with those and a lot of patience. Anyone else keep a written signal chart in their pocket for exactly this kind of failure, or am I the only one who got caught without one?

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1 Comment

dixon.felix20d ago

Skip the paper charts and spend that pocket space on a second backup light instead. Comms fail at the worst times, but a good light signal system works at any depth and never needs batteries. If anything, practice your buddy drills more, that saved your dive way more than any laminated card would have.