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Rant: That safety meeting last week changed how I think about air checks
I was in a safety meeting with a guy named Mike who's been diving 25 years. He said he does a full pre-dive air check every single time, even if he just used the tank 2 hours ago. Said he once skipped one and found a tiny crack in a valve seal that would've flooded his helmet at 60 feet. Hit me hard because I've been getting lazy, just doing quick checks on morning dives and skipping between calls. Anyone else ever find something scary during a routine pre-dive check?
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logan_dixon1815d ago
Has anyone else thought about how the REAL danger isn't just the big obvious failures, but the tiny stuff that's quiet and sneaky? I found a hairline crack in a yoke o-ring once that was so small I almost missed it, but it would have leaked air fast enough to empty an 80 in like 10 minutes underwater. That's the kind of thing that doesn't make a dramatic pop or hiss, it just slowly starts letting go. Mike's story about the valve seal is the same deal, its those microscopic flaws that only show up under pressure. Makes me wonder how many close calls we've all had without even knowing it.
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jana_hill2715d ago
Have you ever read about that incident where a tiny pinhole leak in a high pressure line turned into a full on hose whip? I saw a video once where a guy was just checking his gear and a microscopic leak under the seat actually caused a fire because of the oxygen. It's wild how we obsess over the big stuff like tank valves and regs, but its the little crap that gets you. I do a full visual check on every single o-ring now, even the ones that look fine, because of stories like yours lol. Makes me paranoid, but I guess thats the point.
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