Pro tip: a job in the Gulf last month showed me why I skip the 'buddy check' talk on deck

We were setting up for a 90 foot dive off a rig near Galveston, and the lead diver gave the full 5 minute buddy check speech. I just went straight to my gear check list (I use a laminated card, it's faster). My partner got tangled in his own comms line because he was busy talking instead of looking. I had to cut him free with my knife. Has anyone else found that too much talk topside just adds risk?

2 comments

2 Comments

jason_fox11d ago

Man, that's rough. I keep my pre-dive talk to 30 seconds max, just the big three: gas, weights, and cutting tools. All that extra chatter just gives people time to mess with gear they already checked.

nathan_barnes11d ago

Wait, you had to cut him free with your knife? That's insane. It sounds like the whole speech just made everyone zone out instead of focus. I get why you stick to your checklist, all that talking seems to just create more problems.