That dive supervisor told me skip the drysuit for warm water and I learned the hard way

Down in Key West last June, my supervisor said I'd cook in a drysuit on the wreck survey job. Water was 80 degrees so I went wet. Big mistake. 4 hours in I was shivering so bad I couldn't hold a tool steady. Ended the shift early and lost $200 in pay. Anyone else got burned by bad advice from a supervisor?

2 comments

2 Comments

ward.piper1mo ago

Ha! Yeah that sounds about right. Nothing like a supervisor who's been sitting in the AC telling you how to feel in the water. I've learned the hard way that "you'll be fine" from the guy on the boat usually means you're about to freeze your ass off. 80 degree water might feel warm for the first 30 minutes but after that your body just gives up. That $200 loss hurts worse than the shivering though. Next time tell him to take the wet suit himself and see how he likes it four hours in.

jade_hernandez1mo ago

Man, that part about "you'll be fine" from someone who's dry and warm hits too close to home. I had a buddy do that to me once on a late season trip and I spent the whole day shivering so bad I could barely hold my rod. And you're right, 80 degrees might sound nice but after an hour your core just starts giving up on you. That's a rough $200 lesson but at least now you know to trust your gut over the boss's advice. Some people just don't get how different it feels when you're actually in the water versus standing on the dock.