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My drysuit inflator valve failed at 60 feet off the coast of Galveston last Thursday
I was 20 minutes into a bottom job on a jack-up rig when I felt my suit getting tight. Thought it was just my out-of-shape ass until I heard the hiss. The inflator stuck open and I was blowing up like a balloon. Had to ditch my weights and shoot for the surface doing a controlled emergency ascent. Lost a hammer and a roll of duct tape but better than getting bent. Now I check those valves twice before every dive. Anyone else have a suit failure that almost turned into a real bad day?
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nora_park725d ago
Man, that's terrifying. I had a similar thing happen off Fort Lauderdale back in 2019, but it was my exhaust valve that froze shut. Started feeling like I was in a balloon at 50 feet, had to literally claw at the neck seal to let air out while kicking up. Lost a good flashlight and a slate but same deal, better than a ride in the chamber. The worst part was the panic, that feeling of your suit getting tighter and tighter is just... yeah. Glad you made it up okay. That hammer and tape are cheap compared to a hospital trip.
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