Had a talk with a retired diver in Pensacola that changed how I check my bailout bottle

He told me about a buddy who got stuck in a wreck because his bailout valve was gummed up from not being cycled enough, even though the pressure gauge read full. Now I open and close mine every single shift, not just check the pressure. How often do you guys actually exercise your bailout valves?

2 comments

2 Comments

kai56424d ago

Shouldn't you cycle it more than just at the start of a shift?

the_charlie24d ago

Honestly, I used to be the guy who just gave it a glance and a tap. That story hits home. My old routine was a quick pressure check and that was it, felt pretty dumb after hearing similar close calls. Now it's a full open and close before every dive, no excuses. Makes you wonder what other simple habits we're all skipping.