My buddy in Seattle told me to use a 3/8 inch wrench for the bolt on my Kirby Morgan hat, but it was wrong.

He swore by it for years, so I tried it on a job last week in Portland. The wrench slipped, rounded the bolt head, and I had to surface early to fix it. Turns out the manual says you need a 7/16 inch for that specific part. It cost me an hour of bottom time. Anyone else have a tool tip that backfired on them?

2 comments

2 Comments

kelly.parker29d ago

Your buddy giving you the wrong wrench size for a Kirby Morgan is the kind of help that makes you double-check everything he says from now on. I bet you'll be bringing the manual to breakfast next time he gives you advice. Losing an hour of bottom time over a 1/16th of an inch is a special kind of frustrating.

jennifer35829d ago

My friend's dive partner swore up and down he knew the exact socket for the valve block on their old Conshelf. They wasted forty-five minutes passing tools back and forth on the boat, only to find the "right" one was just close enough to round everything off. The guy still owes him for the new manifold, and now we all check the parts list before we even pack the gear. It's crazy how one tiny mistake can turn a whole dive into a bench repair day.