A deckhand on a Seattle tender told me 'you're just a tourist down there' and it's been bugging me.

We were cleaning up after a job and he said most divers just follow the shot line, do the task, and come up without ever really seeing the site. He said if you don't know what's ten feet to your left and right, you're just visiting. That hit different because my last inspection felt rushed and I barely looked around. Do you guys make a point to scout the area even on simple jobs?

2 comments

2 Comments

ramirez.blair14h ago

My first commercial dive boss in Louisiana had a rule, you get paid for the task not the sightseeing. On a murky river bottom with zero viz, knowing what's ten feet away is a fantasy. That deckhand's view is for clear water divers. Sometimes the job is the job, and getting it done safe is what makes you a pro.

the_oscar6h ago

Totally agree with @ramirez.blair, read a similar thing in a diving magazine once.