My bailout bottle ran dry at 60 feet near Panama City last month

I was doing a routine inspection on a platform support leg about 30 minutes into the dive when my bailout bottle gauge dropped to zero. I signaled my tender and did a controlled emergency ascent with my buddy on his gas. Turns out the valve on my bailout had a slow leak I missed during the pre-dive check. Has anyone else had a bailout fail on them mid-dive and what did you change in your gear checks afterward?

2 comments

2 Comments

wyatt_green28d ago

30 minutes into a dive and your backup goes silent, that's the kind of thing that sticks with you. I watched a guy on a fishing charter lose his second stage regulator once and he had to buddy breathe for the last 20 minutes of the dive, it's the same feeling of your safety net just vanishing. It made me realize that pre-dive checks are like checking your car's oil before a long road trip, you do it so often it becomes a habit and you stop really paying attention. I started doing a full valve tickle and listen every single time I gear up, not just a quick glance at the pressure gauge. It's boring but it's the only way I've found to catch those sneaky little leaks before they become a problem.

west.alice28d agoMost Upvoted

That feeling of your backup going dead mid-dive is just the worst, isn't it? I remember when my octo started freeflowing on a deep wreck and the whole time I'm thinking it's just not supposed to happen. You're right about the checks becoming too automatic, I've caught myself almost skipping the full rundown just because I was in a hurry. It's wild how something as simple as a valve tickle can save you from a real panic situation underwater. Glad you found a system that works for you, boring is totally better than scary down there.