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Old timer told me to skip the wet notes on a 60 foot dive in Puget Sound

I was doing a hull inspection near Seattle last month and this guy with 30 years in said wet notes are just extra gear to lose. Said to memorize everything. Well I forgot the port side thruster clearance spec and had to surface early. Cost me 2 hours of bottom time and the client was pissed. Has anyone else had bad results from skipping the basics someone swore by?
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3 Comments
grant.nina
grant.nina1mo ago
Oh man, I feel your pain! Same thing happened to me with a depth gauge reading.
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wrenh65
wrenh651mo ago
You know, I used to be one of those people who just trusted the old timers no matter what. I'd nod along and write down their tips like gospel. Then I had a dive where this guy swore by a specific method for reading a depth gauge in low vis, and I almost ended up way deeper than planned. That experience, plus hearing @grant.nina describe the same kind of thing, really opened my eyes. I mean, wet notes just make sense now, no matter who gives the advice. It's kinda humbling to admit I was wrong, but I'm glad I changed my mind.
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mila_perry13
Old timers give bad advice sometimes. Wet notes save mistakes.
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