A simple trick from a bridge inspection in Portland changed how I handle my comms line

I was under the Willamette River last fall, doing a routine check on the Steel Bridge footings. My comms cable got caught on a piece of rebar, and my tender on the surface couldn't hear me for a full minute. After that, I started clipping a small carabiner from my tool belt to the line every 15 feet as a quick visual marker. It lets me see at a glance if the line is running clean or starting to snag. Anyone else have a little trick like that for keeping your umbilical tidy?

2 comments

2 Comments

lucasgarcia4d agoTop Commenter

You were under a river and your comms cut out for a full minute?

burns.brooke4d ago

That minute of dead air made me a true believer in backup systems.