That moment a harbor pilot asked why my lift bag had no backup valve

I was doing a salvage job in Portsmouth harbor last month, working a 40-foot prop removal. A harbor pilot came by to check the site and pointed at my lift bag setup asking where the backup dump valve was. I told him I'd never used one on bags under 500 pounds. He just shook his head and walked off. Now I'm wondering how many other divers skip the backup valve on smaller lifts and if it's actually a problem.

2 comments

2 Comments

lily_sullivan8210d agoMost Upvoted

Stick with the backup valve regardless of bag size. I've seen a 200 pound bag let go at 30 feet and it nearly took a guy's arm off when the dump line tangled. The harbor pilot wasn't wrong, he was just looking out for you. Cheap insurance costs less than a hospital visit or a bent boat. Don't skip the safety gear just because the book says it's optional.

vera_roberts9d ago

And it's the same thing with so many other things people cheap out on... I see it all the time with people skipping life jackets on a calm lake because "what could go wrong." The manuals are written for best case scenarios, not the tangled line or sudden squall that actually gets you. It's like they forget the whole point of safety gear is for the times you really, really need it.