Had to choose between a new Kirby Morgan 37 band mask or a new umbilical for the same money

My old band mask finally gave out after 10 years of abuse. The rubber was cracking and the seal was shot. I had about $2,500 set aside and I could either get a brand new KM 37 or a fresh 300 foot umbilical for my current setup. I went with the mask because my umbilical still had life left in it. Big mistake. The mask is solid, no complaints there, but on my next job the umbilical started leaking air at the fitting and I had to borrow one from the dive supervisor. Took a whole day to sort out. Should have just fixed the old mask and gotten the umbilical. Anyone else ever make a gear call that backfired?

3 comments

3 Comments

jenny_lane122d ago

Borrowed gear from the dive supervisor probably felt like a slap in the face" - yeah @betty_perry24, that's exactly what it was. Like paying a grand for a new TV and having to watch your neighbor's through the window. I swear Murphy's Law has a special clause for dive gear. You think you're being smart planning ahead and the universe just laughs. Bet that supervisor made some comment about it too, rubbing it in. Next time I'm just replacing everything at once, even if I have to eat ramen for a month.

shanec612d ago

Ended up in the same boat a few years back. Bought a new drysuit instead of a new drysuit zipper and seals, and the old zipper split on the first dive of a weeklong job. Learned my lesson to always go for the parts that actually wear out first.

betty_perry242d ago

...and you still had to borrow gear anyway? That's rough. You'd think after ten years the old mask would've given you a little warning, not just fall apart one day. I mean, a leaking umbilical on the job is a whole different level of headache, especially when you're already underwater and focused on the task. That borrowed gear from the dive supervisor probably felt like a slap in the face after spending all that cash.