The day the visor seal blew on a 60 foot murky dive

Back in 2017, I was on a harbor job in Norfolk, cleaning a propeller shaft. Water was maybe 5 feet of visibility, cold, and I was 60 feet down. About 20 minutes in, my visor seal let go, right at the bottom edge. Water poured in, not a trickle, a real flood. I remember my hand shaking as I hit the emergency valve, had to keep my mouthpiece in and breathe slow. My tender said later I was down there for 4 minutes before I cleared it, felt like an hour. That was the week I switched from silicone to neoprene seals, never looked back. Has anyone else had a seal fail like that, or was mine just a bad batch?

2 comments

2 Comments

brooke_jones6d ago

Four minutes is pretty solid for that much water in your face.

scott.olivia6d ago

Ha! Bet @brooke_jones would drown if the water was cold though.