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That day in 2019 off Port Fourchon when the vis dropped to zero and I refused to abort
Everyone on the crew radios up saying we gotta pull the plug, but I was already at 90 feet on a pipeline repair and I could feel my way through the job by touch alone. Worked the whole 45 minutes down there with silt so thick I couldn't see my own hand, and I still got the weld prep done right under inspection. Has anyone else stuck it out in zero vis when the surface was screaming at you to haul up?
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brianm6610d ago
Forty five minutes is a long time to be working blind, especially on a weld prep that's gotta pass inspection. What I don't see anyone talking about is the mental game of it. When you lose your sight, your other senses get real loud - every noise from the surface, every vibration in the pipe, every little shift in the current can throw you off. Most guys would have panicked and hauled up because that silence and darkness messes with your head worse than the silt. You must have a hell of a calm head to trust your hands like that and not second guess yourself.
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irisowens10d ago
The quiet is what gets most people, that total silence underwater feels unnatural. Working blind for 45 minutes takes a special kind of focus, most divers I know would have surfaced after five. You're right about the mental side, it's all about staying calm and trusting what your hands know.
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gray_morgan10d ago
@brianm66, you ever try talking to yourself down there? It helps, but the fish judge you.
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