Spent 4 years doing my bailout valve checks in the wrong order, a new guy caught it in one dive

Keith Martinez · 2026-10-14T18:55:03.825231+00:00

Last Tuesday I was doing a routine inspection dive on a pier near Corpus Christi when a green diver fresh out of school asked why I always test the bailout valve before the main reg. I told him thats how I was taught back in 2019 and never questioned it. He pulled out the manufacturer manual from his dry bag and showed me the checklist clearly says check main first so you catch a free flow before you crack the bailout. I ran through my log book that night and found 11 dives over the past 4 years where I logged valve issues right after splash, which probably cost me extra time on the bottom. My supervisor heard about it and now the whole crew has to redo the pre dive sequence card. Anybody else pick up a bad habit early on that just stuck until someone called it out?

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Spent 4 years doing my bailout valve checks in the wrong order, a new guy caught it in one dive | Commercial Divers - The Community Guide