Old timer in Port Fourchon told me my lift bag setup was all wrong

I had a guy with 30 years in the Gulf look at my bag setup and say I was asking for a blowout. He showed me how I was routing the dump valve line wrong and had too much pressure from my surface supply. Switched to a single 150 pound bag with a proper dump valve and it made my last salvage job in 45 feet way smoother. Any of you guys had an old hand save you from a dumb mistake?

3 comments

3 Comments

wadejenkins6d ago

Ever notice how the best lessons come from near misses? @rowanw91's buddy losing that motor is a perfect example of why that old timer's advice was so solid.

kimr916d ago

Old timers like that are worth their weight in gold, but I gotta gently push back on the single bag thing. In 45 feet with a moderate load a 150 pounder is fine, but if you're lifting something heavy in deeper water or with any current you really want a backup bag staged and ready to go. I've seen guys get into trouble when a bag tears or the valve sticks and they're suddenly fighting to keep a 500 pound anchor from crashing back down. Having a second bag pre rigged with its own dump line gives you a safety net without having to swim back to the surface for another one.

rowanw916d ago

Yeah the valve sticking thing is no joke. My buddy was lifting an outboard motor in about 60 feet and his only bag jammed shut. He had to ditch the whole rig and watch it sink back down because he couldn't get it to dump air. Cost him a whole afternoon of work.