Crossed 500 hours on my Kirby Morgan hat this morning

I was filling out my log book after a bridge inspection job on the Ohio River and saw the total. It hit me that I've spent over 500 hours with my face in that same helmet. It's not just a number, it's all the silt-outs, the cold currents, and the times I've had to fix a flooded comms box with numb fingers. That helmet has been my office for three years now, through every kind of bad viz and tricky lift. You get to know every scratch on the faceplate. It made me think about how much trust we put in our gear, and how that trust builds up hour by hour. What's a piece of kit you've logged serious time with, and what's the one quirk you know about it that no one else would?

2 comments

2 Comments

carter.julia1mo ago

Remember my buddy's old dive watch? That thing had a bezel so stiff from salt you had to really crank it. He knew if you pressed the case at 2 o'clock just right, the click would get a tiny bit smoother. Saved his bacon once timing a deco stop with thick gloves on.

sean_ramirez1mo ago

My old Seiko had the same salt issue after a Bahamas trip. I found pushing the bezel at 10 and 4 together freed it up just enough. Those little tricks become second nature when you need them.