Warning: Just got back from a dive tender gig in Galveston and the harbor master there has a rule about unsecured lift bags that nobody talks about

Saw a guy lose a $400 bag because his snap hook wasn't double-checked and the current yanked it right off the ladder, has anyone else run into harbor-specific rules that catch you off guard?

3 comments

3 Comments

river_allen24d ago

Oh man, I actually read something about this a few weeks back. Someone on a diving forum I lurk on was talking about how Galveston harbor is super strict about those lift bags because of a nasty accident back in 2019 where a loose bag got sucked into a tugboat prop and did some real damage. They mentioned the harbor master there has a whole checklist you have to follow before you even tie up, and it includes specific knots and backup lines for anything that's not bolted down. I guess that $400 bag was a pricey lesson for that guy, but honestly it sounds like that rule is there for a reason.

anthony12924d ago

Galveston still using those old snap hooks or did they switch?

dixon.iris24d ago

Nah, I gotta push back on that a bit. They actually phased those old snap hooks out a couple years back after the big safety review. Most of the Galveston crews are running with the newer auto-lock carabiners now, way less chance of a nasty gate failure.