@martin.margaret that "talking to the hoof wall" part made me laugh lmao. But honestly that extra care shows in the finished work even if it takes longer.

Sorry but mine has survived way worse with zero issues.

Makes me wonder how many hobbies boil down to us just wanting to feel like we're in on a secret that most people miss. It's like the simpler the hack, the more satisfying it is to pull off.

Read somewhere that some pilots are like that because they've had one bad experience and it just sticks with them forever. I get it, one bad cable nearly caused a crash, but dude its been years. Sounds like hes letting that one thing mess with how he sees every reading now.

Kirby Morgan is usually a solid choice for deep air, the comms clarity alone makes a huge difference when you're working around a rig. I've heard guys swear by the Ocean Reef Neptune for similar deep water stuff too because it cuts down the free flow risk with that full face seal.