Just got back from a dive near the old pilings at Port Townsend and something felt off

I was doing a routine inspection on the pier foundations around noon last Thursday. Water was murky but I spotted this weird oily sheen near the bottom where the creosote is peeling. Checked my air supply and noticed a slow leak at the regulator hose connection that wasn't there when I went down. Tightened it up but now I'm wondering if the chemical runoff is eating through gear faster than usual. Anyone else notice stuff degrading quicker after working around treated wood lately?

3 comments

3 Comments

mary_schmidt18d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah my buddy Dan had something similar happen with his gear down in Tacoma last fall. He was checking some old dock pilings and his weight belt buckle just snapped clean off, not from pressure or anything, just corroded right through. Said he'd only used it maybe like 10 times before and it looked like it'd been sitting in acid. The rubber seals on his dive light got all brittle too after being near that black slime that oozes out of the older treated logs. It's nasty stuff for sure, makes you wonder what else is getting eaten away that you can't see until it's too late lol.

jordan30518d ago

Ngl that black slime is no joke. I've seen it eat through stainless steel clips and zippers on bags like they're nothing. People don't realize how aggressive that stuff is until it's too late. Honestly that corrosion can hide inside the buckle mechanism and look fine on the outside until it just gives out under tension. Makes you rethink using any gear you've had near treated wood for more than a season or two.

cooper.nathan18d agoMost Upvoted

Tacoma's not near treated wood docks though that's just saltwater corrosion lol