Checking against air depth every dive is fine and all but that only catches a gauge that's already dead or way off, which yours was. The real problem is a gauge that looks fine on the surface and drifts at depth, and no pre-dive check catches that. Guys I dive with use two gauges from different makers and cross check at working depth on the way down, costs an extra hundo but beats guessing whether that gap is 8 feet or 3. Relying on one number and a vibe about the mud line is how people get hurt, and honestly the current noise killing comms is a bigger deal than the gauge, you had no one watching your hose. If the tender can't hear you, that whole dive should've been called before you ever left the bell.