- Thread starter cornishnutter
- Start date
that must be the ugliest rolex i've ever seen!
3Rs
Experience you cant buy it.
- Messages
- 128
I could not be bothered typing all this out so copyed it from UKW.
The commercial diving game aint cracked up the way you think it is. I know I did my ticket in August 08.
The places you can go for training Fort Bill, PDA (Dunoon) or head out to South Africa.
Cost well i looked at all three looked at what they where offering and cost. Fort Bill in my view are to expensive, but you do get a basic grounding on tools (all tools burning,welding inspection) Oh and buy yourself a drysuit before you do the course as the ones they supply are there own.
In fact Fort Bill priced them self out of the market in my view.
PDA (Dunoon) You get a good grounding in working in water. priced ok What you get for your money a drysuit of your own, Fladens wetgear, and a manual,dive knife,and logbook.
South Africa, im a bit of a mixed picture there, I had a mate who went out there yes training went well, they also put you threw your DMT (Diver medic) (I think) and when it came to the welding my mate who is a welder had to run the course. (Says a lot)
Cost well between South Africa and PDA there was not much difference, You would have had to pay for your flights,and diggs. Where as PDA you where home for much the same.
Regarding work. theres Inwater (Rivers,lakes and anything where water is but land locked) Inshore harbours, then Offshore well that explains it self.
Well put it this way to be hanging up your welding helmet just yet. When times are hard you WILL need to go back to the welding game (Or what ever game your coming from) your welding skills and fabrication skills will be in demand. But only if your known in the industry.
My 1st dive job was in Felexstowe Port installing anodes to a pier (3000 to be precise) in really bad water (dark,black with the odd brown stuff floating passed you) And yes it floats. pay was about £12 an hr, Well to tell you the truth being a welder can earn double this, And being that i am just out of dive school still wondering "have i made the right decision"
My 2nd dive job installing a 48" plastic outfall pipe in Campbell town harbour.
Inshore / rates can vary from £10.00 per hr to £100 a day, The job i was on payed very well.
Offshore totally different ball game which i still have to get into, But being that i am just a new kid on the block i am finding it impossible to get work in the UK, So i am having to look at other places.
Saturation:-
You need to be an offshore diver with logged dives to varies depths and times and be very level headed owing to the nature of the industry if the Brown smelly stuff hits the van in the Chamber YOU need to control your self and the your surroundings.
Welding:-
there is only one way to weld and thats down hand (stoving if you like) and its generally fillets no butts (they would be done in a habitat by a sat welder) codings are different AWS (America Welding S......)
Coding system works on the lines of A,B,C,D
"A" coding would be the nearest to surface codings And is generally classed as the highest coding
"B" Is the middle of the road and would cover you for anodes structual, and other bits and bobs
"C" The basic coding.
Your asking the right question but in the wrong forum, Check out longstreath.com
Hope this helps
The other things that will help you along the road are
Diver medic Technican. £500 (IMCA approved)
Rigger £550 (OPTIO approved)
banks man slinger £500 (OPTIO approved)
and your wet welding codes. Hydro weld £5000 conforming to AWS.
If your looking at offshore
Norgie survival £1500 (OPTIO approved)
British offshore medical (£150)
Norgie Offshore medical (about £150)
Dutch Offshore Medical (about £150)
Then on top of that your diving medical.
And this is even before you strike an arc. So there a lot more to it than meets the eye. research the industry, and if you think you have researched, research it again. It has taken me 15 years to get to the position of where i am.
It aint going to happen over night.
The commercial diving game aint cracked up the way you think it is. I know I did my ticket in August 08.
The places you can go for training Fort Bill, PDA (Dunoon) or head out to South Africa.
Cost well i looked at all three looked at what they where offering and cost. Fort Bill in my view are to expensive, but you do get a basic grounding on tools (all tools burning,welding inspection) Oh and buy yourself a drysuit before you do the course as the ones they supply are there own.
In fact Fort Bill priced them self out of the market in my view.
PDA (Dunoon) You get a good grounding in working in water. priced ok What you get for your money a drysuit of your own, Fladens wetgear, and a manual,dive knife,and logbook.
South Africa, im a bit of a mixed picture there, I had a mate who went out there yes training went well, they also put you threw your DMT (Diver medic) (I think) and when it came to the welding my mate who is a welder had to run the course. (Says a lot)
Cost well between South Africa and PDA there was not much difference, You would have had to pay for your flights,and diggs. Where as PDA you where home for much the same.
Regarding work. theres Inwater (Rivers,lakes and anything where water is but land locked) Inshore harbours, then Offshore well that explains it self.
Well put it this way to be hanging up your welding helmet just yet. When times are hard you WILL need to go back to the welding game (Or what ever game your coming from) your welding skills and fabrication skills will be in demand. But only if your known in the industry.
My 1st dive job was in Felexstowe Port installing anodes to a pier (3000 to be precise) in really bad water (dark,black with the odd brown stuff floating passed you) And yes it floats. pay was about £12 an hr, Well to tell you the truth being a welder can earn double this, And being that i am just out of dive school still wondering "have i made the right decision"
My 2nd dive job installing a 48" plastic outfall pipe in Campbell town harbour.
Inshore / rates can vary from £10.00 per hr to £100 a day, The job i was on payed very well.
Offshore totally different ball game which i still have to get into, But being that i am just a new kid on the block i am finding it impossible to get work in the UK, So i am having to look at other places.
Saturation:-
You need to be an offshore diver with logged dives to varies depths and times and be very level headed owing to the nature of the industry if the Brown smelly stuff hits the van in the Chamber YOU need to control your self and the your surroundings.
Welding:-
there is only one way to weld and thats down hand (stoving if you like) and its generally fillets no butts (they would be done in a habitat by a sat welder) codings are different AWS (America Welding S......)
Coding system works on the lines of A,B,C,D
"A" coding would be the nearest to surface codings And is generally classed as the highest coding
"B" Is the middle of the road and would cover you for anodes structual, and other bits and bobs
"C" The basic coding.
Your asking the right question but in the wrong forum, Check out longstreath.com
Hope this helps
The other things that will help you along the road are
Diver medic Technican. £500 (IMCA approved)
Rigger £550 (OPTIO approved)
banks man slinger £500 (OPTIO approved)
and your wet welding codes. Hydro weld £5000 conforming to AWS.
If your looking at offshore
Norgie survival £1500 (OPTIO approved)
British offshore medical (£150)
Norgie Offshore medical (about £150)
Dutch Offshore Medical (about £150)
Then on top of that your diving medical.
And this is even before you strike an arc. So there a lot more to it than meets the eye. research the industry, and if you think you have researched, research it again. It has taken me 15 years to get to the position of where i am.
It aint going to happen over night.
londonsean69
Migalomaniac
- Messages
- 143
I used to be a recreational dive instructor.
One of my students went on to do his Commie course, at Fort William. Stumped up the thick end of £14k, that was to take him all the way through to offshore diver, which is the minimum required for the rigs. Spent nearly 4 months on the course, plus there was all the accommodation costs etc.
Also included welding, cutting & burning etc.
His first job was on a fish farm, repairing nets, on £90 a day.
Second job is in a dock in the Orkney isles, £200 a day.
He hasn't gone offshore yet in 2 years.
He also stated that the welder training they got on the course was pretty poor, and the tools tuition was rubbish.
The other guys he works with all go along the lines of "Of course I can cut/burn/weld/operate that" then work out how to do it the night before.
There is a fairly active commercial diving section over on the Yorkshire Divers forums (not just Yorkshire either
)
Also, check out Longstreath.com, there is a forum there as well
There are published rates for working in the North Sea, the £1000 a day people often quote is for Saturation divers, something like £400 a day, plus £16/hr lock to lock, then accommodation, training and tools allowances.
To be a Sat diver, you must have a few years of offshore experience under your belt, plus stump up another £9k for the month long course.
Also, as a Sat diver, you will be kept under pressure for up to 28 days at a time, in a chamber on the deck of a boat, being transferred to your work area in a little closed bell.
I looked into it quite seriously, but to be honest, getting paid £150 a day to be an underwater labourer is not my cup of tea, I earn a lot more sat at my desk, and can go diving for fun.
Not to mention the threat of Dysbaric osteonecrosis
As the above post from 3RS shows, it's not an easy game to get into, and it takes a lot of time and money to get there.
Sean
One of my students went on to do his Commie course, at Fort William. Stumped up the thick end of £14k, that was to take him all the way through to offshore diver, which is the minimum required for the rigs. Spent nearly 4 months on the course, plus there was all the accommodation costs etc.
Also included welding, cutting & burning etc.
His first job was on a fish farm, repairing nets, on £90 a day.
Second job is in a dock in the Orkney isles, £200 a day.
He hasn't gone offshore yet in 2 years.
He also stated that the welder training they got on the course was pretty poor, and the tools tuition was rubbish.
The other guys he works with all go along the lines of "Of course I can cut/burn/weld/operate that" then work out how to do it the night before.
There is a fairly active commercial diving section over on the Yorkshire Divers forums (not just Yorkshire either
)Also, check out Longstreath.com, there is a forum there as well
There are published rates for working in the North Sea, the £1000 a day people often quote is for Saturation divers, something like £400 a day, plus £16/hr lock to lock, then accommodation, training and tools allowances.
To be a Sat diver, you must have a few years of offshore experience under your belt, plus stump up another £9k for the month long course.
Also, as a Sat diver, you will be kept under pressure for up to 28 days at a time, in a chamber on the deck of a boat, being transferred to your work area in a little closed bell.
I looked into it quite seriously, but to be honest, getting paid £150 a day to be an underwater labourer is not my cup of tea, I earn a lot more sat at my desk, and can go diving for fun.
Not to mention the threat of Dysbaric osteonecrosis
As the above post from 3RS shows, it's not an easy game to get into, and it takes a lot of time and money to get there.
Sean
ConorCummings
New Member
- Messages
- 2
hi, sorry to trouble you so long after you have commented, do you no were in Plymouth your brother done the course
ConorCummings
New Member
- Messages
- 2
hi, sorry to trouble you so long after you have commented, do you no were in Plymouth your brother done the course
3Rs i know you posts a bit old now... but why is it so expensive for your wet welding codes esp if its mainly downhand? i take companys dont test you out then when it come to the under water stuff? how long were use working in the "toon" heard it was quite a "s****y" job
Last edited by a moderator:
Probably because it's a small market, and that always puts up prices.
Also because just about everything connected with providing the training and testing is very expensive. Facilities, equipment, trainers, insurance. Even the electrodes are eye-watering prices about a couple of quid each.
