So, you want to be an underwater welder?
I'm always amazed by people who can do the job. Diving is hard enough. Welding (skilled welding, that is), is hard enough. Combine them, and you have a mixture not quite like chocolate and peanut butter.
Yet, the need is undeniable and the pay is reportedly sensational. Given all the work to Gulf coast infrastructure that will have to be done over the next few years, I'll bet that employment opportunities are plentiful. So how do you get started? There are good schools and commercial diving institutions, which you can get a list of at Trade-schools.net. Another good source can be
the list of U.S. commercial diving schools accredited by the Association of Commercial Diving Educators can be obtained by contacting the Association of Diving Contractor, 2611 FM 1960 W., Suite F204, Houston, TX 77068; (713) 893-8388; FAX (713) 893-5118.
The American Welding Society has a good article here, which I'll summarize for you:
"By description, an experienced welder-diver must possess: commercial diving skills (i.e., be familiar with the use of specialized commercial diving equipment, have an understanding of diving physiology, diving safety, rigging, the underwater environment, communication, etc.); weld setup and preparation skills (i.e., the ability to perform tasks typically assigned to a fitter or rigger, such as materials alignment and materials preparation including beveling, stripping of concrete, fitting a steel patch or repair plate, etc.,); and the ability to certify to a required underwater weld procedure."
There aren't any age requirements for commercial diver welders, but it's a tough physical job. You'll want to check yourself out physically to even train it.
They go on to say, "Before performing on-the-job underwater welding, most diving contractors will require that you achieve sufficient skill in wet and/or dry underwater welding to pass qualification tests and be certified in accordance with the requirements of ANSI/AWS D3.6, Specification for Underwater Welding."
Yet, the need is undeniable and the pay is reportedly sensational. Given all the work to Gulf coast infrastructure that will have to be done over the next few years, I'll bet that employment opportunities are plentiful. So how do you get started? There are good schools and commercial diving institutions, which you can get a list of at Trade-schools.net. Another good source can be
the list of U.S. commercial diving schools accredited by the Association of Commercial Diving Educators can be obtained by contacting the Association of Diving Contractor, 2611 FM 1960 W., Suite F204, Houston, TX 77068; (713) 893-8388; FAX (713) 893-5118.
The American Welding Society has a good article here, which I'll summarize for you:
"By description, an experienced welder-diver must possess: commercial diving skills (i.e., be familiar with the use of specialized commercial diving equipment, have an understanding of diving physiology, diving safety, rigging, the underwater environment, communication, etc.); weld setup and preparation skills (i.e., the ability to perform tasks typically assigned to a fitter or rigger, such as materials alignment and materials preparation including beveling, stripping of concrete, fitting a steel patch or repair plate, etc.,); and the ability to certify to a required underwater weld procedure."
There aren't any age requirements for commercial diver welders, but it's a tough physical job. You'll want to check yourself out physically to even train it.
They go on to say, "Before performing on-the-job underwater welding, most diving contractors will require that you achieve sufficient skill in wet and/or dry underwater welding to pass qualification tests and be certified in accordance with the requirements of ANSI/AWS D3.6, Specification for Underwater Welding."
posted by Scott at 4:39 PM
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