As an underwater welder myself. Thank you, too many people genuinely think I make 250k+ a year, welding 8 hours underwater. We aren't welders, we are DIVERS, Diving is it's own unique trade with insane challenges, like gas mixtures, pressures, understanding hydrodynamics and thermodynamics so you don't freeze to death. I make around 100 bucks an hour, but in reality thats contracted. Meaning, I work for however long they tell me too, then i'm out of a job for however long it takes to FIND a job. My job usually consists of diving into water pipes, rerouting culverts, ect ect. for quite literally miles sometimes for municipalities and inspecting it all. It takes someone with an easy mind to do that, because it DOES get claustrophobic and scary, sometimes visibility is 0 crawling into a pipe that is just barely bigger than you are. But also I have a whole team of engineers, divers, safety officers, ect. who have quintuple checked the math to make sure it's as safe as can be. That being said, i've also done offshore work, and THAT is scary. Mainly because its repairing pressure lines underwater. One wrong keyhole, one blow through, one mistake and you can get sucked into a hole you just made thats 1/32nd big and you cant do anything to stop it. However, diving is a rewarding career that has served me well, put food on the table and has allowed me to buy things I wouldn't have had so quickly. Though I think when I get too old i'll just become an instructor, or just find a nice shop to weld at.
The keyhole vortex is absolutely fuckin' terrifying- anyone who's seen Alien Resurrection, remember the finale? That, but with you, and into a pipe instead of into space.
@@Don-bl6im basically, pressure inside is WAY greater than pressure outside. You ever put a vacuum to your skin and watch as it pulls the skin up and blocks it? It's like that, except now imagine that vacuum tube is the size of a penny, and it's capable of sucking your entire body through it in less than a second. Heres a good video showing it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PXgKxWlTt8A.html Now imagine that it's you.
Many years ago I worked at a company that did heavy fabrication. The welding supervisor told me about an interview he had with a potential welder. He asked the applicant if he had any experience with submerged arc welding and the applicant replied "Well no suh, I don't even know how to swim." True story.
I've been a welder for over 50 years. In the mid 80's I was trained The Ocean Corporation as a commercial diver. I asked one of the instructors if many students enrolled already knowing how to weld and if TOC preferred students with prior welding experience or without. He said they preferred with. Because it's easier to teach a welder to dive than to teach a diver to weld.
I MUST HAVE JUST MISSED YOU GUYS! I am a Ocean Corporation graduate. I was is the class that graduated at the end of July. Richard is amazing and had so much to teach. Listen when he says this field isn't one you just jump into and make 6 figures. The field rides waves during the season, one season could be INCREDIBLY profitable and you are putting away a few thousand a month, and then the seasons change and suddenly you are awaiting work for almost a month or two. It is however an incredible opportunity for exploration and adventure. Another note: if you ever hear the term "10 year job life" it means how long you are in that job, not how long you will live or how many years it takes off your life or any ridiculous notions like that. By 10years in a company, you have the experience to do a position on a boat that pays you the same without keeping from your family as much and so a lot of people shift jobs then. Your health is also an important thing, it may not look like it but those helmets are heavy and if you have a bail-out bottle(emergency tank of air)on your back, that is even more weight. If you are ever interested in this field please go check them out at the Corp as the will gladly show you around and give you a great idea about their courses. PS: the ocean corporation also has a Non-distructive Testing courses to learn about different ways to test welds without breaking them and earn certifications along with the experience. GO CHECK EM OUT!!!
I did research work with TWI and Hydraweld in the UK many years ago and developed the Miller XMT UWW system which at the time used a PC300 pulse control usually used back then with the Syncrowave 250!
It’s not a high paying skill compared to other trades. Welding wages been stagnant for years I been in it 12 years doesn’t pay anywhere close to what teachers & instructors tell you. The jobs that do pay “well” require you to be on the road 24/7
i’ve always been fascinated by this part of the trade, being a lover of the ocean and water. but unfortunately they don’t get paid what i feel they’re worth so i don’t think i’d pursue it.
I’ve heard some crazy stories about what happens down there.. One comment I saw was That when welding in pitch black environment a guy felt something brush by his back and he turned around, shined his light behind him and saw a giant squid.. No thanks..
Squid are insanely bellicose. A Humbolt squid attacking things twice it’s size is a vicious sight to behold. A giant squid is far more prone to attack something out of sheer agitation than a large shark
As an welding student, I am looking at schools in Washington, Florida and Texas, for diving education. I am having trouble deciding which one to go also what can I do now to help prepare and create habits for diving school and in the field?
Great question! First off if you can go and your those schools! Also, if you can find alumni of the programs and ask questions!!! I will worn you welding underwater is definitely a bit different from welding top side. Yes it’s the same concept but the technique is a little bit different! One thing I’d say you could do is practice knot tying and of course your welding skills!
Having done a lot of scuba in my youth, l think it would be interesting to see how well they can weld at 60 feet. Nitrogen build up in the bloodstream has some interesting effects.
Underwater welding video. Thumbnail is a broco rod. That would be underwater cutting. Diver here, I’ve still done more cutting than welding though to be honest. Our main job isn’t welding. It’s diving. Welding is a very small part of our job. Lots of guys don’t do it. I’m not very good so I’ve only qualified a few times but I’ve done a hell of a lot of cutting.
fantastic video, wish I was a little younger, I would really enjoy, I think doing this type work, I have done some water treatment plant work, where someone did not turn the valves completely off and Was trying to Stick weld under water......did not work well.......best regards, that other guy named Paul.....Bravo
Is it the same machine as out of the water, just changing the electrodes? like if I installed my regular mobile gas welder on a boat could I jump overboard and weld a anode? is it the same lead and machine? anyone knows just curious?
Good to see some candour on the subject. You are a diver first, welder 283rd. And no, 300k right out of five school doesn’t happen, with clothes on anyways.
Yes that’s so the water doesn’t ruin the flux coating. However, when I was welding in this video I was using a new electrode that the Ocean Corp had been testing which was not dipped in wax!