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ADVICE FOR THE YOUNG
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Permalink Reply by PAISTE on
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Being a Welder that can also dive is a good way to get in the door with some companies. There's not so much underwater welding work. Most of the welding is tacking on anodes or patching a leak on a boat/barge. Oceaneering and Pheonix do work for the Navy, you being a Marine will be a feather in your cap.
Think of Diving as a part-time job and focus on Welding. When the diving work is slow, like now, you'll have something to fall back on.
Before going to Dive School, try to get a job as a welders helper going offshore. That will give you a feel for what the working conditions are and you might get on a few jobs with divers. See what they really do, ask them some questions.
There are some inland jobs that need diver/welders. Traveling screens need constant repair and you need to know how to weld.
If you have dreams of Sat and worldwide travel, then go to school overseas at an IMCA approved school. The ADC is falling, IMCA is taking over so your certs./training should be IMCA.
Too many go into diving full throttle just to end up not liking the work, or doing something else because they can't make enough yearly to cover their nut.
The industry is flooded with young guys that have big dreams, big debt, and no real chance of becoming a Commercial Diver. Dive schools show you how to use the equipment, they don't make you a Professional Diver. I personally struggled for 5 years until I was making enough money to be comfortable. It takes about 10 years of experience until you're good.
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Permalink Reply by A.. Parnell on
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Paiste is 100% on with his advice, well said.
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Permalink Reply by Matthew Jordan Cooper on
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Thanks for the quick reply. I plan to get out and stay on land for awhile until I can feel out my options a bit and see if this is something I want. I have a contact that is a welder/diver I think I'm going to hit him up and see if he can help me out. As for the Navy..... eh i think im done, ive done my service its time to move on i think. i hear they have a great training program for it though. I want to go into this balls to the wall but im already married so i only have one shot to get it right. Doesnt help seeing all the posts from the....more seasoned guys; saying the market sucks, expect to spend months away from home, and that i should expect to be scrapping by till i get 5 years or more under the belt. I still have big dreams though.
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Dive Navy get paid to train instead of owing a huge schooling bill .
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Permalink Reply by Fred C. Johnson on
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Hit up a vocational welding school at the local college or adult education facility and get your welding certs. up to date.
Check out Santa Barbara City College Marine Technology Course. This commercial diver course is one of the best you can take and its less then 5K.
You can also bone up on your welding there. there are quite a few diving company owners who graduated from SBCC and graduates of SBCC are well received in the industry.
The more you know the higher you climb the ladder of success.
A commercial diver is a mechanic that works underwater, skills,skills, skills.
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Permalink Reply by Houston on
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where can i get a job as an offshore welder helper? Every job that I see posted is for skilled welders. There's a demand for these trades I've seen, but no demand for anything entry level. Any ideas are appreciated
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Permalink Reply by stuart anderson on
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"Every job that I see posted is for skilled welders. There's a demand for these trades"
Well, if you are referring to the Hyperbaric Welds in the Middle East, Baku, the Med. Etc then you should get coded up and good on the Surface. If you can get involved in Automated Welding, so much the better, as many/most Hyperbaric Welds are Automated these days.
If you are seeing jobs posted for skilled wet stick Welders, then get good and coded on surface welding, maybe do a UW welding course such as Hydroweld (I think that they might run courses in the USA, definitely the UK and Far East) or Specialty Welding in the UK, and try to get some work welding on anodes or sheet piles.
I've got to say, though, I have no idea where you are seeing all these welding jobs. there are a couple of companies in the UK that make a good living in Civils welding, and there's maybe half a dozen in Europe that get International work in the Shipping industry, but as far as Hyperbaric work goes, I know of guys who have got old waiting for jobs to start, then get a wh*** 10 days Sat for their troubles. I didi welding for a couple of years but it was only ever beer money
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Every welder gets a helper. If the company is hiring welders, they will most likely need helpers. Same goes for Divers, if a company needs....etc... There are some companies that try to do it all. Fabrication, Diving, and Vessels. Global Industries is one. Chet Moronson. Bisso has a pipelay division.
Here's another tip for you FNGs. Go to the company and apply in person, they wan't to look at you to make sure you fit the image. Have a neat, clean resume'. A list of references. And all your doc**ents. Dress neatly, but not overboard. Have your gear in the truck "car if that's all you got". And if you get an interview and the man asks you when you can start, you say "Right Now Sir! My gear is my truck!". Best time to get in the door is mid morning, about 0930, the morning meeting is usually over by then. Usually someone is fixing to get fired, and if your timing is right, you'll have their job by tomorrow.
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Thanks fellas, it's been a stressful year for me, what with my BP denial and being laid off. I actually worked last year for Bisso's pipe lay division, but than they put me on that POS sat vessel as a tender, and cut everyone's wages and gave me only half the raise they told me I'd get. I see ads on craigslist all the time for surface welders, a lot of them in Norfolk, VA and other shipyards here and there. Am up in the Pacific Northwest scouting inland opportunities, but that's usually a bunch of bull crap from my past experience. My bro is doing pretty good free lance and with a small independent in Texas, which was funny because we missed out on a 2 grand 45 minute wheel well job if we weren't up here raising Caine. Does anyone know anything about rope access? I do that in the entertainment industry and have seen a demand for that in the energy fields as well
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can't fault Rope Access. did an EddyCurrent ticket and IRATA level one and went straight Offshore working for a couple of companies that would give me as much or as little work as I wanted, when I wanted it. conditions were better, work was easier, money was better than most diving jobs I did up until then. Did it for 3 years and loved it. Why did I give it up? Did my Sat Ticket and went back to Diving, but for a decent wage.( oh, and I was scared of heights!)
Oh, and I guess you can delete my last post- I thought you were talking about Subsea Welding, not Topside..
Look at www.rigg-access.com for a good overview of the industry. Yes, it is booming offshore pretty much everywhere there is oil, and the IRATA L1 cost me £300, probably you'd get it for $600 or less. Rigging is good work on the Ropes, as is NDT, Coded Welding, Blasting/spraying, etc.
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If your near Southern California check out Long Beach Harbor Patrol. They have the only commercially certified law enforcement dive team in the nation. I worked for them for about a year before loosing out at the end due to background issues with credit. Being a marine can get you in the law enforcement door. Its almost an unfair advantage over even an experienced commercial diver like myself. good luck and thanks for your service. god bless
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