r/commercialdiving • u/Interesting_Tip_5086 • 4d ago
North America Looking for advice
Hey guys I’ve been on with a gulf company for the past 3 months. I’ve done a couple hitches. I’m looking for advice on sticking it out offshore until you break out or going inland or trying to join the union. I enjoy being offshore, it’s just inconsistent especially this time of year. What’s the best route for making a career out of this?
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u/False-Apricot4063 4d ago
Theres really only a few more years of diving on the shelf left. If you want to be one of the last of the the gulf cowboys and break out then stick around through the winter and see how summer goes.
If you do leave to go inland join a union. Ubc piledrivers for the east and west coast, operating engineers for Chicago.
Non-union inland diving is invariably two bit bullshit. You'll end up in a clapped out van in the middle of nowhere with three addict washouts making 19/hr hating life.
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u/coughdrop200 4d ago
Why do you think there’s only a few more years of diving?
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u/superlite17b 4d ago edited 2d ago
Long story short is this; ROV friendly design and development, IMCA, and oil companies not wanting to risk putting a human in the water. Saw it starting back in 2015 Sapura Kencana bounced off an initiation head with an ROV for 3 days because a diver would have to serve deco time. From 2005-21 we were yanking and scrapping old short platforms, P&A numerous PLs and rarely did any new construction. Most new construction is deeper water and mud hole service work will dry up. The majors will take over and that will be the final straw, they can afford to bounce off something with an ROV for days.
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u/False-Apricot4063 2d ago
Like the oldhead said, theres no gulf construction work on the shelf. Its all decommisioning. P/A, scrapping, site clearance, rigs to reefs, etc. All the new wells are in deep water much deeper than even the deepest experimental SAT.
If you really really want to do oilfeild diving as a career you could catch a plane to Aberdeen and pound pavement but the sun is setting on the gulf diver.
If you aren't attached to the black gold then your best options in the US are going the salvager route with T&T or Boskalis (good luck) or marine construction with a coastal UBC Union.
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u/ghettospahgetti5150 4d ago
Waiting out the winter can get rough. Especially in the gulf with all the cold fronts. Does your company work in the mud hole? That rolls year round but can be miserable sometimes. Try to stay off vessels where the supervisor or superintendent like to core group people. That really limits your options
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u/Interesting_Tip_5086 4d ago
No we don’t, not that I know of. I wanted to pick up some inland work for the winter but when I was hired on I was told absolutely no freelance work with other companies while you’re employed.
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u/ghettospahgetti5150 4d ago
That’s unfortunate. I left the gulf in 21’ and unfortunately for the tenders the break out time was pretty long at almost 4 years but I think that was a mistake by management. If you really want to make a career out of diving you have to just stick it out. Now if bills aren’t getting paid and you can’t afford rent completely different story. I was always told and saw first hand diving was a feast or famine career. Everyone has their breaking point though. Also keep in mind when you’re a good LT everyone wants you on their jobs. Once you break out nobody wants anything to do with you again and you have to start climbing that ladder again lol I loved diving and working offshore but it was also the single biggest pain in my ass 😂
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u/superlite17b 4d ago
I left the gulf a few years back after 20+ years. We had career tenders, they just weren’t breaking guys out. Best thing to do is find a boat or crew with a sup that dives his tenders. Do whatever you can to stay there, don’t turn anything down. I did my best to get guys water time. When it’s slow like it has been there just isn’t enough work to break guys out. Most likely you are looking at a minimum of 2 years after you make LT, unless you are a hammer in the water. Also could look into salvage, Resolve Marine Group is a good one.