Underwater welding

[wayfast1500]

Anyone do this as a career?  I got padi open water certified when I was 12-13, and went to college for welding.  I dont think I want to turn wrenches for the rest of my life so I sent for some more information from welders academy in NJ.  Its pretty expensive so if anyone has any experience Id appreciate the input.

[Budnicks]

Anyone do this as a career?  I got padi open water certified when I was 12-13, and went to college for welding.  I dont think I want to turn wrenches for the rest of my life so I sent for some more information from welders academy in NJ.  Its pretty expensive so if anyone has any experience Id appreciate the input.

I got my padi diving certificate when I was in 14 or 15 in H.S., I don't dive much any more too many shark tales in my past & I can weld decent, but never thought of doing underwater welding. I would think it would pay very well, it got to be a dangerous occupation, welding in the feeling of 1/6th gravity would be a really weird feeling or sensation. Good luck with your choices.

[last426]

I would think it would pay very well, it got to be a dangerous occupation, welding in 1/6th gravity would be a really weird feeling or sensation. Good luck with your choices.

Huh?  You are not welding on the moon!  Last I studied, gravity underwater is the same as on shore after buoyancy is taken into account.  Or am I wrong here? 

At any rate, it is a good job from what I have heard.  The guy who certified me died doing it.  Got sucked into a dam pipe he was working on.  But he lived a good life.  Kim

[Budnicks]

I would think it would pay very well, it got to be a dangerous occupation, welding in 1/6th gravity would be a really weird feeling or sensation. Good luck with your choices.

Huh?  You are not welding on the moon!  Last I studied, gravity underwater is the same as on shore after buoyancy is taken into account.  Or am I wrong here?  

At any rate, it is a good job from what I have heard.  The guy who certified me died doing it.  Got sucked into a dam pipe he was working on.  But he lived a good life.  Kim

I was referring to the felling of less gravity/buoyancy in the water, That is what the astronauts use for training in low gravity, that was kind of what I was talking about... sheesh so critical...

[el dub]

I would think it would pay very well, it got to be a dangerous occupation, welding in 1/6th gravity would be a really weird feeling or sensation. Good luck with your choices.

Huh?  You are not welding on the moon!  Last I studied, gravity underwater is the same as on shore after buoyancy is taken into account.  Or am I wrong here? 

At any rate, it is a good job from what I have heard.  The guy who certified me died doing it.  Got sucked into a dam pipe he was working on.  But he lived a good life.  Kim

Did you get certified at Solano City Colledge?   

[Budnicks]

I got my padi diving certification at someplace in Sacramento in 1974-75 or so, Dolphin swim center I believe the name was -if you were referring to me-, our final for cert. was off of Fort Brag Nor Cal. coast with like 2' visibility & cert. for my welding was from P.G. & E. , I was classified as a combination welder, gas, arc/stick, Mig/Tig... Stainless & Cast iron included for work at the many power plants. I left when I started college. I needed to make more money than what P.G. & E. was paying at the time $6.15...

[Mr.Woolery]

I have a friend who did that.  He told me that it's VERY dangerous work, and that life expectancy is a major issue.  However, the pay is VERY good if you can live the life.  He retired early, bought a company, and has money pouring out of his ears now.

[el dub]

I got my padi diving certification at someplace in Sacramento in 1974-75 or so, Dolphin swim center I believe the name was -if you were referring to me-, our final for cert. was off of Fort Brag Nor Cal. coast with like 2' visibility & cert. for my welding was from P.G. & E. , I was classified as a combination welder, gas, arc/stick, Mig/Tig... Stainless & Cast iron included for work at the many power plants. I left when I started college. I needed to make more money than what P.G. & E. was paying at the time $6.15...

Reason I asked was that a top master diver was drowned in a pipe out in the Mare Island straights while I was working at MINSY.

[Todd Wilson]

What is the exact dangers in underwater welding?  Is it electric shock  or simply being in the water with risks of drowning or being crushed by pipes and equipment?!


Todd

[Rolling_Thunder]

as my Marine friend told me about when he went to Combat diver course....     "After the instructor tells you how to do ANYTHING...      at the end of the sentence is 'or you'll die'".  it is just an overall dangerous environment.

[mauve66]

as my Marine friend told me about when he went to Combat driver course....     "After the instructor tells you how to do ANYTHING...      at the end of the sentence is 'or you'll die'".  it is just an overall dangerous environment.

combat driver??? i drove in combat but i survived...........

[el dub]

What is the exact dangers in underwater welding?  Is it electric shock  or simply being in the water with risks of drowning or being crushed by pipes and equipment?!


Todd

[/


The danger isn't in the welding, its in the diving. The bends. Also depends on if its deep water or not.

[derailed]

What is the exact dangers in underwater welding?  Is it electric shock  or simply being in the water with risks of drowning or being crushed by pipes and equipment?!


Todd

From what I learned through a friend of mine that does this its the electric shock part that is very dangerous. Im sure with proper training and some common sense the risk can be minimal like anything else. The guy I know started doing it back around 90 and was making awesome money then working 6 or 7 months a year.

[PocketThunder]

What is the exact dangers in underwater welding?  Is it electric shock  or simply being in the water with risks of drowning or being crushed by pipes and equipment?!


Todd

From what I learned through a friend of mine that does this its the electric shock part that is very dangerous. Im sure with proper training and some common sense the risk can be minimal like anything else. The guy I know started doing it back around 90 and was making awesome money then working 6 or 7 months a year.

I worked with a guy when i lived in Chicago who would dive every weekend in Lake Michigan and he would go explore many ships sunk off Milwaukee and nearby areas.  My friend said the most popular risk was ascending too fast and getting the bends.   

[stripedelete]

I would tend to stay away from any proffression that can get you "sucked down a damn pipe".   Can't think of a more horrible way to go. 

There are plenty other dangerouse jobs (with combat pay) that will kill you more humanely.   

[last426]

I would tend to stay away from any proffression that can get you "sucked down a damn pipe".   

It wasn't a damn pipe, it was a dam pipe.  He was about 100 feet under water working on the dam and  a worker mistakenly opened the valve.  The pipe progressively got smaller and he got extruded. His name was Jack Browson.  I got certified in Reno and Jack dove all over. Kim

[stripedelete]

I would tend to stay away from any proffression that can get you "sucked down a damn pipe".   

It wasn't a damn pipe, it was a dam pipe.  He was about 100 feet under water working on the dam and  a worker mistakenly opened the valve.  The pipe progressively got smaller and he got extruded. His name was Jack Browson.  I got certified in Reno and Jack dove all over. Kim

He lived?

[PocketThunder]

I would tend to stay away from any proffression that can get you "sucked down a damn pipe".   

It wasn't a damn pipe, it was a dam pipe.  He was about 100 feet under water working on the dam and  a worker mistakenly opened the valve.  The pipe progressively got smaller and he got extruded. His name was Jack Browson.  I got certified in Reno and Jack dove all over. Kim

He lived?

Um nope...

At any rate, it is a good job from what I have heard.  The guy who certified me died doing it.  Got sucked into a dam pipe he was working on.  But he lived a good life.  Kim

[stripedelete]

I would tend to stay away from any proffression that can get you "sucked down a damn pipe".   

It wasn't a damn pipe, it was a dam pipe.  He was about 100 feet under water working on the dam and  a worker mistakenly opened the valve.  The pipe progressively got smaller and he got extruded. His name was Jack Browson.  I got certified in Reno and Jack dove all over. Kim

He lived?

Um nope...

At any rate, it is a good job from what I have heard.  The guy who certified me died doing it.  Got sucked into a dam pipe he was working on.  But he lived a good life.  Kim

[/quote]
I got certified in Reno and Jack dove all over. Kim
[/quote]

Um, the above quote threw me as to the final outcome.   

Not making light of the loss and sorry about damn vs dam.  But, at the end of the day, "got sucked into a pipe and extruded" and "it is a good job", threw me as well.   

[Rolling_Thunder]

as my Marine friend told me about when he went to Combat driver course....     "After the instructor tells you how to do ANYTHING...      at the end of the sentence is 'or you'll die'".  it is just an overall dangerous environment.

combat driver??? i drove in combat but i survived...........

Haha    nice -  typo...    Combat DIVER ---    has been fixed.   

[Ponch ®]

I would tend to stay away from any proffression that can get you "sucked down a damn pipe".   

It wasn't a damn pipe, it was a dam pipe.  He was about 100 feet under water working on the dam and  a worker mistakenly opened the valve.  The pipe progressively got smaller and he got extruded. His name was Jack Browson.  I got certified in Reno and Jack dove all over. Kim

That's a pretty dam horrible way to go.

[last426]

That's a pretty dam horrible way to go.

Yeah, I guess it depends on how fast the valve was opened.  If it was electric and opened fast, okay.  If it was some guy yanking slowly on a valve, not so good.  There was a lot of head pressure at 100 feet under.  Jack was a gas.  He was a pharmacist, ran the SCUBA shop in Reno, and did pro diving.  I don't know if it's still so but back then (1975) scuba shop guys and hobie cat shop guys had sort of groupies that hung around all the time.  Jack had fun with all. 

The best story I have out of it was once we were diving and scrapping the moss off the tiny motel pool that we had done much of our training in (heck, we got free air and just loved being underwater).  So this was a sleazy 4th Street motel and me and my buddy surfaced only to find a "dancer" in a leather bikini sunning herself.  We started talking and she said she used an IUD for protection and the IUD had some fishing line so she could make sure it was in place.  Anyone wanna go fishin', she asked? One of a few invitations I was too dumb or scared to follow up on. 

Be good Jack -- it was a fun time.  Kim.

[Patronus]

I knew an underwater welder through another friend, said he saw something starring back at him and never went down again.
You got balls son..

[Vainglory, Esq.]

I would tend to stay away from any proffression that can get you "sucked down a damn pipe".   

It wasn't a damn pipe, it was a dam pipe.  He was about 100 feet under water working on the dam and  a worker mistakenly opened the valve.  The pipe progressively got smaller and he got extruded. His name was Jack Browson.  I got certified in Reno and Jack dove all over. Kim

That's a pretty dam horrible way to go.

[timmy]

i know a guy that does  under water welding says he loves it good job he got in to it when he was in the army so he did not have to pay for the schooling  makes a lot of money