Underwater Welding: Couple things you need to know

[@shutupandcolor]

That's why I got my Degree in underwater basket weaving.

[@jameshunter2025]

Smart guy here

[@ukasz1294]

🤣🤣

[@teenagebrains8187]

Your teacher told you that to😂😂

[@J86_918]

No way i could’ve done that?! Shit 😪 I just got a degree in underwater processing we make Underwater puppy pads and absorbent sheets…. Business hasn’t been great 😞

[@jamesrichards7234]

Mine is in underwater fire-supression

[@johnherlan6875]

My father was an underwater welder. His ship was hit during the battle Midway. Him and another welder was lowered down the side of the ship and a crane lowered a piece of metal the size of a mattress. He told me he could hear and feel his ship firing it's large cannons and other artillery and could hear the the Arial combat while the two patched their ship. He was also a salvage diver after the war where he also did a lot of underwater welding. I know this is a welding video but I am very proud of my father's accomplishments and contributions to our country, fighting in WWII and the Korean War, I'm equally disappointed that people consider the Kardashians as heroes but couldn't begin to tell you who a real hero is.

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

Respects to your dad man 🫡🫡

[@AngelLuisEspada1970]

😊

[@despairthewumbo9804]

Your dad is the man

[@JT0007]

🫡🇺🇸🇬🇧

[@Jesshoo-x8f]

Respect 🫡

[@McKlunkers]

I once knew a wet-welder who worked on rigs in the North Sea off the Scottish coast. I asked him if he enjoyed the work and he said not particularly, but he enjoyed having three houses and a villa in Spain.

[@That_dawg420]

Can i get some more information?

[@ZigzagEnd]

as an underwater fireman i approve of this message

[@NoLgbtNoRacism]

Tf bro😂😂

[@chief5981]

Interesting. I’m an underwater wet nurse.

[@danielanderson2030]

Its not a myth. It just aint exactly common practice in wyoming 😂 its not easy to get in to but the pay is good and work is consistent with the right company.

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

Yeah yeah

[@thedreamteam4u]

​@@WesternWeldingAcademy broco/ burning or cutting is most of what goes on. Underwater demo after hurricanes is where the money is. Welding underwater is still used but not as much because it's not as stable or clean and a surface weld that can be lowered into the water.

[@d.b.o.c.6852]

Thats absolutely true

[@d.b.o.c.6852]

​@@WesternWeldingAcademy only kids wear your hoods😂

[@FlatOutNorth]

@@d.b.o.c.6852 LOL the shop I’m on literally has a brand new green kid rocking one

[@mikegrok]

I am guessing you don’t live near the Gulf of Mexico. I know an underwater welder who goes down as often as he is allowed.

[@dominickjustave3558]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@francislutz8027]

Does he charge by the inch or by the lb?

[@Andy-pr5be]

There are plenty of diving schools in texas and the gulf

[@whosapickle]

Didnt you know? Wyoming is known for its aquatic features.

[@badnrad]

That's what THEY want you to think

[@Anonymous8317]

I know for a fact all those offshore rigs need welded sometimes in salt water…

[@toxicflicks1928]

Yup sometims, usually very few times a year not a enough times to make it your dedicated career it's a lot of training and obviously very dangerous that being said I'm sure it pays plenty and you'd probably be amongst some of the top welders

[@jonathanwright5550]

Yep and it's unrealistic to expect a company to employee a kid that went straight from high school to weld school

[@Wtfinc]

This the stuff i wanna do. Also high up.

[@xavier1964]

Yeah, they are usually welded by robots, not divers

[@idontwannamakeagoogleaccou1033]

Me when the offshore rig needs welded:

[@irishn8]

I know a few people who did it for a living, one still does. Its super dangerous, thats why it pays so well.

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

High risk high reward ig 🤷‍♂️

[@Khan-1738]

When it’s got you, it’s got you

[@TippyIsCool]

@@Khan-1738delta p video comes to mind

[@dendrosity]

What makes underwater welding so dangerous?

[@irishn8]

@@dendrosity water and electricity.

[@jacobdeloach7012]

i live near the port of Baltimore i guarante you get a job wet welding that day

[@Titantitan001]

Lol, im guessing you dont work then?

[@TurtTheGreat]

​@@Titantitan001Lovely comment, added to the discussion perfectly. Your mom and uncle must be proud.

[@mrOGbobbyjohnson]

Did u see a lotta bodies in the Baltimore water👀

[@therealman2016]

@@Titantitan001I’m guessing your still living in your moms House?

[@Titantitan001]

@@therealman2016 old dr pepper bottling facility with two units and my shop and bed downstairs. Union construction.

[@mherrmann81687]

My Scuba instructor was a wet welder, especially for deep water, with a multi-tank trimix system plus welder.... he got called out once every few years or so, thats it. I mostly remember bc his assistant instructor had to take over for a week or so when he happened to get a call out to an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

[@patrickmartin2689]

How much did he get paid for one gig though 🤔🤔😁😁✌✌

[@mherrmann81687]

@@patrickmartin2689 I don't remember if I ever asked... I took the class a little over a decade ago. The real question is who gets paid more, the wet welder OR the dive partner who watches out for sharks with a spear gun?

[@patrickmartin2689]

@@mherrmann81687 oh shyt didn't know that part 🤯🤯😳😳😫😫😭😭

[@chungadin]

If he's diving scuba "multitank tri-mix" he is probably a liar!

[@mherrmann81687]

@@chungadin 2 tanks of tri-mix... what's so outlandish about that? Trimix is just the next level of special blend air above the nitrox that I am certified for. Which all that means is that they re-balance the pressurized air that they put in your tank with pure gases to accommodate deeper and longer dives with (iirc) better oxygen absorption and less risk of the Benz. But this doesn't remove the need for a safety stop, everything is treated the same as a typical scuba setup; which is compressed air straight out of the atmosphere. However with mixed air, you might find that you don't feel as worn out or that your tank seems to last a little longer. (At least in my experience with nitrox)

[@igglybiggly6951]

Had a buddy work as an underwater welder in the early 90's for the shipping company Maersk....he made BANK and retired to the Bahamas after 18 years with them

[@jerrybanley7695]

Retired after 18 years doesn’t sound like “bank” to me. How about making millions after 10 years. Now that’s what I’m talking about!

[@igglybiggly6951]

@@jerrybanley7695 Living the dream life in the Caribbean running a bar and not a care in the world sounds sweet to me

[@davidmaly6606]

​@@jerrybanley7695the average American works 40+ years and is lucky of they get to retire. Moving to the Bahamas and being financially independent after 18 years sounds like a dream.

[@RediTtora]

It's a different world back then

[@barrysotero98]

This is exactly the kind of person you want to avoid in your life bc all they’ll ever do is drag you down to their level and keep you there until you rinse your mouth out with a shotgun and then they have to find a new underling.

[@chrism3743]

Find the path. 🙌🏽

[@alaefarmestatesllc]

Bingo

[@bigluisjayrogan]

Yet here you are doing the exact same thing 🙄

[@MrTheclevercat]

Yeah if you imagine that you can have a great career doing anything you want then you totally can be. If you also surround yourself with delusional people who also won't succeed you'll totally be better off. Good luck kid.

[@jaysmith9737]

There are only about an estimated 50,000 container ships that will never leave the water again.

[@DonKeecock]

I wanted to be a welder when I was in high school but my Dad insisted I attend University rather than go into the trades. Now I work for the federal government and watch youtube 8 hours a day making $50 a hour.

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

Good for you

[@micahbowman4013]

Thank your Dad!

[@micahbowman4013]

What is your Degree in?

[@DonKeecock]

@@micahbowman4013 Physical Anthropology.

[@legendmaster1989]

@@DonKeecockwhat do you do? The irs?

[@mattgaming8717]

Facts. Dry docks are more common for work now. Good advice here. Very good info.

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

No doubt!

[@Pinkielover]

There's actually plenty, you just need to be the elite

[@halfhitchholloway9129]

Literally be wet.

[@randallrogers8183]

It’s true. Underwater welding occurs but it’s rare and it’s almost never structural.

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

💯

[@danielcuellar5718]

Underwater basket weaving is another story. That industry is BOOMIN!

[@mikezilla4053]

I know a guy who does it.. gets paid $500 hr. He was a navy seal. (Chicago) tons of work out on the west coast and oil rigs.

[@iland95]

I have a good friend who tried out underwater welding for about a year. He’s about 6’3” 285 lbs and told me one of the contractors just simply told him, “we don’t have any wet suits that fit you, and you’re too big and take up too much space in our sub” lol He eventually came back to the refineries with us in Houston.

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

When being tall becomes a hindrance 😅

[@CaptianCaleb]

first off, if your doing under water welding you would be using a dry suit. do some research.

[@A_Lemon_Party]

@@CaptianCaleb You can wet weld in a dry suit, in a wet suit, in a hot water suit, or in board shorts under coveralls. YOU do some research.

[@tophernuttle420]

I'm 6'5 280#s and learned I was never a contortionist welder/operator...😂😅 Yawl smidgen folk got your entire world designed just for you...😂😅

[@bch5513]

@@tophernuttle420 yup. I'm "only" 6'2" and have all kinds of neck problems from having to look down on tables and things I'm working on for long hours with everything built for a max of 5'10".

[@DonnyDarko287]

As a current diver in the field I can vouch for that. Very few companies do it on a regular basis. Phoenix international is one that is the main stay for wet welding. Ucc does have some wet welding jobs nut not many. Mainly just flange work and your basic construction

[@ponypowertrucking]

All of the underwater welding is working for Ports, large global ports where you generally have to be good enough to get invited or know someone

[@halfhitchholloway9129]

Pad eyes yo tenders do that

[@soulfulgeocatcher]

Do you think welding with the seawalls are going to take off to "protect cities" will take off.

[@JoaquinLucero22420]

Also underwater welders have the highest fatality rate. More than any other occupation. Also underwater welders have a significantly shorter lifespan than most other occupations/careers. I heard somewhere that the average underwater welder dies around age 45

[@Bear1097]

Thankfully the underwater roofing business is more resilient

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

🙏🙏

[@shanewestphal1557]

Very true. You are a mostly commercial diver/underwater construction. There is welding work but the competition for these jobs is high and requires a lot of experience.

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

right!

[@Moelester692]

I do wet welding in the port of Los Angeles . Average 1200-1300 min minimum a day . Usually only work for 3-4 hours . Hard to get into but was worth it .

[@theslaminator]

All I see is, it is hard to get into but no info on what to do. Please share the ropes of becoming a wet welder!

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

😯

[@shaun-o4360]

​​@@WesternWeldingAcademy I'm Australian I did my ADAS SSBA P1, 2, 3 plus closed bell and all prerequisites. I guess I got lucky as almost all of our population is near the coasts.

[@Swagnificient]

How often are you home???

[@Moelester692]

@@Swagnificient everyday I live in the port town San Pedro , we serve the port . It’s like a 5 -10 minute drive for me most days

[@metermeasure]

This is true. Underwater basket weaving is a much more practical and safe occupation

[@ianalderson5133]

My grandfather was a underwater welder for the army. Among other things. Man the stories he told still have me captivated today

[@lightdarkskin358]

California has a couple places that offer jobs for wet welding. It's not common place but it's out there

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

Thanks for sharing

[@juggernautjim7719]

A friend of mine was an underwater welder, he did a lot of it but worked for the welland canal lock system in ontario.

[@julianalfonso6436]

“I’ve never done it , so neither can you”

[@josemartinezz9152]

Sounds about right but this dude lives in wyoming witch is i like a desert if you where on the coast there are tons of underwater welding jobs

[@Solostylevids]

Yep I had the same thought process and that’s when I learned what a dry dock is

[@curtwarkentin2887]

When I worked as a commercial diver I saw one job in about 4 years that involved underwater cutting like this. I believe they were called exothermic rods that were used to do the cut. Pain in the tail because it wasn't big open space. And no special pay either... For us it was just another job.

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

😮

[@josephlaffan4727]

thats good to know cuz i thought there was alot of work with wet welding

[@Joe-cl8ne]

Hey my friend keep up the good work, this younger generation needs direction 👏

[@i8764theKevassitant]

Its almost all topside or bell work. You get a dry habitat around the work and you get to work. Its really nepotistic too and i feel like alot people dont think about it. Most companies that do this stuff have a list of close friends and guys waiting for an opening.

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

Gotta keep this in mind 👌

[@seancarriere8643]

Depends slick. Out in the GoM there's very little welding. Near shore and ship husbandry does it alone. But your big ass ain't swimming no ship.

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

Yeah there are factors

[@LeonMortgage]

I appreciate this. Lots of kids asking about it

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

anytime!

[@AsianManZan]

This man is 110% correct. I followed the same pipe dream. First of all there’s no such thing as an underwater welder. We are commercial divers who sometimes weld. Welding is like 10% of our job. We are glorified construction workers who start off at $18 an hour in the Gulf of Mexico as tenders and if you are looking for a badass job go be a roughneck. That’s where I started. Wish I stuck with it!

[@A-A-Ron95]

My welding instructor worked for the department of defense. He would set bolts for the anchor chain to attach to, to moor the ships.

[@davidstrickler6570]

this is a story from my youth.i am 59 now. i trained when i was 13 padi certified. my instructor was semi retired. he did one oil rig job. six months of welding. insteaf of pay he took stock options. the well hit big. so he did dive instructing. organized dive trips around the world. and lived comfortably, not lavishly but well.

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

good for him tho

[@82ndAbnVet]

I worked with a guy back in the 90's who did under water welding in Alaska on oil rigs. He said the pay sounded good, but the problem was that you couldn't work a full 8 hour shift. You only worked a couple of hours at a time, and you were lucky if you got 6 hours a day. On top of that, the company he worked for took money off the top for rent and food. In the end, he was bringing home less money than he did welding in a weld shop on land. That was why he ended up in our shop as a welder.

[@Axle-Mackwithasinglestack]

At the river terminal and repair facility I worked at. Underwater welding happens 3 to 5 times a month, maybe a few hours to 1 days time. Mainly barges, and occasionally boats, some specialized projects also

[@michaelchartier4056]

That is the honest truth I know from experience. And you make more welding topside.

[@ronaldweasley6175]

you want underwater welding your best bet is enlisting with the navy as a diver. you’ll do more than just welding (a lot more) but you’ll probably end up welding the most than any job private without a huge stroke of luck

[@hyenascreech2183]

There is. One of my buddies worked in Alaska on oil rigs underwater for 15 years

[@pambrown6260]

Good information for young people without life experience

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

Thanks

[@thomasvincent9220]

All the people who tell you to get into under water welding they think they paying you to weld, but they are actualy paying you to maybe get sucked into a pipe.

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

yikes 💀

[@TheOfficialFloridaMan]

Idk what youre talkin about, my brother went into underwater welding in the Navy straight out of highschool and hes doing great

[@ceriedwards991]

A high school (1989)chum went from high school to welding to underwater welding. He lucked out also. He got into it when a big project came up across the pond. He may have made enough $$$$$$ to retire( partially because no more work) but his health went to shit after that contract. His dream job ruined his short life.

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

Oof

[@joshhiggins8132]

What did the job do to him?

[@ceriedwards991]

@@joshhiggins8132 I believe it had something to do with decompression

[@Kembledonn]

I heard that underwater welding is one of the best payed works in Japan

[@bubsduh9293]

My buddy got straight outta high school and went straight to underwater im pretty sure the company he worked for paid his college and did his training what not during that time

[@darkJohnSmith]

I see lots of jobs available for waterfront and underwater welding here in the free state of Florida.

[@pizza1530]

When i finished high school, 1st thought wasnt underwater welding Instead welding IN SPACE

[@Lotek117]

My buddy went on to full time underwater welding right after the army! He was already trained and competent in welding and scuba diving, so when he got out he just went to school for a few months on the actual underwater welding part to put the two skills together. The big thing is you need to either own setup or get hired by a bridge builder or oil rig. He started with bridges for a couple years and then moved on to oil rigs..

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

thanks for the info!

[@AZ-kr6ff]

100% of what you just said is wrong. 😂

[@evo2669]

If all you want to do is weld then work is sporadic, but if you get on with a dive company that does all kinds of underwater work…construction, recovery, inspections, etc you’ll have consistent work. Being able to wet weld is just a way to get your foot in the door.

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

good point

[@georgespalding7640]

Yeah there's got to be a big demand for that in Arizona and New Mexico.

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

yea amazing

[@archieletsyouknow5508]

💯Fact.

[@jaimehart901]

Yeah of course not alot in Wyoming/Midwest. But I average 3 jobs a week underwater on the east coast

[@erat91]

Maybe it depends on geographical location, working divers here in Michigan are pretty common. But they do it all, welding is just one aspect of it.

[@SATHyperbarics]

I’ve been welding subsea for 15 years. There’s loads of work around. Fuck the noise, chase your dreams.

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

Chase your dreams indeed

[@HSFAlex]

You’ve got to be pretty damn good in order to get in to underwater welding in the first place. And secondly, you may have to travel overseas to get a shot at it, depending where you live.

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

True that

[@thebrewster]

Right.. that's why my neighbor worked across state(Washington) multiple times a month

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

😮

[@voltagedoesit1136]

If you somehow end uo on a ship.. take the fisherman route. Just starting you can make 10k+/month per 3 month contract as a green horn and from there it can move up to atleast 20k+ just as dangerous if you like the thrill but the pay is just as/if not more than substantial. Only thing is you have to be lucky enough to get the opportunities

[@bjrnibsen3236]

Well go to Denmark. Im a commercial diver inshore and i do litterally weld a couple of times a week

[@johnratajczak1]

Whoever I tell someone who know nothing about welding that ima welder, they always say, “I hear underwater welders make a lot of money”

[@someone9906]

Nothing against welders, but it seems like welding is the new dream career for kids who don’t want to go to school just because it looks the coolest on instagram. There’s a lot of trades out there, don’t be afraid to get your feet wet in something that doesn’t look as glamorous watching from your iPhone.

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

Agreed

[@bigchungus1865]

Definitely still plenty of it. A buddy of mine does it for 4months on and 4months off, and so son and he’s making 250k a year with plenty of other guys and also told me he can get me on but idk how I feel about leaving friends and family.

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

they’re part of the small percent

[@db6169]

My uncle did it when he was in the navy he has pictures and stories to boot so I doubt it’s a myth but extremely unlikely you’ll be able to find and secure a job underwater welding

[@Joe-cl8ne]

Nice, good to be honest with the younger guys.. RESPECT

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

Thank you

[@funkycoldmedina32]

These are the kind of show and tell people we need at schools

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

I know right

[@Jerryattrickliverspottedhands]

Don’t they have you capped on how long you can be one due to its negative affects on bone density?

[@loadedfun4764]

Welding aluminum for marine applications is pretty lucrative.

[@fullmetaljoker666]

Idk i guess it depends on where you live because theres still a pretty big demand in alaska

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

yea maybe

[@kski5432]

When i lived in Florida that was a profession you could get a pention from. I moved back to the midwest and now im that guy.

[@jeremyturner9600]

One of my old bosses said he got certified as one and his first job was sweeping floors so he went with landscaping

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

😮

[@experiment926]

Key word... Anymore.... After the ban of Sub-sea control valves in the oilfield, those days are gone

[@adamlairsey6700]

I can weld, just not under water. But I actually have seen *SEVERAL* ads fpr underwater welder jobs advertised on KZbin, whether they are legit or not I dont know.

[@Jon-6969]

I didn't even know underwater welding was a thing.

[@jodythomas4324]

I was thinking about getting into underwater basket weaving, I head if you can get on one of those jobs in Saudi they pay triple too for these services.

[@Thesac44]

I do a lot of underwater welding when I weld deck on a building after it rains. Don’t say it ain’t practical.

[@Hagendaz97]

I gotta run for 12 minutes at 12km/hr speed and swim non stop for 400 meters just to physically qualify for he commercial dive school. I somehow doubt peter griffin ever thought of that.

[@norsevikingsir4932]

I under water weld weekly.

[@larryclemens1850]

You need to be both a master welder and a master welder.

[@sensusfidelium9510]

Be careful if you go offshore only about 20percent make it to year 2. If you got hurt out there your under the jones act and can get screwed by companies.

[@recoveringmillennial9695]

My cousin did under water welding until his spotter wondered off. He ran out of oxygen and his supervisor found him just in time to pull him up and resuscitate him.

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

I hope he’s ok!

[@recoveringmillennial9695]

@@WesternWeldingAcademy He is, he quit after that though.

[@PaulSharp-l6k]

Only practical if you enjoy diving and do it as a hobby. Make a couple bucks here and there.

[@Crash007-bz1cz]

Thank you brother from saving me from a whole degree of mistakes😂💯

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

Glad I could help

[@MoonmanSpacejam]

Dude, he’s full of shit. I know lots of people that underwater weld. Especially living in Louisiana and working off shore

[@Sledheadsxx]

Gotta go back when my dad was doing it he would gone for months

[@bebo5558]

Sometimes called, "nitch welding" the more specific, the less chance you're gonna be employed!

[@BuckingFastard]

Lol, I live on the gulf coast and it’s pretty freaking common down here, hand.

[@Shadoefax760]

Sir I can promise you that no high school student is getting outta high school thinking about welding

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

lmao that’s when you’re wrong 🤣

[@Shadoefax760]

@@WesternWeldingAcademy lol I was hoping y'all would see that 😭😭😭

[@UtubeBon]

Should have explained that they use hyperbaric chambers now to simulate a dry environment

[@jbud7826]

Hes probably one them welders that has 20 years experience but only works 6 months out year and allways on his cell phone half time and only works 3 days a week 😅

[@imak1454]

True, but still a good skill to have when it's needed it's needed

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

Exactly 💯

[@francislutz8027]

I live in north east Florida on the coast. There is a welding school here and they recently began advertising and teaching underwater welding. Not sure about Wyoming, but I would imagine the market is better here for underwater welders.

[@damagedr6943]

My boy literally went to commercial welding school and got an underwater gig immediately. He’s been on oil rigs for the last 9 months straight making that money. This guys a loon lol

[@Spoofff]

My buddy's older sister just moved down to Florida to be an underwater welder lmfao. She said they were extremely desperate for people.

[@mattiasrenhult5316]

If you live in Norway you have a lot of work on oil platforms

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

😳

[@RedneckBeach]

I live on the outer banks and they have plenty of underwater welding jobs here. This guy needs to get out of his area to see them.

[@michaelwolf1377]

Do it anywhere in the bay area bro

[@splinterdavies1644]

My Son is a wet welder. There is a lot of wet welding. Healthy young Men and Women can always find jobs. Get the welding done, then dive corse then wet.

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

Happy for him

[@lonner98]

After getting out of the navy, I wet to DIT in Seattle. It's a commercial dive school. A great one at that. Unfortunately, not much employment in commercial diving. In 2012 it was a pretty flooded market, no pun intended. Awesome industry, if you can get sustainable employment.

[@WesternWeldingAcademy]

Nice thanks

[@9mmking601]

Boats are still being maintained right? RIGHT!?