Underwater Welding by Diver

Underwater welding is performed while the welder is submerged, often at elevated barometric pressures.  This introduces a variety of challenges that require specialized skills and training that are taught at CDA Technical Institute (formerly Commercial Diving Academy).  Because of the adverse conditions and inherent dangers associated with underwater welding (also known as wet welding) divers must be trained to an exceptionally rigorous standard with highly specialized instruction.

Wet Welding

Welding underwater can be acheived by two methods: wet welding & dry welding. Wet welding entails the diver to perform the weld directly in the water. It involves using a specially designed welding rod, and employs a similar process used in ordinary welding. Here are advantages to wet welding:

• Cheap and fast
• high tensile strength
• ease of access to weld spot
• no habitat
• no construction

Dry Welding / Hyperbaric Welding

Another method of welding underwater is hyperbaric welding or dry welding. Hyperbaric welding is the process by which a chamber is sealed around the structure that is to be welded. It is then filled with a gas (typically mixture of helium and oxygen, or argon), which then forces the water outside of the hyperbaric sphere. This allows for a dry environment in which to perform the weld. Here are some advantages to dry welding:

• welder / diver safety
• higher weld quality
• surface monitoring
• non-destructive testing

Underwater Welding AWS Certification

The underwater welding qualification meets a strict standard and is only achieved by the most dedicated students. It requires successful completion of the practical portion of both the Top-side and the Underwater Welding course and recognizes Underwater Welding Qualifications for Class C fillet weld to AWS D3.6M.

“As a Commercial Diver and Underwater Welder, I have worked all over the world.  I have experienced different cultures, people and environments; I have seen the world from the surface and from the depths of the global seas. Being a commercial diver / underwater welder has afforded me and my family a life style that I can’t imagine that I could have had doing anything else.  From; Wet Welding (underwater) on 42 inch pipelines flowing with jet fuel to the Israeli Army, 9 clicks from the Gaza Strip, in the Mediterranean Sea to; repairing oil rigs off the coast of Peru and Chile, to; salvaging of a 300' / 1000 ton dry dock off the coast of Florida, that once supported and repaired the USS Constitution.  All my ventures into the sea have taught me the need and demand for quality Deep Sea Diver Training.  If you want to be an Underwater Welder, I would encourage you to take advantage of the world renowned, internationally recognized training my school offers and to take ahold of your life now, because "Knowledge is Power" when you choose to venture into the depths of the deep sea.”
“Make it Hot” - Capt. Ray Black

Source :

https://www.commercialdivingacademy.com/underwater-welding.cms