Underwater welding with an Mk-21 at dive school (part 1 getting on bottom and starting)

[mortarlover123]

what all did it take for you to become an underwater welder, i was wondering because i do have experience on stick and mig, I took a course in high school and I just signed up for classes at my tech to get my qualification on stick and tig, but i was wondering how to get into the underwater world of welding. If you could respond it would help me a lot. Thank you

[D1stur34nce]

Where is this dive school? I've been researching underwater welding and I can't decide where to enroll

[rockoutwithmyc0ckout]

ha im a tender at mrlin just learn all the equipment and just learn hoiw to use them thats all my advise there's a shit load of machines out there to learn fyi

...!!!!

[VarmintSniper223]

i uh haha as a pipeline welder right now making 65 an hour and 100 a day per diem 5000 a week is good enough for me to buy everything i need

[nater8er411]

@VarmintSniper223 5000 a week huh? what company is that?

[darkbow98]

what age do you have to be to do this??

[rockoutwithmyc0ckout]

the bail out botle is impractical and wrong guys how can he get a hold of it if something goes wrong it was suppose thej or k valve to ur ass nont near ur neck come on guys common sense

[nater8er411]

@rockoutwithmyc0ckout im assuming its on at the bottle and off at the hat...

[ManxAce500]

Is there a demand for underwater welding? I was told that almost everything now a days is pre-fabed on land.

[nater8er411]

@ManxAce500 anything that is welded underwater is a temporary fix. 98% of all commercial diving is just underwater construction work.

[000bubblehead000]

As an add on too. I wouldn't be using that position to weld in. I get right up close 'til my nose tingles! You couldn't see the weld pool from there, that's just a strike an hope for the best job!

[000bubblehead000]

Why would the supervisor tell everyone looking through the viewing ports to wear uv protection? You can't get arc eye looking at the arc through water. The uv gets blocked. Plus if you wear see though / clear glasses on deck, you'll be safe from it too. Fact. Couse, you're still gonna be blinded by the flash! ( years as a commercial diver, the last 3 as a welder in the UK.

[ska8r411]

@hunterziegelmann Hey im in my senior year of high school. And thinking about going to a college in NJ,im in MI,only 5months. Like you I have never welded before. Is this a problem? Or are there others that have never welded? Whats your hourly pay once you get your certification over? Some ppl say $20-$50 a hour. Is this true?? Thanks so much.

[deadreck024]

I was thinking you had a ground problem

[hunterziegelmann]

i'm not well informed of technilogical advances so do underwater divers still use long pipelines/tubes hooked up to air pumps to get air looks like this guy uses a air tank on his back but i also see gas lines or are those alectrical cables?

[lionOFjudah33]

@hunterziegelmann The tank on his back is his reserve air/"bail out bottle". It is only used in an emergency situation. Main air comes from an air compressor top side, down his umbilical, and into the hat. The umbilical is made up of your main air line, communication wires, pneumofathometer (calculates depth), and a strength member.

[Thajeesus]

@hunterziegelmann depending on the job is what rig divers use. Typically for husbandry you have a mk20 or mk21. The 20 is just a face mask basically with coms. They both have long umbilical cords that are connected to an air compressor. The jug on my back is for emergencies. Also in the umbilical there is a penumofathometer which shows your depth. Now you know.

[SG02JATT]

@Thajeesus

average salary ?

[Thajeesus]

@SG02JATT Depends on rank and time in service (I'm in the navy). You go by base pay first an E4 makes about $1800 or $1900 base pay, you'll then get dive pay which is $215 I think and then there is other pays such as demo and special duty incentive if your command gives them to you. Then on top of it all if you're married you'll get BAH which changes depending on location. Ca is more than $1500. You can look up military pay charts if you really want to get knees deep into it.

[310extreme]

@Thajeesus that pay range....is that weekly, monthly? cause yea haha i was planning on joing the navy to as a diver, im already a certified welder (structual steel, pipe, and light gauge)

[Thajeesus]

@310extreme It's a monthly pay. 

[rockoutwithmyc0ckout]

@310extreme its a crash course dont expect to get payed big bucks

[tylershaw85]

i cant wait until i go to school for this

[bryan851000]

it looks like he is having trouble striking an arc, now im not an expert, but is this rod completely covered, bc the rods i use on land, note that i am not a underwater welder, have an open tip so you can strike your arc with ease, i see this fella pressing hard against the metal and even scraping it. so are all underwater rods completely covered?

[Thajeesus]

@bryan851000 The ones we used had a wax covering on them but the problem was they did charge the rod when I told them to. They flipped the wrong switch.

[colonelAC1992]

i currently am a welder at apollo career center and have done this stuff its not alll easy like people assume

[saladdogger]

What is a MK-21?

[Thajeesus]

Its the diving rig.

[ProjectTap]

what can you do for work as an underwater welder? navy? private jobs and contracts? how does the business work?

[xoxoLexiLuv]

this sounds like a cool job. girl or guy.

[Bookrten]

this is cool as hell

[kjkolkowski]

HI! i'm planning to go to a local tech college to get my welding degree, then going to a commercial diving school to get certified in diving. my career goal is to become an underwater welder.

do you know of any good companies that do a lot of underwater welding?

I'm trying to contact some employers before i go through all my schooling.

any help or advice you can give would be greatly appreciated!

thanks!

[Milby20289394bc]

look into navy, or offshore drillin, dont always try and look for a underwater welding comp.

[NorthHuffman]

@kjkolkowski just to let you know there is a huge difference between welding and underwater welding.

[phillygee190282]

@NorthHuffman wot are the major differences because i've done high pressure pipe work for the oil industry,where i had my apprentiship,the underwarter side of thingshas always fancinated me an am just curious.

[gunther6969]

what dive school do you go to?

[Thajeesus]

@gunther6969 Panama City, Fl. Its the only current Navy one open.

[whybelikethat]

This is way cool stuff. Swick.... sweet and sick.

[stropparo]

try this at night in 30 foot seas in 45 degree water. after 5 hours of work at sea level. Ever blow chunks in your mask? Live with it till the job is done.

[ikillednoe]

@stropparo yea thats exactly what i was thinking, they are a tank with out a major current, i am really interested in this as a career path either way