The Importance of Commercial Diving in the Shipping Industry

Thailand is surrounded by water; the southwestern shoreline meets the Indian Ocean, and the eastern shoreline borders the Gulf of Thailand of the Pacific Ocean. This itself opens up an avenue for water-related work and maintenance.

 

A commercial diver at work in Thailand.

However, these tasks can't be carried out by regular people; we need a highly knowledgeable and trained specialist to perform these operations. This is where commercial divers come to play.

 

What Do Commercial Divers Do?

Commercial diving is a broad term that covers the arena of underwater workers spanning over a wide range of industries:

Energy – Installation and maintenance of offshore oil, gas, and wind platforms and pipelines

Environmental – Aquatic biological research and exploration

Civil - Construction, installation, maintenance, and demolition of bridges, piers, ports and dams

Military - Armed forces, search and rescue

Shipping – Ensuring the smooth sailing of all variety of vessels, such as cargo and containerized trade ships, ferries and cruise ships, and leisure vessels such as yachts and sailboats

 

This blog will talk about the role and importance of commercial diving in the shipping industry today:

Some of the main tasks of a commercial diver in the shipping industry are:

1. In-water surveys with CCTV video recordings, voice communications, and HD photography

2. Hull cleaning and propeller polishings

3. Assessing the extent and cause of damages

4. Damage repairs and remedial work such as replacing underwater navigational equipment or anodes

5. Underwater welding, manufacturing, and installation of cofferdams or affixing doubler plates to control leaks

6. Conducting various tests such as Magnetic Particle Inspections, Ultrasonic Thickness measurements, or Cathodic Potential readings

 

 

Commercial diver welding underwater in Thailand

Why Are Commercial Divers Important? 

Keeping in mind the tasks mentioned above, commercial divers help protect our vessels and marine life. Above all, divers remain important as they allow work to be carried out in the water while the ship is still afloat. This eliminates the need for ships to be surfaced or dry-docked, saving enormous amounts of time and resources.

 

Addiontially, divers can inspect the ships and boats to check for any problems not visible from the surface, such as leakages, to avoid any detrimental effects on marine life. Even a minor spill of pollutant substances can spread substantially through the water, causing detrimental damage to the surrounding area via a leakage; this is why commercial divers do regular inspections and repairs to repair any damage. 

 

Commercial divers also help ensure all ships that enter and exit the area comply with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Biofouling Guidelines; this helps protect and conserve natural resources. Ensure every vessel reduces fuel consumption and protects and conserves natural resources.

 

Thai Subsea Services is one of Thailand's best underwater ship service providers who ensure your ship's well-being.  They’re know for their underwater hull cleaning and biofouling removal services and offer other ship maintenance services, such as ship and subsea welding and propeller polishing services, at competitive prices.

 

Get in touch with the team for a free quote and more information on their services.

 

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