Description
Perform underwater inspection, construction, maintenance, and salvage using surface-supplied air or scuba systems. Operate hand and power tools, cutting and welding gear, and imaging and testing equipment. Support marine, civil, and energy projects while adhering to strict safety and decompression procedures.
- • Communicate with the surface team via tether signals, hardwire, or through-water communications.
- • Plan and follow dive safety procedures; monitor time, depth, gas, and decompression.
- • Inspect, service, and stage helmets, regulators, tanks, umbilicals, harnesses, and gauges.
- • Enter and exit the water using scuba or surface-supplied systems with tender assistance.
- • Review dive plans, drawings, permits, and site conditions before tasks.
- • Inspect and test docks, vessels, intakes/outfalls, pipelines, cables, and sewers using video, NDT, and photography.
- • Repair hulls, piers, pilings, and foundations using caulk, fasteners, and hand tools.
- • Perform underwater cutting and welding using torches, jigs, and supports.
- • Rig and recover objects; attach slings to crane lines and operate winches and derricks under direction.
- • Install pilings, footings, anodes, or structural supports per specifications.
- • Collect samples and imagery to document condition and as-built status.
- • Install, inspect, clean, and repair subsea piping, valves, and fittings.
- • Operate and maintain underwater video, sonar, and recording equipment.
- • Clear obstructions from intakes, launch ways, and strainers using pneumatic or hydraulic tools.
- • Conduct salvage operations, including lifting, patching, and controlled use of explosives when authorized.
- • Place and align cofferdam components, sandbags, or mats to stabilize worksites.
- • Support underwater search, rescue, recovery, and environmental cleanup operations.
- • Mentor and assist other divers and tenders; follow supervisor directions.
- • Perform nondestructive testing (e.g., UT, MPI) on offshore and inshore structures.
- • Drill holes and rig explosives for approved underwater demolition tasks.
- • Remove debris and pollution from waterways.
- • Support offshore oil, gas, or renewable projects by surveying and maintaining subsea assets.
- • Document dive activities, inspections, and maintenance logs.
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Supply Chain & Transportation
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
