The Scary Job of Cleaning Multi-Billion $ Ships Underwater

Welcome back to the Fluctus Channel for a feature on the exciting and physically challenging world of underwater ship cleaning.

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[jackiecs]

"Some hull cleaning may involve diving to depths that exceed normal diving depths" nope! the biggest ships have a draft of maybe 30 meters, or about 100 feet. That's certainly not shallow, but it's also *definitely* not the realm of saturation divers

[jackiecs]

"most ships are dry docked for their annual maintenance" ummm what? most ships are dry docked every 5-20 years, not annually

[jasonarcher]

I did that for a few years. It was a great gig. I got to travel everywhere the cruise ships go, and finish every work day at an all you can eat buffet. We used water powered machines, that ran off of the ship's firepumps. Much simpler than the big hydraulic carts they're using here.

My favorite spot to work was cozumel. The water was so clear, you felt like an astronaut or something.

[russellwilliams]

Diving in the ocean is EASY, but my job as a 'sewer' diver is where the REAL challenge is at! I mean, I have dived in pipes that were tiny and big. Also, pipe systems that span MILES and are literally like mazes under your feet that you never knew existed, especially in cities like NY, Chicago and Phoenix! I have dived them all and get called to travel the country to do so! Not to mention, the pay! I get paid amazingly well because nobody else will do it and I love it🤣

I find all kinds of treasures and get to keep whatever I pull out. Last year, I found a wedding ring worth 19k, a necklace worth 12k and a prostetic eyeball worth 7k! I do attempt to find the owners of items that are obviously sentimental, but they usually never come forward. Which leaves me to sell them, make a profit and continue adding toys like the helicopter I just bought, so thank you for flushing!

[equalevolution]

I wish I had a fan the size of one of those propellers right now. This heats intense. Lucky ship! Get to travel those lovely freezing cold waters.

[christophergrant]

It's actually once every 5 years a vessel is dry docked plus has other scheduled maintenance procedures in that time frame too

[patiduran]

I have Meglaphobia. Ships freak me out when I get close. I could never do what these guys do

[jubankta]

It’s so incredible we think our lives are the center of it all when there is really so much more that we never see or hear of!!Thank You so much for making this video!!

[art.b]

I’m an underwater painter. When these guys are done cleaning I go down there to spray paint the ship.

[natashapamnani]

These divers are incredibly skilled and are heroes to be willing to do such precarious work; they deserve to be generously compensated.

[sechi]

“If the tide suddenly recedes and the ship slumbs”

Yeah, imagine if the water level should magically drop 10 meter in an instant and the supertanker get grounded. Happens a lot.

[indridcold]

I knew a saturation driver long ago. He got paid extremely well. He always bought his vehicles cash. He planned on retiring at 40 years of age with a substantial amount to live on for the rest of his life.

[aighti]

I don't like swimming next to massive objects in the water such as ships. It's an irrational fear but it's a real one

[wilfredprins]

That intro with the navy ship made me smile.
It remembered me of an event in St Johns, Newfoundland years ago.
We sailed in with our offshore working vessel for some repairs that needed a big crane and a some divers.
The divers came fully suited up in drysuits and dive helmets.
They said the water quality, after many decades of the harbour being the endpoint of sewer pipes, wasn't good.
When finished they rinsed down for a long time before getting out of their diving gear.
The next portcall there were some Dutch and Belgium navy ships inside who were in the area for an exercise.
On the aft of the dutch navy ships divers, navy crew, were getting ready for a propellor inspection. Before getting in there thin wetsuit they were getting buckets of water out of the harbour which they poured over themselves....

(100mtr besides them was a big sign on the quay saying not the swim or fish in the harbour because of the water "quality")

[shellhead]

is it crazy that this is the line of work that I'm trying to get into? This kind of work fascinates me and I love diving. I hope I don't hate it.

[PavloLukashuk]

Yes, the technology of underwater drones is really great and helps, in the case of diagnostics and cleaning! Thanks for content! 👍

[imarcus]

Saturation diver must be the closest job to astronaut!

[danylooo]

This is the kind of work that AI could/should do for us.

[minkles]

People think being a window cleaning takes brass balls but this job would scare me more.... at least being a window cleaner you won't suddenly get attacked by a shark.

[leedurham]

Can be cold hard Yakka, whilst hand scraping a cargo ships rudder I discovered that the hinge pin on the rudder had broken and was protruding around a metre . The crew had wondered why the ship was sluggish on the helm. Our dive company got the job to do a repair so the ship could get to drydock. After using the pneumatic wire brushes on the hull you would find dozens of pieces of wire in your wetsuit.