ABS, DNV and Lloyd's: What 'Class Approved Diver' Means
By Nadia Fournier, Marine surveyor and insurance adjuster. Reviewed by Dana Whitcombe, technical reviewer.
Hull & Bottom Cleaning | Marine Salvage & Recovery Last month I sat in a damp shore office in Le Havre, flipping through a dive contractor's approval folder. The vessel owner pointed to the DNV stamp and said, 'See? Class approved.' I nodded, then asked to see the actual scope of approval. That's where it starts.\n\nThat moment sums up what I do. I read in-water hull surveys and I order them. For marine underwriters, the phrase 'class approved diving contractor' comes up in policy wording all the time. But it's rarely understood. Let me be clear about what it isn't. It isn't a badge a diver wears. It's a company-level approval from ABS, DNV, or Lloyd's Register, given after an audit. The auditing takes weeks. The approval lasts a few years. And it has limits.
What 'Class Approved Diver' Actually Means
Think of it this way: the class society doesn't certify your diver. They certify the company that sends the diver. That includes how they brief the crew, how they calibrate thickness gauges, and how they record video.\n\nEvery approval comes with a scope. It might say 'visual inspection of hull and appendages' or 'ultrasonic thickness measurement at designated points.' Read that scope. I once saw an approval that allowed underwater repairs but not NDT. The contractor offered me both. The difference matters.\n\nThe individual divers still need their own commercial dive certificates, medicals, and NDT tickets. But those are separate from the class approval. A class-approved contractor is a company that has the management systems in place to run reliable survey operations.
ABS, DNV, and Lloyd's: The Big Three Up Close
Each class society runs its own program. ABS calls it 'Underwater Survey in Lieu of Drydocking.' DNV has its in-water survey arrangements in their rules. Lloyd's Register has its own scheme. They have different names and different audit checklists, but the goal is the same: credible underwater survey data.\n\nDon't assume one approval covers another. ABS approval doesn't let you show up at a Lloyd's classed vessel and do the official bottom survey unless Lloyd's specifically accepts it. Sometimes they have reciprocity agreements. More often, they don't. That means you need to check the fine print.\n\nI remember a job in Singapore where the owner had a DNV-approved contractor on a Lloyd's classed vessel. The captain was happy, the divers were good, but the survey would never have been accepted by the class surveyor. We had to redo it with a Lloyd's-approved contractor four days later. The cost was double. Nobody was happy.
What I Look For Before Ordering an In-Water Survey
When I order a survey, I don't just ask for 'a class approved diver.' I ask for the certificate, the scope, and the expiry date. I want to see the diver's own training records and NDT certifications. I want to know what equipment they'll use: a work-class ROV or a diver with a video camera? It makes a difference.\n\nAnother thing I check is the condition of the vessel's class status. If the ship is already in special survey, the rules are different. The class surveyor often has to be on site. The approved contractor's job is to support him, not replace him.\n\nInsurance matters too. The policy may say that any underwater survey must be done by a class approved contractor. If it isn't, the report might not be admissible for a claim. That's a hard lesson for owners who opt for a cheaper guy.
The Limits of Class Approval (and Why It's Still Better than the Alternative)
Class approval is a baseline, not a guarantee. I've seen class-approved contractors take shortcuts. They might skip the calibration log or send a diver who's got a nasal accent in the video. It happens. So I always treat the approval as a necessary condition, not a sufficient one.\n\nBut it's still better than the alternative. A non-approved contractor might be great in the water, but their paperwork is a mess. You can't build a legal case on a mess. The insurance adjuster will tear it apart.\n\nFor a survey that has to stand up in a claim or a class audit, I'll pay a premium for the approved contractor. The pricing model for diving work usually runs by the day, by the hour, or by the project. Class-approved firms charge more because they carry insurance, maintain equipment, and keep their audit status. Give or take a few percentage points, you get what you pay for.
How to Verify a Class-Approved Contractor
The first step is to ask for the approval certificate. It will have a number, an approval date, an expiry date, and a scope. Call the class society to confirm if you need to. I've seen fake certs. I've seen expired certs. It takes ten minutes.\n\nThen check whether the contractor's insurance is still in force. Most class approvals require a minimum of liability coverage, but proof of insurance is separate. Ask for a certificate of insurance.\n\nFinally, look at the dive team themselves. The class approval may be for the company, but the actual work is done by individuals. Ask for the lead diver's commercial dive certification, medical fitness, and any NDT tickets. If the diver's name isn't on the list for the class approval, that's a problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a class-approved diving contractor and a certified diver? A class-approved contractor is a company that has been audited by a classification society (ABS, DNV, Lloyd's) to perform in-water surveys on classed vessels. A certified diver is an individual with commercial diving credentials. The contractor may hire certified divers, but the approval is company-level and includes procedures, equipment, and quality control. Can a contractor approved by one class society work on a vessel classed by another? Not automatically. Each class society has its own approval process. Some have mutual recognition agreements, but that's not universal. Always confirm with the flag state and the vessel's class surveyor before relying on an approval from a different society. What happens if I use a non-approved diving contractor for an in-water survey? The survey may not be accepted for class purposes or for insurance claims. You'll likely have to redo it. And if there's a damage claim, the insurer may reject the report because it doesn't meet the policy wording. How long does a class approval last, and how often is it audited? Usually 2 to 5 years, depending on the class society and the contractor's track record. The contractor is audited periodically, sometimes annually, to maintain the approval. But the scope and limits are printed on the certificate, so check the date and conditions.