Marine Consultants, LLC

Frequently Asked Questions — Bellingham, WA

How far will you travel from Bellingham, WA, and why does the travel line sometimes make two bids so different?

Survey companies quote commercial diving as a crew/spread day rate plus a separate mobilisation charge, which covers moving gear, trucks, and personnel to your site. Distance from Bellingham, WA, plus permits and the schedule window you allow, can dominate that mobilisation line, so compare bids on total cost, not just the day rate.

Can you survey my vessel in the water, or do I have to haul it out?

In-water hull exams are allowed under 46 CFR 71.50-3 (UWILD) for many vessels, but through-hull fittings, shafts, rudders, and stern tubes are often only fully visible in drydock. In-water surveys save time and yard costs but leave those systems partially unobserved; if the damage or condition requires a direct look, the report will have to list a haul-out as a recommended next step. Either way, a commercial diving operation runs a team with a standby diver, never a lone diver.

What certifications and insurance should I confirm before hiring a commercial diving surveyor?

In the U.S., commercial diving operations must comply with OSHA 29 CFR 1910 Subpart T, and most reputable operations also follow ADCI consensus standards for dive supervisors. If the work is on a bridge, the inspection may need an FHWA-NHI qualified team leader to satisfy 23 CFR 650.311 / NBIS. Ask for professional liability and marine general liability coverages; recreational scuba cards like PADI are not commercial qualifications, and the diver will not be working alone.

How do you price a condition or damage survey, and what do I get at the end?

Pricing is typically a commercial diving spread day rate plus a separate mobilisation charge; inspection work may be priced per structure or per substructure unit, while marine construction is unit-priced, per linear foot or per pile. That mobilisation line is the main reason two bids for the same job can look so far apart. The final report, with photographs, annotated findings, and recommendations, is a defined deliverable, so make sure it's in the proposal.