Episode 02
In-Water Surveys: What Owners Can And Cannot Avoid
How an in-water survey is planned and run during a commercial port call: class coordination, inspection scope, safety isolations, and where the method reaches its limits.
- Duration
- 11 min
- Published
- 08 May 2026
01Listen
Episode player
Episode audio· 11 min
02Takeaways
Key points from this episode
- An in-water survey can satisfy some class intermediate or renewal requirements during a cargo port call, subject to the society's acceptance.
- Propulsion, thrusters and sea suctions are isolated and locked out before any diver enters the water.
- Shaft withdrawal, major steel renewal and full coating renewal remain dock work.
- Survey documentation and any non-destructive testing results are what the class society and technical manager use to decide whether a drydocking is actually required.
03Structure
Chapters and editorial team
- Chapters
- 00:00 — Scope And Context Of In-Water Surveys
- 01:27 — Preparation And Operational Planning
- 02:50 — Coordination With Stakeholders
- 04:15 — Methods, Tooling, And Inspection Equipment
- 05:40 — Structural And Mechanical Inspection Scope Afloat
- 06:59 — Limitations Of Afloat Assessment And Required Dock Work
- 08:22 — Risk Management And Diving Safety
- 09:46 — Documentation, Class Acceptance, And Decision-Making
- Speakers
- USG technical editors — Editorial and technical review
04Related
Continue
Capability
Maritime Shipping Support
In-water services for seagoing vessels: hull and propeller cleaning, inspection, underwater repair and assistance in port.
Capability
ROV & Underwater Inspections
Remotely operated vehicle inspection and survey where diver access is restricted or depth requires it.
Malta
USG Malta
Underwater expertise for the Central Mediterranean
Operations & Methods
In-Water Survey Or Drydock: How The Decision Is Actually Made
What an in-water survey can establish during a commercial call, and where a drydock remains unavoidable.
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