Debate: Is dry suit welding cert worth it or just extra cost?

I've been going back and forth on this for a while now. A few guys I work with down in the Gulf swore that getting their dry suit welding cert opened up way more gigs, like pipeline repair and harbor work. But another diver I know up in Alaska says it's just a cash grab from the cert bodies and you learn more on the job with a good tender. Personally, I was skeptical because I dropped $1,200 on a week-long course and the first weld I did under pressure looked like a bird's nest. But after 6 months, I landed a job repairing a lock gate in Seattle that paid triple my usual rate. That experience flipped my view a bit. What's your take on it, did the cert pay off for you or was it a waste?

2 comments

2 Comments

patel.daniel13d ago

I paid $1,200 just like you and my first few wet welds were garbage too. But that cert got me a job fixing bridge pilings in Norfolk that paid for the course ten times over in one month. Did you see better rates after you got it or are you still waiting on that?

the_sam12d ago

Man that's awesome to hear @patel.daniel, gives me some hope honestly. I'm still waiting on my first big job but I know the cert will pay off eventually if I stick with it. Appreciate you sharing how it worked out for you.

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