Hey guys, I wanted to share a quick DM exchange I had with a member recently. It hits on the exact roadblock everyone runs into when trying to land their first offshore start, and I think it’s worth opening up to the room. Here’s the gist of the message I got: "Certs are in date, ready to travel at a moment's notice, and I’m hitting up recruiters and companies constantly. But 99% of the time, it’s total radio silence or getting left on read on WhatsApp. Is this just the reality now? I know the old heads used to just sit in ports and ask for work, but everything feels different online." My response: Even with 15 years offshore, I still deal with the same thing. On my last swing home, I hit up three companies who advertised open slots and got back exactly one automated reply saying the slot was filled. The days of door-knocking or cold-calling are basically dead. It’s a pure numbers game now. When you're hunting, you have to treat finding work like a full-time job—sending out targeted emails to dozens of companies every single week and following up ruthlessly until you get a hard no, chasing that one YES. The real shortcut is the network. A personal recommendation bypasses the HR filters and crewing agents entirely and goes straight to the desk of the guy actually running the job. I want to throw this out to the guys in here who are currently working offshore: How are you actually locking down contracts in 2026? If you’ve got a foot in the door recently, what worked for you? Is it cold emails, LinkedIn, or just knowing the right guy on the job? Drop your advice below—let’s get some real, practical advice together for the guys trying to crack this nut.

Let's build out a global pay rate range. In the e-book I wrote, I flat-out refused to print a day rate. The second I write "$X is how much you'll earn in this industry," it's already wrong for someone — wrong country, wrong sector, wrong year. But let's be honest about who that silence actually serves: the only people who win when divers don't talk numbers are the ones signing the cheques. Some of these outfits are still paying 2013 rates and counting on you not knowing any better, or so desperate for a job, you'll accept nearly anything. So I'll go first. All cards on the table. Me — offshore sat, one of the majors out of the Middle East: $500 USD/day, door to door +$30/hr, in what's usually a 25–27 day sat 3–4 sats a year The offshore air diving guys are on around $350–450 USD depending on experience. The untypical bit for this part of the world that nobody mentions: my company covers every ticket renewal and all my training apart from my annual dive medical. That's rare as hen's teeth out here, and over a career it's worth more than a few dollars on the day rate. Do the maths on what you bleed on recerts and travel before you compare headline numbers. The other end of the same gulf — some companies out here run $420 / $20 for sat work, half rate while you're travelling, and you cover your own renewals. They'll often give you more sats a year (+5-ish), so it's never a clean apples-to-apples. And back home — inshore New Zealand sits around $450–550 NZD/day, depending on the company/project. 4 completely different realities in the "same" industry. I want to build the real picture — a proper rate map for the people staring down a $30k decision to do a dive course with no clue what's actually waiting on the other side. So here's the ask. Drop yours below — ballpark's fine, round the numbers, no need to name the company. •Region / country: Sector + level (inshore / offshore air / sat — and your ticket): •Day rate + currency (state which — e.g. USD / NZD / GBP / NOK):

Hey divers Time for a new wetty jacket and all the good ones here in Aus have hoods on them. Last few I’ve just chopped them with scissors, but wondering if there are any tricks for a neater seam/cut eg hot knife?? Or neoprene tape etc… what do you guys do?

Company: K Subsea Group Location: Nigeria ​ K Subsea is building its Air Diving team for upcoming offshore scopes in Nigeria. They are looking to connect early with experienced personnel open to opportunities in the West Africa region. ​ Roles Needed: -​ Air Dive Superintendent ​- Air Dive Supervisor ​- Air Diver How to Apply: Email: [email protected] Details: Send your CV, availability, and expected rate. ​ This is a proactive recruitment drive for a major regional expansion in West Africa. If you have solid offshore experience and are interested in the Nigerian sector, get your details in now to be part of the team-building phase. I would say this would be particularly interesting for the South Africa crew here or those looking for a start offshore.

So I'm wanting to step outside the US to work. Specifically South Africa or Australia. I have a family and specialize in Marine Construction. Anyone American Divers have any experience navigating this transition? I've looked into the DCBC - Adas crossover and understand it, but after that I'm alittle confused with the citizenship part for Australia and getting the work visa. As for South Africa I wasn't able to come up with a solid route of getting in. All information is welcomed.