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Showerthought: I always thought a 5 minute bottom time was plenty for a simple hull clean | Commercial Divers - Discusd

Showerthought: I always thought a 5 minute bottom time was plenty for a simple hull clean

Last month on a job in Tampa, my old boss made me switch from a 5 minute plan to a 10 minute one, even for a basic clean. He said the extra time lets you work slower and check every weld spot. After three dives, I saw I was finding way more small issues, like hairline cracks, that I used to miss. Anyone else find that a slower pace actually catches more problems?

3 comments

3 Comments

wren8263mo ago

brookep62 you hit on something I've been thinking about too. That marine surveyor report you mentioned... I remember one diver in Key West telling me he always schedules a full 12 minutes for a hull clean because the first 4 minutes are just his brain catching up to the water conditions. He said the really sharp cracks and pitting don't show up until your eyes adjust to the different light angles down there. That second half of the dive is where your brain actually starts looking instead of just surviving. So a 5 minute bottom time isn't really a clean, it's more like a quick glance. You're paying for that extra time to actually see what's going on.

riverhill6mo ago

Totally makes sense. Rushing a hull check is how you miss the small stuff that turns into big bills later. That extra five minutes lets your eyes actually focus instead of just scanning. Boss was smart to push for the longer bottom time, even if it feels slow at first. Bet your clients never complain about you finding cracks they didn't know were there.

brookep626mo ago

Yeah, I read a report from a marine surveyor's group that basically said the same thing. They tracked jobs and found the first five minutes are just getting your bearings down there. The real inspection work happens in that second half, when you're not fighting the current or getting used to the light. It's like your brain needs time to switch from task mode to detail mode. So that extra bottom time isn't just more work time, it's better quality looking time. Makes you wonder how many "clean" hulls out there have issues everyone missed in a rush.