Certified Underwater Inspections Throughout Ontario
When you need a diver to perform an underwater job, Soderholm Maritime Services Inc is there to answer the call of duty. Available for projects throughout Ontario, our divers provide service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, and can be dispatched minutes after your initial phone call with us.
What Should I Look Out For When Hiring A Commercial Diver?
When hiring a commercial diver, you should have the contractor submit proof of diver training from an accredited dive school, proof of first aid and CPR training, proof of insurance, and other necessary documentation to ensure the utmost commitment to safety.
Before you hire a commercial diver for your job, it’s important to know your rights and responsibilities. The Canadian Association of Diving Contractors governs all related businesses, and has prepared an informative article detailing this information.
Diving Inspections
Our personnel carry out diving inspections to determine and document existing conditions. We write our own reports and also work with consulting engineers. We inspect all manner of underwater structures and installations.
Underwater Cutting & Welding
We provide personnel and equipment for underwater cutting and certified underwater welding ("Class B": all positions), which adhere to Canadian Welding Bureau and American Welding Society standards.
Underwater Search & Recovery
We are equipped to provide police and fire departments throughout Ontario with the recovery of vehicles, evidence and casualties. We are retained under standing orders and respond immediately when called.
Contaminated & Potable Water Diving
Our divers have the knowledge and equipment to work in contaminated and potable water. We have worked in sanitary and industrial waste and our inventory of Kool Suits allow us to work in extremely hot environments.
Soderholm Maritime Services is on-call to meet your diving needs. Get in touch with us now to have our team dispatched to your location in Ontario!
Construction & Industrial Service
We provide underwater inspection and repair services for construction and industrial projects, including bridges, hydro-electric dams, water control structures, seawalls, wet wells and pipelines. Our divers are available for any type of construction or rehabilitation project.
Water Intake & Outfalls
Our divers are available for routine or emergency service of municipal and industrial water intakes and outfalls. We can install underwater pipelines and facilitate cable laying as both marine and diving contractors. Whatever the case, we are experienced in all aspects of pipe laying and repair and can work with any type of pipe, including:
- High-density Polyethylene (HDPE)
- Ductile iron or steel with flanged or mechanical joints
- Corrugated metal pipe (C.M.P.)
- Concrete pipe with bell and spigot joints
Typical diving jobs include:
- Trench inspection or removal of obstructions
- Joining of pipe sections underwater
- Installation or assembly of Intake or Outfall structures
Similar to new construction is the extension of existing pipelines, which typically involves the removal of the existing structure, the manual excavation of the end of the pipe and the installation of the new pipe and structures.
Zebra Mussel Control
Zebra mussels are an alien species of shellfish accidentally introduced into the Great Lakes in the ballast water of a foreign cargo vessel.
Soderholm Maritime supplies divers for the cleaning of underwater structures and for the installation of permanent or temporary zebra mussel control systems. We have installed many such systems throughout the Great Lakes and in smaller Ontario lakes. The most common system involves a chlorine diffuser installed in the intake, a feed pipe from the shore which may also include a water sampling line. This may be installed externally, similar to a new construction, or may be installed inside the pipe itself. We have worked on such systems since the early days of the zebra mussel invasion.
Ship Inspections & Repairs
Our clients include all the domestic carriers working in the Great Lakes, all the local agents acting for foreign owners, and some foreign agents and owners directly. We can travel to any location to meet the vessel. We have excellent working relations with the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority and all port authorities.
We have a very low turnover of personnel and, in conjunction with local ship owners, we conduct our own training program. This program consists of the use of our own training manual, visits to ships and shipyards, and a tiered approach to working on ships. Because of this, you can rest assured knowing that the dive team that responds to your project is knowledgeable, experienced, and professional.
Typical jobs that our crew perform are:
- Routine stern inspections as part of regular maintenance or suspected problems
- Full hull surveys for:
- Extension to drydock certificates
- Pre-drydock surveys
- Post grounding and damage inspections
- Damage control - working with ship repair companies or with the ship's crew to seal breaches or cracks in the hull or to remove/repair damaged equipment such as bilge keels, rudders or propeller blades
- Salvaging of vessels and recovery of lost equipment
