new member looking for advice for my 1st job..

[paul kotkowicz]

hi everyone, i am looking for advice for my 1st job, i am not an ROV pilot, but i am working offshore and this is the only forum i can find where i can find any info about working offshore..

the question i have is regarding "hot zones"

i am flying out to my 1st job at the weekend, we are either flying into kuwait or abu dhabi and we will be working for 100 days + out of kuwait city right by the border with iraq..

i have been told that we will be under constant armed guard around our perimiter and that we will only be working during the day…

this makes me believe that i will be working in a "hot zone" and i should get extra pay to reflect the fact that i could be put in danger..

i have not discussed pay with my employer yet as i did not want to come accross to cocky!

what do you guys think??? my employers seem to think it is not a hotzone.. :S

[James McLauchlan]

I worked in Kuwait for 18 months and once strayed into Iraq during minefield hunting endeavours. Another story 😉

If you are near the Iraq border believer me you’ll be better off in the compound as there is bugger all around except desert and a few shrubs.

As for ‘hot zone’ Yes.. it’ll be hot, temperature wise only, but it’s unlikely there will be bullets flying around. That having been said it’s not a safe haven either. Be sensible, watch your back and you’ll be fine.

Good luck!

[paul kotkowicz]

cheers for the reply 😀 whats kuwait city like aswell??? any drinking allowed?? or am i going to be bored senceless?

[James McLauchlan]

Kuwait City is a modern Middle East place that has a few facilities and regular style junk food outlets.. Wendy’s, McD’s Pizza Hut, etc. It also has quite a few modern shops/stores and markets. There are no bars or night clubs serving alcoholic beverages.

Technically (for religious reasons) Kuwait is a dry country. However, there is an underground network (off the radar) of er, shall we say watering holes.

The authorities generally ignore what goes on in ex-pat compounds, as long as it stays in the those compounds. They do not tolerate people that are clearly drunk wandering around within the general populous.

Anyway.. Google Kuwait and I’m sure it’ll pull up some stuff written by others that might be a bit moire in date than my info.

[Khalil Aleker]

Great advice James… 🙂

All the best Paul! Keep us updated…

[John Rush]

kuwait is probably one of the safest places in the world. crime against western expats is practically non existant. you will find legitimate (unlike some other gulf countries) military and police checkpoints everywhere. the only danger in kuwait is getting run over by some rich local kids out racing thier tricked out hot rods and late model mercedes, beames, whatever.

booze is illegal but sid (homebrew alchohol) is easy to find as are chinese "escort" ladies. british and american chics are also to be found if you have time town.

[paul kotkowicz]

cheers for the replies fellas…. im just waiting for the clients to book our flights now.

i have found more details on the job, we will be digging the seabed so divers can investigate some metal targets they have found on radar! they suspect them to be un-exploded ordanance left after the gulf war… they cant just blow them up though because they are so close to a fragile oil and gas pipeline.

i hope we get some decent shore time 😛 the job is expecting to last between 3 and 9 months

[Ray Shields]

Just a hint, in water you use sonar, not radar…

[paul kotkowicz]

oh yes!!! duh….. thats how much of a newbie i am! i have never worked offshore before. just landbased

i will learn a lot though!

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