ROV or Hydrographic survey?

[liddelljohn]

Hi, I am a 49 years old experienced Telecomms /electronic technician 20 years with a background in mechanics who has worked offshore in the past on marine radio systems and installing new systems on to operational rigs and ships.I have worked worldwide but now the telecoms industry is a busted flush.Unless i relocated back to a permy job in the UK.

I am a UK citizen but have lived in asia for the last 10years . i have been advised by many of my mates in the oil industry to go into ROV or hydrographic survey with my background. I have a current Boiset/Huet and was thinking of doing the Subnet course in Subic Phillipines , but after reading this forum for a while I am dubious about the whole ROV business .even though i am fascinated by the technology and could work with it without much problem.

If I want to retrain as Hydrographic survey Technician it will cost me much more than the ROV and take 6 months of training .

which will give me the best prospect , survey or ROV career or both.

respectfully Jerry

[SewerPipe]

Hi, I have worked as a hydrographic survey tech and I am currently working as a ROV pilot/tech. In my experience you would require little or no formal training prior to starting in either profession, but would receive most if not all you training on the job. ROV pays better than Survey. Survey tech’s were paid about 30-50% less than ROV tech’s when I was one.

[liddelljohn]

My experience so far talking to the ROV operating companies is that they will only take me on after I have done a training course contrary to what many people have said on this forum.I am also concerned that the day rates and conditions offered are not as great as many people claim, the Telecoms industry used to be great in the 1990s I got over $700 a day plus expenses but with the influx of Phillipino and Indian techs today even if you can find work the daily rate is less than $250 with no expenses and that is for an experienced guy like me.
also there is very little work around over the last 3 years in Telecomms it is saturated.

I like the technical aspects of this industry .
but I need a defined career path and job security.

Jerry

[ROV_VALLEY_COMMANDO]

oil industry/offshore, ROV/Hydrographic survey and the cable industry, job security? having a laugh right?

[liddelljohn]

oil industry/offshore, ROV/Hydrographic survey and the cable industry, job security? having a laugh right?

OK Ok I will rephrase , after contracting since 1984 I have never really had any job security, telecomms and flight simulation were run by a bunch of arsehole pirates but when times were good work flowed and if you were a good technician work came regularly. But if you listened to all the moaners on this site you would think they were all slaves or working for peanuts ,

jerry 😯

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