Underwater Search & Recovery

: Something has gone over the side. Equipment, cargo, a tool that cannot be replaced quickly. We find it and bring it back, working the seabed methodically so what is down there does not stay down there.

iik

What is underwater search and recovery?

Underwater search and recovery is the locating and bringing up of objects lost beneath the surface, such as equipment, cargo, tools or moorings. Divers search the area methodically to find the object, then recover it safely to the surface. Octodive carries out search and recovery across South African ports and offshore, for everything from dropped equipment to submerged cargo.

iik

What is on the seabed does not have to stay there

Things go over the side. A piece of equipment slips, a load shifts, a tool goes down at the worst moment. Sometimes it is the cost of the item. Sometimes it is what the loss is holding up: a job that cannot continue, a vessel that cannot sail, a piece of kit that is not easy to replace.

Recovery starts with finding it, and that is the part that takes method rather than luck. We search the area systematically, account for how the object would have settled and drifted, and locate it before bringing it up. Then it is recovered safely, with the right approach for the object and the conditions, so the recovery does not cause a second problem.

5
iik

How an Octodive recovery works

Establish the Search Area

We work out where the object most likely is, based on where it went down, the conditions, and how it would have settled, so the search is focused rather than random.

Search Methodically

Divers search the area systematically rather than hoping to stumble on it, covering the ground in a way that finds the object and does not miss it.

Recover Safely

Once located, the object is recovered with the right method for its size, weight and the conditions, so it comes up safely without causing further damage or risk.

Hand Over

The recovered object is handed over and the operation recorded, with an account of what was found and how, for your files.

iik

What we find and recover

Dropped Equipment and Tools

Kit lost over the side during operations.

Submerged Cargo

Loads and containers that have gone down.

Lost Moorings and Ground Tackle

Chains, anchors and fittings that have parted.

Vessel Components

Parts and fittings lost below the surface.

Other Submerged Objects

If it is down there and it needs to come up, we will look.

iik

Search and recovery questions, answered

What is underwater search and recovery?
It is the locating and bringing up of objects lost below the surface, such as equipment, cargo, tools or moorings. Divers search the area methodically to find the object, then recover it safely to the surface. It is the underwater equivalent of finding what was lost and getting it back.
How do you find something lost underwater?
By searching methodically rather than relying on luck. We work out the likely area from where the object went down and how it would have settled and drifted, then search that ground systematically so the object is found rather than missed.
Can you recover heavy or trapped objects?
Often, yes. Heavy objects are recovered with the right rigging and method for their weight and the conditions. If an object is fouled or trapped, the cutting needed to free it is part of the same commercial diving operation, so it does not need a separate contractor.
How quickly can you respond?
It depends on the location and the conditions, but recovery is often time-sensitive, and we plan around that. The sooner a search starts, the better the chances, because conditions and the object’s position can change the longer it is left.

We carry out search and recovery across South African waters, locating and bringing up lost equipment, cargo and fittings in port and offshore. Each operation is planned around the object and the conditions, run to strict safety standards, and worked methodically rather than left to chance. Backed by over 30 years of marine civil experience and run on site by CEO Rob Bower and GM Andre Schoeman.

3 1
2 1
1 1

Keep Your Fleet Operating Smoothly and Sustainably

Contact Us