Every industry has its sayings and phrases that are common knowledge to insiders but produce head scratches for outsiders. Sometimes, the same terminology can mean different things entirely. For instance, while a "galley" to a writer is an unformatted manuscript, a galley to a truck driver is a sheet of paper that lists various delivery details for the next trip.
The same is true in the commercial diving industry. In fact, a galley in commercial diving has its own separate meaning entirely.
If you're a newly minted commercial diver – or you plan on entering the field and want to get your feet wet by learning the lingo – here are a few of the words and phrases that can help you find your bearings:
1. Pipeys – Typically used by commercial divers who specialize in welding, pipey is short for pipefitter
2. Sat Betty – Slang term for dive tenders, which commercial divers use to help direct their movements in locations where visibility is limited.
3. Muppet – A pejorative term used to describe a co-worker who requires constant oversight for the individual to do a task correctly.
4. Tree Trouble – An underwater welding phrase that refers to valves that won't budge.
5. Airmail It – A colloquial term commercial divers use to describe the sending of a tool or instrument down a retrieval line.
6. Bell-to-Bell – Commonly spoken in shipyards, a phrase uttered when a job is completed successfully and competently from beginning to end, especially when the tasks takes longer than the ideal.
7. Galley – A term used to describe a restaurant or dining establishment that's located near to where a diving project is underway.
8. Hat the diver – Instructional or imperative phrase wherein a diver dons a helmet.
Lingos and languages run the gamut in the commercial diving industry and marine services overall. Fisk Marine Insurance International has an in-depth understanding of the ins and out of all things maritime and can help you and your crew obtain the coverage you need to handle all of your labor-intensive operations.
