What’s it like working as a Hydrographic Surveyor?

Hydrographic Surveyors take charge of the measurement, mapping and study of the world’s seabed. Without their work, navigation, dock installations, offshore engineering, port construction, and dredging operations would be difficult, if not impossible to undertake.

Hydrographic Surveyors work in a range of watery environments, from inland waters and rivers, to ports and the deep oceans in living and working environments that can be cramped and uncomfortable. Offshore workers can be expected to spend long periods living away from home and regularly work unsocial hours determined by tides and daylight. Onshore Hydrographic Surveyors keep more normal working hours, although on-call duties mean that weekend work is sometimes a necessity.

What kind of work can I do?

Specialising in precise positioning, data acquisition and processing, Hydrographic Surveyors measure and map the world’s underwater surfaces for a number of end uses. These include the production of charts for navigation, dredging, and locating offshore oil and gas resources.

Hydrographic Surveyors use technical software, global positioning systems, and sonar and echo sounders to provide data for the production of nautical charts and maps. They may also use remotely operated and autonomous underwater vehicles to gather data in deep oceans. Specialised technical software and geographical information systems are employed to manage the processing and presentation of data.

Beyond the technical side of the role, Hydrographic Surveyors need to be able to deal directly with clients, produce reports, and be willing to work in a wide range of differing situations and applications.

Where can I work?

Jobs are available across the globe at port, coastal and offshore sites. Key employers include national charting agencies, port and harbour authorities, contract survey companies, client survey companies, and equipment and software companies. Oil and gas exploration currently provides many opportunities in countries such as Norway, the Arabian Gulf, China, the Pacific Rim, Venezuela, Mexico, United States, West Africa and Angola.

A Hydrographic Surveyor has a truly international job, which can take him/her to unique and inspiring places.

Emily Todd, Hydrographic Surveyor

Hydrographic surveyor Emily Todd is no stranger to spending time on the ocean. “I used to go away with my parents on our yacht every year from Christmas to the end of January and I was always staring at the charts – that might be my reason for doing this job.”

To survey underwater Emily uses echo sounding equipment that bounces acoustic signals off the sea floor to measure the water’s depth. “We might make charts like the ones they use for marine navigation; other times we could be surveying marinas. For example, if people have been dredging a marina, our survey work tells them how much they’ve done, and how much they’ve got left to go.

“I’m also involved in the oil industry – that involves more positioning rather than mapping, but obviously the flow-lines (pipes) have to come over the sea floor somewhere, so you have to map that area too.”

Emily adds that working for the oil industry has presented some unusual challenges. “Because we’re flying out to the oil rigs on helicopters, we’ve had to do training in a simulated helicopter that crashed into a pool, flipped upside down and then we had to escape from it – that was quite fun actually!”

And the excitement doesn’t end there. Emily says that working for a worldwide company provides her with plenty of opportunities to travel. “I’ve been to Malaysia and I think I might be heading off to Brunei this weekend. I enjoy the travel aspect – it’s fantastic for your first year out of uni and that’s what made me choose this career path for now, while I’m young and I don’t have anything holding me back.

“You’ve got to be prepared for extended periods away and be ready to go at short notice – like I don’t know if I’m going away this weekend – but I could be! I think this would suit some people, but others couldn’t really handle it. For me though, that’s the best thing about the job: there is no typical day.”

SOURCE: Career Services New Zealand

How big is this sector?

Openings for graduate placements direct with surveying companies are a common route into this industry, and a degree in hydrography, marine geography, marine sciences, ocean exploration or geomatics is generally a pre-requisite for this technical job.

There are a limited number of shore-based and managerial roles, and training is generally all in-house. There are also considerable openings for experienced freelance surveyors and consultants, who can often find work through specialist recruitment agencies.