Underwater Inspection, Recovery & Specialty Diving Services in North Carolina
Need Help With an Underwater Project?
Have a pond leak, a damaged boat lift, a submerged object, a sunken boat, or another underwater problem? Send us the location, the estimated water depth, a description of the problem, and any photos or video. We’ll review it and help you determine the safest, most practical next step.
Request an Underwater Project Evaluation Email Us
Sink or Swim Scuba provides professional underwater inspection, recovery, salvage support, repair assistance, underwater cutting, and specialty diving throughout North Carolina, South Carolina, and the East Coast. We work with homeowners, property managers, marinas, contractors, businesses, government agencies, and public safety teams — bringing extensive public-safety-diving experience in low-visibility operations, search and recovery, full-face-mask and surface-supplied diving, underwater communications, rigging, and underwater problem-solving.
Whether it’s a leaking pond, a boat lift that won’t operate, a lost object, or a submerged vehicle, we find out what’s happening below the waterline and build a practical plan for what comes next. Every site is different, so we assess depth, visibility, access, hazards, and scope before committing to a specific method or price.
Underwater Inspection
Most underwater problems can’t be judged from a dock, shoreline, or surface camera. Our divers enter the water, inspect the affected area, document conditions, and give you — or your contractor, marina, or insurer — the information you need to make a decision.
We inspect docks and pilings, boat lifts, marina and waterfront structures, ponds, lakes and reservoirs, pipes, drains, intakes and outlets, and submerged equipment and vehicles — with underwater photo and video documentation, including low-visibility and pre- and post-repair inspections.
Pond Leak Investigations
A leaking pond means water loss, erosion, property damage, and a lot of uncertainty. We inspect the submerged areas you can’t examine from the bank — drains and overflow systems, pipes and penetrations, liners and seams, concrete structures, suspected springs, stumps and debris, and submerged slopes — using visual and physical inspection, underwater video, and dye testing when appropriate.
Not every leak can be pinpointed in a single visit, but an underwater investigation eliminates possibilities, documents conditions, identifies the likely problem areas, and gives you a practical repair strategy.
Dock & Boat Lift Inspections
When a boat lift jams, shifts, or partially sinks, the visible problem above the water is usually only part of the story. We inspect lift frames, bunks and supports, cables and pulleys, brackets and attachment points, submerged motors, dock pilings, and any debris or obstructions interfering with operation — and document what we find so you or your repair contractor can choose the right fix.
Underwater Repairs & Repair Assistance
Some problems can be corrected on the first visit when scope, conditions, and safety allow. Others need parts, specialized equipment, or a return trip. Depending on the project, we remove obstructions, free jammed or entangled components, reposition submerged equipment, install or remove underwater hardware, support dock and lift repairs, give contractors underwater access, and document conditions before and after. We won’t promise a repair or removal until we understand the depth, access, hazards, weight, and scope.
Lost Object Recovery
Phones, keys, jewelry, tools, fishing gear, marine equipment, pumps, and other items disappear fast into low visibility, weeds, and soft sediment. We search for and recover submerged objects in lakes, ponds, marinas, rivers, and reservoirs. Recovery odds depend heavily on the accuracy of the last-known location — plus depth, visibility, bottom composition, current, and elapsed time. The better we can pinpoint where it went in, the better the chance of an efficient recovery.
Boat, Vehicle & Heavy Object Recovery / Salvage
We also locate, evaluate, and help recover larger submerged objects — boats and personal watercraft, cars and trucks, ATVs and golf carts, trailers, pumps, machinery, construction equipment, and other heavy debris. Our role can include locating and inspecting the object, confirming its position, identifying hazards and lifting points, installing or assisting with rigging, and supporting a coordinated lift or salvage.
A sunken or grounded boat may need a mix of inspection, dewatering, rigging, lift bags, controlled lifting, towing, and mechanical support. Because large-object recovery has to account for weight, depth, buoyancy, fuel and batteries, structural condition, environmental risk, and the chance of the object shifting or breaking apart, we evaluate every job before committing to a lifting method — and coordinate cranes, tow trucks, marine towing, environmental contractors, or law enforcement when a project calls for it.
Underwater Cutting & Controlled Disassembly
Some objects can’t be removed safely in one piece. Damaged docks and lifts, metal equipment, machinery, boats, trailers, and large fiberglass structures may need to be cut or disassembled into manageable sections first. We cut submerged metal and fiberglass, remove damaged components, free trapped equipment, expose or create rigging points, and support contractors during underwater removal — evaluating fire, electrical, fuel, battery, structural, and environmental risk before any cutting begins.
Limited Underwater Welding
We carry underwater welding equipment and have practical welding capability for suitable projects — temporary attachment points, limited repairs, and lifting or salvage support. We do not represent our personnel as certified structural welders; work requiring engineered, inspected, pressure-rated, or code-certified welds should go to a qualified welding contractor or engineer. We evaluate any welding job by material, purpose, and the consequences of failure.
Our Equipment
We maintain specialized gear so we can match the configuration to the job:
- Surface-supplied diving — Interspiro Divator DP-1 high-pressure system and Kirby Morgan helmets, for extended working time, continuous gas supply, and reliable surface communication
- Full-face masks & communications — Interspiro Divator and OTS Guardian masks with OTS PowerCom wireless and hard-wired diver communications
- Cutting & welding — Broco underwater cutting equipment and welding power gear
- Lifting & rigging — lift bags, winches, controlled-lifting systems, slings, chains, shackles, and recovery lines
- Documentation & search — underwater cameras and video, plus low-visibility search equipment
Surface-supplied systems are especially useful for prolonged inspections, underwater cutting, and any work where the diver needs to stay in one place. The right setup depends on depth, visibility, job duration, hazards, and the tools the project requires.
Public Safety Diving Background & Low-Visibility Experience
Sink or Swim Scuba is well known for recreational instruction and public-safety dive-team training and support — and that background is exactly what inland underwater projects demand. Many North Carolina ponds, lakes, and rivers have limited or zero visibility, so our divers routinely work by touch while maintaining orientation, search patterns, and communication with the surface.
Our team is experienced in black-water and low-visibility diving, full-face-mask and surface-supplied operations, line-tended search patterns, underwater rigging, hazard recognition, and methodical search and recovery. We focus on inland underwater projects that fit our experience, equipment, and ability to work safely — we don’t present ourselves as an offshore commercial diving contractor.
Areas We Serve
Based in Gastonia, near Charlotte, we serve the greater Charlotte region and travel across North Carolina by project — including Charlotte, Gastonia, Belmont, Mount Holly, Lake Wylie, Lake Norman, Cornelius, Huntersville, Mooresville, Denver, Winston-Salem, Hickory, Asheville, the North Carolina Piedmont, Western North Carolina, and other locations by request. Travel charges may apply based on distance, staffing, equipment, and scope.
What Helps Us Evaluate Your Project
The more you can tell us, the faster and more accurate our assessment. Helpful details include the project location and type of water, estimated depth, a description of the problem, photos or video of the site, the approximate size and weight of the object, the last-known location of a lost item, known hazards, site access and available power, and your timeline. Photos and video are especially helpful. In many cases we can give an initial assessment from the information alone; final pricing may require an on-site inspection or first dive.
The fastest way to get started is our Underwater Project Evaluation Request form.
Pricing & Scheduling
Projects are priced by travel distance, crew size, water conditions, depth and visibility, equipment needs, duration, hazards, object size and weight, any cutting, rigging, or lifting requirements, and overall complexity. Some jobs are completed on the first visit; others start with an inspection, followed by a separate proposal for the repair, recovery, or removal. Payment may be required before travel or before work begins, and any work beyond the agreed scope is discussed with you first.
Need Help With an Underwater Problem?
Whether it’s a pond leak, a dock or boat lift, a lost object, or a submerged boat, vehicle, or piece of equipment, contact Sink or Swim Scuba. We’ll review the situation, tell you what looks practical, and help determine the safest, most effective next step.
Request an Underwater Project Evaluation Email Us
Sink or Swim Scuba Inc. — Gastonia, North Carolina
Office: 704-823-0501 · Email: Dive@SinkorSwimScuba.com
