PSA: The new inspection rules at the Port of Tacoma are slowing down dive teams

I was down there last week for a hull cleaning job on a container ship, and the new security check-in process added a full hour to our pre-dive setup. They're now requiring a separate badge scan for every single piece of gear coming through the gate, not just the crew. It turned a simple 20-minute gear haul into a real headache. Has anyone else run into this at other West Coast ports recently, or is it just Tacoma?

2 comments

2 Comments

mason.cole1mo ago

Buddy of mine on a dive crew out of Oakland said they hit the same mess three weeks ago with their underwater welding gear. Took them over an hour just to get past the gate.

faithb761mo ago

Oh man, "a separate badge scan for every single piece of gear" is exactly what we're dreading up here in Seattle. We got word the feds are rolling that out systemwide and it's going to kill our quick turnarounds on emergency hull repairs. Solidarity to you and your crew for pushing through that headache.

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