Seaward Marine Services

What Seaward Marine Services does

Seaward Marine Services, LLC is a U.S.-based underwater marine services provider founded in 1972 and headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Titan. The company specializes in underwater hull cleaning, inspection, non-destructive testing (NDT), repair, and underwater painting for government and commercial maritime customers, anchored by a 40+ year relationship as a U.S. Navy prime contractor under the NAVSEA 00C5 Worldwide Underwater Hull Cleaning contract. Service delivery combines diver-led operations using the proprietary SCAMP (Submersible Cleaning and Maintenance Platform) cleaning machine with the Lamp Ray ROV, a portable robotic hull scanner equipped for ultrasonic testing, dry film thickness measurement, and cathodic potential sensing. The company also developed HYCOTE, a 2-part epoxy coating formulated for wet-environment application.

Seaward generates revenue primarily through professional services contracts with the U.S. federal government — including the U.S. Navy, Military Sealift Command, MARAD, NOAA, and municipal clients such as the City of Norfolk — alongside commercial engagements with shipping operators (Crowley, Ocean Ships, Pacific Gulf Marine), defense primes (General Dynamics Electric Boat), and power generation utilities. Pricing is project-based and negotiated per scope. The Military Sealift Command 5-year IDIQ contract (awarded August 2021) carries a cumulative ceiling of $24,090,612, and the City of Norfolk Battleship Wisconsin contract (2021-2026) marks the second consecutive 5-year municipal award. Distribution extends globally through the SCAMP Underwater Services Worldwide Network, a network of 200+ affiliated service locations on major shipping routes, supplemented by wholly-owned regional entities in the U.S. (Norfolk, San Diego, Kapolei), Japan (Seaward Asia, Yokosuka), Singapore (Underwater Contractors), Gibraltar, and the UAE (SCAMP Middle East, Fujairah).

The business model is relationship-driven B2B with limited public marketing; growth comes from competitive bid wins on government contract vehicles, certification-driven expansion (Seaward was the first company certified by ABS for underwater hull gauging by both diver and ROV, and holds DNV certification under Approval Programme 404/2001), and the ability to bundle cleaning, inspection, and repair into integrated underwater ship husbandry packages. Operational scale includes 273+ million square feet of hull cleaned and 24,000+ visual inspections since 1979, and an annual workload exceeding 900 ships per year.

Name

Seaward Marine Services

Legal name

Seaward Marine Services, LLC

Website

https://seaward-marine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Seaward Marine Services, founded 1972 and based in Norfolk, VA, provides underwater hull cleaning, inspection, repair, and NDT services for the U.S. Navy, Military Sealift Command, MARAD, and commercial maritime operators worldwide via proprietary SCAMP and Lamp Ray ROV technologies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Underwater Services

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (48839)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Underwater Hull Inspection, Cleaning & Propeller Services (TLAKAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Underwater Inspection, Maintenance & Repair (UWILD, Diving/ROV, In-water Cleaning) (IMAJAFAJ), Underwater Hull Services (Diving, In-Water Cleaning, Propeller Polishing, Inspection) (TLAHAMAL), Marine Service Provider Coordination (Diving, Inspection, Class/Survey Support) (TLAHAJAI)

Keywords

• Underwater hull cleaning
• Ship husbandry services
• Marine diving services
• Underwater non-destructive testing
• Vessel maintenance services

Headquarters

HQ city

Norfolk

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Underwater Hull Cleaning Services: Recurring revenue from underwater hull cleaning services for U.S. Navy, Military Sealift Command, commercial vessels, and government agencies. Services include interim cleaning and full cleaning with SCAMP machines. Average annual diving services workload exceeds 900 ships per year.
2. Underwater Non-Destructive Testing: Inspection services including ultrasonic testing, eddy current crack detection, cathodic protection measurement, hull roughness and paint thickness measurement. Recognized by ABS and DNV for hull gauging certifications.
3. Underwater Repairs: Underwater repair services including fiberglass repairs, propeller grooming/replacement, ICCP system component replacement, underwater welding and painting, power plant component repairs, cofferdam installation. Since 1979, performed over 1,600 underwater repair tasks in US operations.
4. Underwater Painting Services: Application of HYCOTE underwater paint formulation - a 2-part epoxy coating for underwater structure preservation and corrosion protection.
5. Power Plant Maintenance Assistance: Diving services for utility industry including intake structure cleaning, trash rack cleaning, biofouling removal (zebra mussels, quagga mussels, Asiatic clams), without requiring dewatering or confined space procedures.
6. Worldwide Underwater Hull Cleaning Contract: In August 2021, awarded a firm-fixed-price, Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract for Military Sealift Command fleet worldwide. Five one-year ordering periods with cumulative value ceiling of $24,090,612.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Seaward Marine Services provides underwater ship husbandry services for government and commercial vessels, including underwater hull cleaning using the proprietary SCAMP® cleaning machine, underwater painting with HYCOTE epoxy coating, underwater inspections, underwater repairs (fiberglass, propeller, welding), and non-destructive testing (ultrasonic, eddy current). The company also offers the Lamp Ray® ROV, a portable robotic hull scanner for comprehensive hull material condition surveys, and provides specialized power plant intake structure maintenance.

Product overview

Seaward Marine Services offers a unified portfolio of underwater ship husbandry services organized around two primary capabilities: (1) Underwater Hull Cleaning and Preservation, encompassing the core Underwater Hull Cleaning service using the proprietary SCAMP® cleaning machine, complemented by HYCOTE underwater painting, Underwater Inspections, Underwater Repairs, and Underwater Non-Destructive Testing (NDT); and (2) Advanced Inspection Technology, featuring the Lamp Ray® ROV (portable underwater robotic hull scanner) for comprehensive hull condition surveys. All services are coordinated under the Underwater Ship Husbandry umbrella. The company also provides specialized Power Plant Maintenance Assistance for intake structure cleaning. Services are delivered through mobile diving units and dive vessels operating from multiple global locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lamp Ray ROV: Portable underwater robotic hull scanner integrated with topside data acquisition system and controller for comprehensive hull material condition surveys using ultrasonic testing, dry film thickness, and cathodic potential sensors.

Products and services

• Underwater Hull Cleaning Underwater hull cleaning service using the self-propelled, diver-driven SCAMP® cleaning machine to remove biofouling, reduce fuel consumption, and extend drydock intervals. Includes propeller cleaning and polishing, and hydroblasting with high-pressure water jets. For U.S. Navy, MSC, and commercial vessel operators.
• Underwater Ship Husbandry Comprehensive umbrella service encompassing underwater hull cleaning, painting, inspections, repairs, and non-destructive testing to maintain vessel underwater condition and watertight integrity. For Navy, commercial, and government vessel operators.
• Underwater Painting (HYCOTE) Underwater painting service using the HYCOTE 2-part epoxy coating formulation specifically designed for wet environments, providing corrosion protection with excellent chemical resistance and low drag coefficient. For vessel and underwater structure owners requiring corrosion protection.
• Underwater Inspections Visual, photographic, and video inspection services of underwater hull and appendages including diver visual inspection, digital clear water photography, and closed-circuit video recording with documentation. For vessel operators and classification societies requiring hull condition assessment.
• Underwater Repairs Broad array of underwater repair tasks including fiberglass repairs, propeller grooming/replacement, ICCP system component replacement, underwater welding, burning, and painting, and power plant component repairs. For vessel and power plant operators requiring in-water repair without dry-docking.
• Underwater Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) Non-destructive inspection services including ultrasonic testing (DataScan™), eddy current crack detection, cathodic protection measurement, and hull/propeller roughness and paint thickness measurement. For vessel operators and classification societies requiring certified hull gauging.
• Lamp Ray® ROV Hull Survey ROV-based hull scanning service using a portable underwater robotic hull scanner integrated with topside data acquisition system, performing comprehensive hull material condition surveys with ultrasonic testing, dry film thickness, and cathodic potential measurement. For vessel operators and classification societies requiring ABS-certified in-water surveys.
• Power Plant Maintenance Assistance Underwater cleaning and inspection services for power plant intake structures, gates, and trash racks, including removal of biofouling organisms (zebra mussels, quagga mussels, Asiatic clams) without dewatering, utilizing multi-brush cleaning machines. For power generation plants and utilities with cooling water infrastructure.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 70% of ship's propulsive energy needed to overcome hydrodynamic resistance/friction - cleaning hull reduces this
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of NorfolkcoreOthers · 19 April 2022Awarded Seaward a 5-year contract (Oct 2021 - Sep 2026) for underwater inspection, maintenance, and repair on Battleship Wisconsin BB-64. This is the second consecutive 5-year contract awarded to Seaward.
• Marine Hydraulics International (MHI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2022Teamed with Seaward on USNS Kocak class lay-up projects for Crowley Government Services. MHI performed ultrasonic testing of hull penetrations and internal skin valve work while Seaward provided diving services, cofferdam installation, and underwater hull inspection.
• Accurate Marine EnvironmentalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2022Partnered with Seaward and MHI on USNS Kocak class lay-ups. Accurate Marine handled dewatering and pumping of excess water and holding tanks during the vessel lay-up projects.
• Moran TowingminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 September 2021Provided a tugboat as the test and demonstration vessel during ABS certification process for hull gauging by both diver and ROV.
• Military Sealift CommandcoreOthers · 6 August 2021Awarded Seaward a firm-fixed-price, IDIQ contract for underwater hull cleaning services for MSC's fleet worldwide. Five one-year ordering periods with $24,090,612 ceiling value.
• Accurate Marine EnvironmentalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 April 2021Teamed with Seaward on USNS Roy M. Wheat lay-up project for Crowley. Provided dewatering and pumping services alongside Seaward's diving operations and MHI's internal work.
• Mid Atlantic Engineering Technical Services (MAETS)minorOthers · 26 October 2020Contracted Seaward Marine Services to provide diving services in support of USNS Joshua Humphreys at Naval Station Norfolk, VA.
• Walashek Industrial & Marine Inc.minorOthers · 19 October 2020Awarded Seaward a firm fixed Purchase Order through competitive bid for diving services on USNS Robert E. Peary at Naval Station Norfolk.
• TOTE ServicesminorOthers · 30 September 2020Contracted Seaward through competitive bid to provide diving services for SS DENEBOLA turbo activation at Baltimore, MD.
• SubCom, Inc.minorOthers · 30 September 2020Contracted Seaward Mobile 3 to complete full hull cleaning of cable laying support ship Global Sentinel at their Baltimore facility.
• General Dynamics Electric BoatminorOthers · 30 September 2020Contracted Seaward for underwater hull cleaning and ABS UWILD survey on Dry Cargo Deck Barge Sea Shuttle in Groton, CT.
• Woods Hole GroupminorOthers · 30 September 2020Seaward Mobile 3 completed cleaning and inspection of NOAA Groton Thames River Tide and Current Meter Station for Woods Hole Group.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Miller Marine Services: U.S. East Coast commercial diving and marine services firm providing hull cleaning, inspection, and underwater repair. Competes for the same Mid-Atlantic and Northeast commercial hull-cleaning work Seaward serves out of Norfolk.
• Hydrex: Belgian-headquartered underwater hull cleaning, repair, and inspection specialist with global port coverage. Closest direct competitor to Seaward's underwater ship husbandry model, including proprietary cleaning technology and class-certified survey work.
• Subsea Global Solutions: U.S.-based commercial diving and underwater hull services company offering hull cleaning, propeller polishing, ROV inspection, and class surveys. Directly comparable service portfolio and customer base to Seaward's commercial maritime work.
• OceanTech (Hull Cleaning / Underwater Services): U.S.-based provider of underwater hull cleaning, propeller polishing, and class surveys, primarily serving commercial shipping in U.S. ports. A direct U.S. peer competing for the same commercial hull-cleaning work that is Seaward's secondary segment.

Emerging players

• Cathie Group: Offshore engineering and geotechnical consultancy with growing underwater inspection and asset integrity capabilities. Emerging player in adjacent underwater services that could overlap with Seaward's hull-gauging and cathodic-protection work.
• International Submarine Engineering (ISE): Canadian ROV manufacturer and operator with capability in hull inspection, search-and-recovery, and subsea inspection. Partial overlap via ROV-based survey work, complementary to Seaward's Lamp Ray ROV offering.

Broad incumbents

• DeepOcean: European subsea services provider offering survey, inspection, maintenance, and intervention for offshore and shipping. Broader and more offshore-skewed than Seaward, but adjacent in underwater inspection and ROV operations.
• Wilhelmsen (Wilhelmsen Ship Management / One Ocean): Global maritime services conglomerate with hull management, technical services, and ship management offerings. Overlaps with Seaward's underwater hull cleaning and husbandry but is a much broader, publicly-listed incumbent rather than a diving-services specialist.

Regional players

• Neptune Marine Services: Asia-Pacific-based provider of commercial diving, ROV inspection, and underwater maintenance for shipping and offshore. Comparable underwater service portfolio but focused on APAC ports rather than U.S. Navy work.
• Bibby Marine Services (Bibby Subsea / Wavelab): UK-headquartered operator with diving, subsea, and ship-support services including hull cleaning and underwater inspections. Comparable service scope but primarily serves European and West African markets rather than competing directly in the U.S. Navy arena.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/seawardmarine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/seaward-marine-services-inc-

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Seaward Marine Services