Though born at sea, Cygnus delivers accurate thickness inspection in any underwater environment
23/01/2026
The latest addition to the Cygnus diver thickness inspection range, the new Cygnus Underwater, offers an advance on its predecessor, with a host of smart new features, specially designed to operate seamlessly in an array of diverse conditions, simultaneously accomplishing greater accuracy and usability.
Though well-known as the tool for offshore inspection, it is also invaluable to inland waterway applications.
Cygnus Underwater is built for the harshest environments, including offshore platforms and mobile offshore units (MOUs), underwater inspection in lieu of dry-docking (UWILD) and in-water survey (IWS) class ship surveys, subsea pipelines and subsea storage tanks.
Now a multi-mode gauge, the Underwater is ideal for measuring through coatings and heavily corroded metals. This is hugely beneficial at sea, where the harsh, abrasive wave action of deep seas causes some of the most severe cases of corrosion.
Ship hulls, for example, suffer corrosion just above the waterline, due to exceptionally corrosive deposits from evaporating seawater spray. Cygnus Underwater saves marine vessels covering needless miles to reach dry dock and experiencing downtime, by facilitating UWILD or IWS class surveys whilst ships are en route.
Where corrosion is high risk, protective coatings are quick to follow. Ships and subsea structures are often coated, yet not 100% protected, and still need testing.
Although not new to Cygnus Underwater, the multiple-echo mode remains the best method for verifying accurate through-coat measurements, specified by class societies. Paired with Cygnus’s Deep-Coat function, which ignores coatings up to 20 mm thick, this is an ideal solution for coated vessels and structures.
Endless inland waterways stretch across continents. Some on an enormous scale, across vast areas such as the USA and Asia. Inland applications include civil engineering (for example bridges and pipelines), canal locks and dams, workboat and barge hull inspections and marine structures (for example piers and jetties).
With such diversity in the nature of these waterways, this diver-held gauge is designed specifically for the simplest and fastest operation, so operators can focus on navigating unfamiliar underwater environments safely. Three quick function keys and an intuitive menu boost speed, whilst four dynamic screen views display instant results as basic (measurement readings), live A-scan or datalogging on a smart, new, large colour liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, which is highly visible, even in low-visibility waters.
This ultrasonic thickness measurement (UTM) gauge has also gained a depth sensor, a brand-new feature to Cygnus’s subsea range. This is a live, accurate depth indicator for the diver, tagged automatically onto readings for reference so the diver knows where they are and at what depth the readings are taken.
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