ABSTRACT The work presently reported is a part of a joint Rand D program between GKSS Research Centre and Comex Services to develop a wet welding procedure for structural application. The main objective of the report is the presentation of so far evaluated results achieved in a wet welding test program down to a water depth of 100 msw. The paper reports about the comparison between weldment properties produced with ferritic and austenitic electrodes in a simulated dive and the achieved mechanical - technological weldment properties. The welds were performed in the flat position on steel plates, using RSt 52–3 (DIN 17100) as base metal. The selected consumables were readily available on market, but so far not applied to the tested depths. The evaluated results are encouraging, further developments and investigations are under progress. INTRODUCTION Wet welding has been traditionally limited in Europe to non structural applications involving low hardenability mild steels whereas it is more extensively used in the Gulf of Mexico for pipeline connections and structural repairs in shallow depths. Wet Welding has considerable industrial, economic and commercial potential for the application on offshore structures because of its lower costs and more rapid mobilization than dry hyperbaric welding operations. This is the reason, why, worldwide, more emphasis is given on the development of wet welding procedures, consumables and equipment. The aim of the different Rand D projects is to produce acceptable quality welds over a certain depth range in mild steel and higher yield steels which are traditionally used in the European Offshore Industry. A number of investigations in the field of wet welding have been carried out concerning its scientific aspects /1–10/. Little is known on the practical application and value of such research activities /11–14/. At least two American Contractors /12,13/ have built up a considerable market for wet welding in the USA. Other companies, such as the Comex group, or GKSS Research Center have started their own wet welding programs. These programs have already given a number of commercially viable results, however, considerable development is still required before the full potential of wet welding can be realised for structural repairs. The traditional wet welding procedure is the SMAW process, using specially covered stick electrodes. This process is normally characterised by:arc instabilities resulting in irregular bead shape, inclusions and porosity,flux coating disintegration/dissolving during welding leading to porosityrapid cooling leading to high HAZ hardness and poor weld metal and HAZ toughnesshigh Hydrogen contents in the weldment leading to a propensity for Hydrogen Induced Cold Cracking (HICC) in both the HAZ and the weld metal. During the 1970's and early 1980's a considerable amount of development work was placed on the improvement of the quality of wet welded joints. "Spinning brushes" /5/, "Water Curtain Nozzles" /l, 3,4,6–8/ or the application of the "Hydro Box" /2,91 have been considered as alternatives for the replacement of the SMA welding process.