Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Narrative) (Details)	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended							12 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended									1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	8 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	10 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		15 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2011 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($) customer		Dec. 31, 2012 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2011 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Minimum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Maximum [Member]	Jan. 31, 2009 2025 Notes [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 2025 Notes [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 2025 Notes [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 2025 Notes [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2005 2025 Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 2032 Notes [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2012 2032 Notes [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2012 2032 Notes [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Foreign Exchange Contracts [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Foreign Exchange Contracts [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Foreign Exchange Contracts [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2013 Grand Canyon I I I [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2013 Grand Canyon I I I [Member] NOK	Feb. 28, 2013 Grand Canyon I I [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2013 Grand Canyon I I [Member] NOK	Jan. 31, 2013 Grand Canyon [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2013 Grand Canyon [Member] NOK	Feb. 28, 2013 Interest Rate Swaps [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Interest Rate Swaps [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Interest Rate Swaps [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 Interest Rate Swaps [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2013 Spoolbase Facility [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2014 Spoolbase Facility [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Spoolbase Facility [Member] USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2013 Express, Caesar And Other Pipelay Equipment [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Express, Caesar And Other Pipelay Equipment [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2013 Caesar [Member] USD ($)	May 31, 2013 Caesar [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Express [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2013 Express [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Equipment In Australia [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Equipment In Australia [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Intrepid Vessel [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Shell [Member] Continuing Operations [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Shell [Member] Continuing Operations [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Shell [Member] Continuing Operations [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 2025 Notes [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 2025 Notes [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Annual Payment Years One Through Three [Member] Spoolbase Facility [Member] USD ($)
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Accruals for capital expenditures						$ 9,500,000		$ 51,100,000	$ 26,100,000
Cost of Property Repairs and Maintenance						31,500,000		39,300,000	32,300,000
Capitalized Computer Software, Gross	18,500,000		18,500,000			17,500,000		18,500,000
Capitalized Computer Software, Net	6,000,000		6,000,000			4,800,000		6,000,000
Capitalized Computer Software, Amortization						(1,800,000)		(2,600,000)	(2,600,000)
Asset impairment			158,000,000	4,600,000	14,600,000			177,135,000	6,564,000																																157,800,000					4,600,000	6,600,000
Proceeds from sale of assets						189,054,000		19,530,000	3,588,000																													15,000,000		238,300,000		138,300,000		100,000,000		5,000,000		14,500,000
Sales Price Of Property Plant And Equipment																																					45,000,000
Deposit Liability, Current	50,000,000		50,000,000			5,000,000		50,000,000																																			30,000,000		20,000,000
Future Sales Proceeds																																							30,000,000															10,000,000
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Assets and Asset Impairment Charges																																																28,100,000
Capitalized interest						(10,419,000)		(4,893,000)	(1,277,000)
Other than temporary loss on equity investments									10,563,000
Required Quantitative Test Term						3 years
Intangible asset, gross						1,900,000
Intangible assets with finite lives, net	491,000		491,000			622,000		491,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization						1,300,000
Amortization of intangible assets						100,000		100,000	100,000
Deferred dry dock expenses, net (Note 2)	22,704,000		22,704,000			24,756,000		22,704,000
Accumulated Amortization Deferred Drydock	5,900,000		5,900,000			14,500,000		5,900,000
Drydock amortization expense						14,800,000		8,600,000	7,600,000
Drydock Amortization Period													30 days	60 days
Drydock Recertification Process Period													1 month	2 months
Value of convertible preferred stock	1,000,000
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Conversion of Convertible Securities	361,402
Preferred Stock, Dividend Rate, Percentage								4.00%	4.00%
Foreign currency translation gain, net of tax						4,970,000		7,291,000	(1,002,000)
Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss), before Tax						700,000		(500,000)	(2,100,000)
Reclassification adjustments for (gain) loss included in net income						1,476,000		(2,661,000)	23,669,000																									600,000
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Reclassification Adjustment on Derivatives Included in Net Income, Net of Tax																																		400,000
Derivative Cash Settlement																																	600,000
Derivative Instruments in Hedges, Liabilities, at Fair Value						15,817,000																		15,000,000											300,000
Derivative Instruments Not Designated as Hedging Instruments, Asset, at Fair Value	5,946,000		5,946,000			69,000		5,946,000																	100,000
Derivative Instruments Not Designated as Hedging Instruments, Liability, at Fair Value	16,298,000		16,298,000					16,298,000																										500,000
Term loans payable												200,000,000
Notional Amount of Derivative																											98,800,000	595,000,000	100,400,000	594,700,000	104,600,000	591,300,000				148,100,000
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income, Net						(14,829,000)		(5,113,000)	249,000															(600,000)	400,000	200,000
Per share conversion price																$ 32.14	$ 32.14	$ 32.14		$ 25.02		$ 25.02
Convertible debt stock price trigger																				$ 32.53		$ 32.53																														$ 38.57	$ 38.57
Concentration Risk, Percentage																																																	14.00%	12.00%	10.00%
Subsea services to customers						65
Unamortized debt discount	31,688,000		31,688,000			26,516,000	[1]	31,688,000							60,200,000					26,516,000	[1],[2]		35,400,000
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Conversion Price																$ 32.14	$ 32.14	$ 32.14		$ 25.02		$ 25.02
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Remaining Discount Amortization Period															7 years 9 months					6 years
Debt instrument interest rate																			3.25%				3.25%
Incremental Common Shares Attributable to Conversion of Debt Securities																0	0			0		0
Remaining ownership interest										1.00%
Remaining shares of Cal Dive common stock, shares		500,000								500,000
Gain (loss) on investment in Cal Dive common stock		800,000							753,000
Proceeds from sale of Cal Dive common stock		$ 3,600,000									$ 418,200,000

[1] The 2032 Notes will increase to their principal amount through accretion of non-cash interest charges through March 2018.

[2] Beginning in March 2018, the holders of the 2032 Notes may require us to repurchase these notes or we may at our option elect to repurchase notes. These notes will mature in March 2032.