The number of active incentive compensation plans.

No definition available.

Name:	hlx_NumberOfActiveIncentivePlans
Namespace Prefix:	hlx_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of commitment made to pay deferred cash remuneration.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualCashAwardGrantedAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The compensation expense recognized during the period pertaining to the deferred compensation arrangement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116856206&loc=d3e5047-113901

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 710
-SubTopic 10
-Section 30
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6409875&loc=d3e20015-108363

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualCompensationExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The maximum number of shares authorized for issuance under the deferred compensation arrangement as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116856206&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualSharesAuthorizedForIssuance
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Aggregate carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the liabilities for stock option plans and other equity-based compensation arrangements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredCompensationSharebasedArrangementsLiabilityCurrentAndNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Period over which grantee's right to exercise award under share-based payment arrangement is no longer contingent on satisfaction of service or performance condition, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days. Includes, but is not limited to, combination of market, performance or service condition.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116856206&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardAwardVestingPeriod1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The highest quantity of shares an employee can purchase under the plan per period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116856206&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardMaximumNumberOfSharesPerEmployee
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The difference between the maximum number of shares (or other type of equity) authorized for issuance under the plan (including the effects of amendments and adjustments), and the sum of: 1) the number of shares (or other type of equity) already issued upon exercise of options or other equity-based awards under the plan; and 2) shares (or other type of equity) reserved for issuance on granting of outstanding awards, net of cancellations and forfeitures, if applicable.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAvailableForGrant
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of cost expensed and capitalized for award under share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (h)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116856206&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardCompensationCost1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=hlx_IncentivePlan2005Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_PerformanceSharesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=hlx_FixedValueCashAwardsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_EmployeeStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Employee Benefit Plans - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
Employee Benefit Plans - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($) shares	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($) shares	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	May 15, 2019 shares	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of active incentive plans			1
2005 Incentive Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Additional shares authorized for issuance (in shares) \| shares					7,000,000.0
Shares available for issuance (in shares) \| shares	8,500,000		8,500,000
Restricted Stock
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based compensation \| $	$ 1.2	$ 1.5	$ 4.9	$ 4.5
Performance Share Units
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based compensation \| $	1.2	6.3	$ 3.9	11.5
Share-based award liability \| $						$ 11.1
Vesting period			3 years
Fixed Value Cash Awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Long-term incentive cash awards granted \| $	4.6		$ 4.6			$ 5.2
Vesting period			3 years
Compensation expense \| $	$ 0.8	$ 0.5	$ 2.4	$ 1.3
ESPP
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Additional shares authorized for issuance (in shares) \| shares					1,500,000
Shares available for issuance (in shares) \| shares	2,000,000.0		2,000,000.0
Purchase limit per employee (in shares) \| shares			260