Consolidated Statements Of Changes In Equity (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Total equity	$ 1,425,428	$ 1,742,675	$ 1,425,428	$ 1,742,675	$ 1,808,063	$ 1,797,365
Issuance of common stock:
Employee Stock Purchase Plan			1,770	2,963	2,971
Exercise of stock options			18,225	8,252	8,777
Director stock awards			(210)	(359)	(363)
Restricted stock and restricted stock units			113	348	126
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Acquisitions			0	585	0
Adjustments to Additional Paid in Capital, Equity Component of Convertible Debt			30,652	31,359
Special Cash Dividend			0	100,385	0
Stockholders Equity Note Spinoff Transaction, Value, Share Award Settlements for Spin Off			(631)
Stock Repurchased During Period, Value				119,551	71,290
Amortization of share awards			(14,304)	(32,930)	(21,589)
Cancellation of restricted stock			0	0	0
Purchase of subsidiary shares from noncontrolling interests					2,395
Acquisition of a subsidiary with noncontrolling interests				(13,710)	(10,284)
Disposition of subsidiary with noncontrolling interests			1,125		49
Issuance of noncontrolling interests			40	83	1,853
Dividends paid to noncontrolling interests			4,186	2,901	2,644
Comprehensive income:
Net Income attributable to SEACOR Holdings Inc.	8,396		36,970	61,215	41,056
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest			854	(756)	1,094
Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	9,120	(2,717)	37,824	60,459	42,150
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax			928	6,401	(1,037)
Common Stock [Member]
Total equity	372	367	372	367	364	361
Issuance of common stock:
Employee Stock Purchase Plan			0	0	0
Exercise of stock options			3	2	1
Director stock awards			0	0	0
Restricted stock and restricted stock units			2	1	2
Adjustments to Additional Paid in Capital, Equity Component of Convertible Debt			0	0
Special Cash Dividend				0
Stockholders' Equity Note, Spinoff Transaction			0
Stockholders Equity Note Spinoff Transaction, Value, Share Award Settlements for Spin Off			0
Stock Repurchased During Period, Value				0	0
Amortization of share awards			0	0	0
Cancellation of restricted stock			0	0	0
Purchase of subsidiary shares from noncontrolling interests					0
Acquisition of a subsidiary with noncontrolling interests				0	0
Disposition of subsidiary with noncontrolling interests			0		0
Issuance of noncontrolling interests			0	0	0
Dividends paid to noncontrolling interests			0	0	0
Comprehensive income:
Net Income attributable to SEACOR Holdings Inc.			0	0	0
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax			0	0	0
Additional Paid-In Capital [Member]
Total equity	(1,394,621)	1,330,324	(1,394,621)	1,330,324	1,256,209	1,225,296
Issuance of common stock:
Employee Stock Purchase Plan			0	0	0
Exercise of stock options			18,222	8,250	8,776
Director stock awards			(210)	(359)	(363)
Restricted stock and restricted stock units			(24)	443	123
Adjustments to Additional Paid in Capital, Equity Component of Convertible Debt			30,652	31,359
Special Cash Dividend				0
Stockholders' Equity Note, Spinoff Transaction			0
Stockholders Equity Note Spinoff Transaction, Value, Share Award Settlements for Spin Off			(631)
Stock Repurchased During Period, Value				0	0
Amortization of share awards			(14,304)	(32,930)	(21,589)
Cancellation of restricted stock			(1,564)	189	365
Purchase of subsidiary shares from noncontrolling interests					303
Acquisition of a subsidiary with noncontrolling interests				0	0
Disposition of subsidiary with noncontrolling interests			0		0
Issuance of noncontrolling interests			0	0	0
Dividends paid to noncontrolling interests			0	0	0
Comprehensive income:
Net Income attributable to SEACOR Holdings Inc.			0	0	0
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax			0	0	0
Retained Earnings [Member]
Total equity	(1,095,270)	1,473,509	(1,095,270)	1,473,509	1,512,679	1,471,623
Issuance of common stock:
Employee Stock Purchase Plan			0	0	0
Exercise of stock options			0	0	0
Director stock awards			0	0	0
Restricted stock and restricted stock units			0	0	0
Adjustments to Additional Paid in Capital, Equity Component of Convertible Debt			0	0
Special Cash Dividend				100,385
Stockholders' Equity Note, Spinoff Transaction			(415,209)
Stockholders Equity Note Spinoff Transaction, Value, Share Award Settlements for Spin Off			0
Stock Repurchased During Period, Value				0	0
Amortization of share awards			0	0	0
Cancellation of restricted stock			0	0	0
Purchase of subsidiary shares from noncontrolling interests					0
Acquisition of a subsidiary with noncontrolling interests				0	0
Disposition of subsidiary with noncontrolling interests			0		0
Issuance of noncontrolling interests			0	0	0
Dividends paid to noncontrolling interests			0	0	0
Comprehensive income:
Net Income attributable to SEACOR Holdings Inc.			(36,970)	61,215	41,056
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax			0	0	0
Shares Held In Treasury [Member]
Total equity	(1,088,219)	(1,088,560)	(1,088,219)	(1,088,560)	(971,687)	(903,004)
Issuance of common stock:
Employee Stock Purchase Plan			1,770	2,963	2,971
Exercise of stock options			0	0	0
Director stock awards			0	0	0
Restricted stock and restricted stock units			135	(96)	1
Adjustments to Additional Paid in Capital, Equity Component of Convertible Debt			0	0
Special Cash Dividend				0
Stockholders' Equity Note, Spinoff Transaction			0
Stockholders Equity Note Spinoff Transaction, Value, Share Award Settlements for Spin Off			0
Stock Repurchased During Period, Value				119,551	71,290
Amortization of share awards			0	0	0
Cancellation of restricted stock			1,564	(189)	(365)
Purchase of subsidiary shares from noncontrolling interests					0
Acquisition of a subsidiary with noncontrolling interests				0	0
Disposition of subsidiary with noncontrolling interests			0		0
Issuance of noncontrolling interests			0	0	0
Dividends paid to noncontrolling interests			0	0	0
Comprehensive income:
Net Income attributable to SEACOR Holdings Inc.			0	0	0
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax			0	0	0
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]
Total equity	(1,192)	(1,986)	(1,192)	(1,986)	(7,958)	(7,039)
Issuance of common stock:
Employee Stock Purchase Plan			0	0	0
Exercise of stock options			0	0	0
Director stock awards			0	0	0
Restricted stock and restricted stock units			0	0	0
Adjustments to Additional Paid in Capital, Equity Component of Convertible Debt			0	0
Special Cash Dividend				0
Stockholders' Equity Note, Spinoff Transaction			(55)
Stockholders Equity Note Spinoff Transaction, Value, Share Award Settlements for Spin Off			0
Stock Repurchased During Period, Value				0	0
Amortization of share awards			0	0	0
Cancellation of restricted stock			0	0	0
Purchase of subsidiary shares from noncontrolling interests					0
Acquisition of a subsidiary with noncontrolling interests				0	0
Disposition of subsidiary with noncontrolling interests			0		0
Issuance of noncontrolling interests			0	0	0
Dividends paid to noncontrolling interests			0	0	0
Comprehensive income:
Net Income attributable to SEACOR Holdings Inc.			0	0	0
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax			(849)	5,972	(919)
Non-Controlling Interests In Subsidiaries [Member]
Total equity	24,576	29,021	24,576	29,021	18,456	10,128
Issuance of common stock:
Employee Stock Purchase Plan			0	0	0
Exercise of stock options			0	0	0
Director stock awards			0	0	0
Restricted stock and restricted stock units			0	0	0
Adjustments to Additional Paid in Capital, Equity Component of Convertible Debt			0	0
Special Cash Dividend				0
Stockholders' Equity Note, Spinoff Transaction			(107)
Stockholders Equity Note Spinoff Transaction, Value, Share Award Settlements for Spin Off			0
Stock Repurchased During Period, Value				0	0
Amortization of share awards			0	0	0
Cancellation of restricted stock			0	0	0
Purchase of subsidiary shares from noncontrolling interests					2,092
Acquisition of a subsidiary with noncontrolling interests				13,710	10,284
Disposition of subsidiary with noncontrolling interests			1,125		49
Issuance of noncontrolling interests			40	83	1,853
Dividends paid to noncontrolling interests			4,186	2,901	2,644
Comprehensive income:
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest			(854)	(756)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax			(79)	429	(118)
Windcat Acquisition [Member]
Issuance of common stock:
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Acquisitions				585
Windcat Acquisition [Member] | Common Stock [Member]
Issuance of common stock:
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Acquisitions				0
Windcat Acquisition [Member] | Additional Paid-In Capital [Member]
Issuance of common stock:
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Acquisitions				585
Windcat Acquisition [Member] | Retained Earnings [Member]
Issuance of common stock:
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Acquisitions				0
Windcat Acquisition [Member] | Shares Held In Treasury [Member]
Issuance of common stock:
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Acquisitions				0
Windcat Acquisition [Member] | Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]
Issuance of common stock:
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Acquisitions				0
Windcat Acquisition [Member] | Non-Controlling Interests In Subsidiaries [Member]
Issuance of common stock:
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Acquisitions				$ 0