Help With Becoming A Commercial Diver.

[Hobbit]

Im not sure how many of you saw my old post called 'Profession?' but that ended up going bad, but during its lifespan, i really became interested in becoming a commercial diver. there isnt a whole lot of info on it on the net, so i thought i'd ask here! Here are my question:

Im only a sophomore. Next year, what classes could i chose that could benefit me when im training for this? I was thinking welding would be a good one, even though its not the same as underwater welding. It is available. What other classes though?

What would i study in college? Im hoping to go to BYU, but if theres a different college absolutly necessary for this, i could go to that.

I want to have a family, so i wouldnt want this to be a job where i've got to move homes every year. Is it?

what is the day? I know i could earn up to 2k a day. IS that right?

What EXACTLY would i be doing?

How much time would i be gone from my family at a time?

Anytihng else?


Thanks so much everyone! I really appreciate this!

-Jordan

 

[andywg]

The commie diving training is to get you under the water, you need a job you will be doing down there. If you get good at welding then you can start doing hyperbaric welding. The best thing to do is to get decent experience wherever possible at welding before getting the commie ticket.

Also, doing some courses in metalurgy and structural faults could help with becoming an underwater inspector.

You could earn up to $2k a day, but you will be lucky if you can still do it past the age of 35 (assuming you don't die or get bent too bad before that). Also, saturation diving is believed to be a possible cause of a number of skeltal problems commercial divers seem to develop.

You would end up spending large amnounts of time away from home. To earn the top dollar I would expect to be away a good 2-3 months at a time on a rig or a ship, maybe more. You don't have to move homes all the time, but you do need a wife and family that can cope with a "part time" member.

 

[Hobbit]

oh jeez. That is not something I would want to do. I couldnt stand being away for that long. Is it really that long? what exactly is metalurgy and structural faults?

Is there anyhting in the ocean that wont make you leave a family for that long? It seems they all require a part-time spouse.

 

[Hobbit]

oh jeez. That is not something I would want to do. I couldnt stand being away for that long. Is it really that long? what exactly is metalurgy and structural faults?

Is there anyhting in the ocean that wont make you leave a family for that long? It seems they all require a part-time spouse.

 

[Hobbit]

Andy? I know that you know how to answer. You had no problem in my old Profession topic. lol.

 

[SkiFletch]

Well, that's kinda the way it works... Once certified and contracted, commercial divers pretty much get put on a "list". You start at the bottom of this recruiment list and move up it when someone above you gets hired and completes a job. As you get towards the top of the list, you're eligable for job assignments based on your experience, number of hours logged, heavy equipment expertise, welding expertise, etc. You pretty much stay at home and wait for a call. When you get it, you'll probably have to leave home within 12-24 hours to go wherever the job is and for however long the job is. Could be a month, could be 6.

You get paid hourly based on time in the water/decompression. And obviously when on-site, your living expenses are paid for. Starting divers will get paid a few hundred an hour but obviously work "easier" jobs. By the time you're more experienced you can be making $1-4k per hour in some of the more dangerous environments on the planet.

You could also be hired/contracted by a commercial port to do inspection/repair of facilities there. Most of those guys are hired/contracted long-term and pretty much stay-put at the port. But from what I understand, that's a pretty tough gig to get, and you may have to know somebody.

 

[Hobbit]

hmmm.. I really like this. I can not live without adrenaline, and that is a lot of mioney.

I would really be gone for a month to half a year? Wow. I dont know.

 

[Musho3210]

hmm, sure beats earning 5.50 at Mcdonalds flipping burgers....

 

[Pimp]

You could have dive tours, if in a good loctaion and lots of tourist your business should grow

 

[SkiFletch]

I would really be gone for a month to half a year? Wow. I dont know.

Yeah, and you can't be selective on the jobs you take either. If you get to the top of the list, get called, and say you can't do it, you get shoved down to the bottom of the list again and lots of industry "red flags" go up. Remember, this is a can-do environment, so saying you can't is a bad idea

 

[Hobbit]

yeah, i would love to do it, but i couldnt be away that far. lol. Diving tours does sound fun....