Commercial Diving is an occupation. In other words, it is an occupation where you get paid to work underwater. It's an occupation that requires very specialized training. Examples include: underwater welding, assistance in the construction and inspection of dams and bridges, installation an repair of pipelines and valves, inspection and rehabilitation of wooden and steel pilings and breakwaters and the maintenance of intake and outfall water piping for municipalities and industry. These a just a few of the different tasks that a commercial diver may perform, there are many others. There are two distinct types of commercial diving; offshore and inland. Each has its advantages and disadvantages and while the physics and physiology are similar for each, each requires the diver to possess a different knowledge and skill package. Working at altitude vs. working at sea level has different training and rules. Working in wastewater vs. working in potable water; you certainly wouldn't want your drinking water contaminated. Working in hot or warm water vs. working in cold water. All in all it's a very challenging occupation. It's an occupation where danger is always present and the work is usually physically and mentally demanding. But it is very rewarding also. Commercial diving is not an occupation that most individuals can do. Some of the work that need to be accomplished, only a hand full of individuals in the world, are qualified and even capable of doing.
A Commercial Diver is an individual who earns his living working underwater and who has learned to utilize the skills he or she has previously acquired, and improved upon through experience, in an underwater environment.
To become a Commercial Diver, you have several options. The best option is to attend one of the accredited commercial diving schools located in various parts of the United States. These schools teach you the various aspects of commercial diving including the Physics and Physiology of the underwater environment and the effects on the human body. In general you learn to breath and work in foreign environment, "the water". You have the opportunity to learn new skill like Underwater Welding and Cutting, Inspections, ROV operation and decompression operation.
The other way to become a Commercial Diver is to acquire the needed skills to work in the underwater environment is by OJT. On the Job training programs are often offered by Commercial Diving companies to individuals who have had previous training in the military or similar. Sometimes individuals with a vast background in scuba and possess other desirable qualities are offered OJT programs.
This is a very loaded question. Like any occupation it will vary and depend on many factors. Commercial divers can earn as little at minimum wage and as much as $75.00 per hour and more. It depends on the amount of experience you have, how good you really are, where in the world you are employed, the other skills you possess, the type of dive you make and many other factors.
While many Commercial Diving Schools try to lure or recruit new individuals with the hype that you will start at $80,000.00 per year upon graduation, it is more likely that most individuals will start out earning far less, probably barely enough to pay your living expenses. The truth is that there are many untruths floating around. The reality of the business is that you will, like at most normal jobs, start out at the bottom of the pay scale and after a few years of experience, be doing alright for yourself. The term alright, means that you will, or at least should, be making a reasonable competitive wage for the area in which you live.
Please realize that commercial diving is not a get rich occupation. If you're thinking of commercial diving as a career to get you out of debt quickly, because you'll make a lot of money, forget it. In all but a few of instances you will be starting from the bottom and working your way up, both career and financially.
Don't get me wrong, you can earn a very good living, you just have to get into it and stay in it for the right reasons. In other words, just like any other occupation, you have to commit yourself to it, and give yourself enough time to gain the experience you need to be truly valuable. Job jumpers and freelancers tend not to stay in the business long and therefore never realize their potential. Both tend to never reach their goals, career or financial.
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Opportunities for commercial divers has never been better. Like all occupations, what you put into it, will help you realize your goals. You must be willing to put in the time required to gain not only the experience, but also acquire additional knowledge and skills on your own to make yourself valuable.
It also depends a lot on the geographical area of the country or world in which you select to base your career. Some areas of the country have no need for commercial divers. This just makes sense. You'll have a better opportunity to perform oilfield diving in the Gulf of Mexico than you will in Montana. You have to be willing to relocate as the first step in finding the perfect job.
Question you have to ask yourself:
1) Do I want to relocate or accept the locally available work?
2) What career path do I want to pursue? Inland or Offshore?
3) What additional skills do I have that are of value for the selected career path? Do these skills provide better opportunities in one career vs. the other.
4) What opportunities exist for each career?
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Is it all about safety and common sense or profit? Read on, I'll tell you the long version. I feel like ramblin on today.
This is something that had gone in different directions over the years. In the early days of commercial diving, most diving was performed by the military, primarily the Navy. There was also construction diving. Two very different entities with very different philosophies. The Navy on one hand had highly trained divers with a book of regulations. This book, "The U.S. Navy Dive Manual" parts 1 & 2, specified minimum standards for safety, training and operational staffing. As with most operations the government performs, personnel and equipment are no problem. There was and still is personnel roles, dive plans (the paperwork most dive contactors ignore), predive planning and safety assessment. The list goes on and on. Realize, the Navy doesn't compete for work. Profit is basically not part of the equation.
Then, there's construction diving. The marine and construction business is just what I said, a business. And with all businesses you have to predict and plan for profit and loss. That's where the problem comes in. You never know how much profit there will be until the job is finished and all the last "beans" are counted. Now for the solution, just minimize expenses. That's it, just minimize expenses. How do you do that? Well, you don't plan dives, you don't do the paperwork as that takes time, and you use what ever unqualified help is standing around rather than hire a properly trained experienced dive team. And when I say unqualified help, well, it's just that. If they were really qualified at something, they'd be busy at doing whatever they were qualified at, making the company money. As for the diver, well there are two or three workers who have been diving for years. Yea, sport diving. THEY'LL DO. After all we can't afford $100.00 per hour commercial diver. How many times have I heard that. Let alone a whole dive team. On and on the story goes. After all the sport diver didn't get hurt, too badly, the last time we used him. Let's just use him again, were already paying him to drive sheet piling and he's here and he likes it. Whoa, did we save money on him. The next time we can bid the job even lower because he will already be here. The "bean" counter loves it, supervisors get credit for saving money and life is well.
Or, we'll "just hire us one of them there trained commercial divers and one of you guys, doesn't matter who, can tend the diver. Just somebody pull on the hose or line once in a while between lunch breaks. Oh, what's that? Repeat! Repeat! What, did, you, say?, check the air compressor?, repeat, repeat, what do you want me to do?, pull on your hose? I can't , it's stuck or caught on something". As the diver barely makes it back to the surface, his helmet half flooded. I've seen this happen way too many times!!! As one of the supervisors exclaim, "what doesn't kill will only make him stronger".
And so the story went and still goes. After all they're,, construction workers, it's dangerous,, Macho, yeah. And the diver is like a hero, he could have died. Everybody now looks up to him because he's, "The Diver". Tough as nails. Yeah you lose one every once in a while, but ya know, that why they there's dive schools, we'll just get another ONE.
As other companies watched each other, they also learned how to out bid each other. They'll throw a few dollars in the bid just in case, but not too much, they needed the bid. So it has just become a way of life.
What the construction industry did, made its way into other markets as well. Construction companies have replace millrights and pipefitters in many industries. And the construction company always knows a diver looking for work. And it goes on and on and on.
Even scuba shops try to do commercial work. After all they are divers too, they dove once or twice in the last couple of years.
So dive companies, trying to compete with butchered up industry practices, have attempted to be competitive and stay in business. In doing so, they use one or two man crews, on scuba, on surface supplied air, what ever they can to be competitive with the construction or scuba industry.
I know I don't say how many have been killed or injured, we don't need the gore, we'll save that for TV. If you want to know, check OSHA records, it's staggering. But, just some tidbits you may find interesting.
OSHA and the Association of Diving Contractors requires a minimum of a three man dive team. A diver, a rescue diver and qualified tender. Not just any worker that's available, a qualified tender.
The Army Corp or Engineers requires, for each diver in the water, there shall be a standby (rescue) diver and a tender for each diver, and a non-diving supervisor. That's 5 personnel.
The normal diver weights between 250 and 300 pounds dressed out. Can you lift one by yourself, out of the water, up a ladder or wall? Do you go to try to find help while you leave the diver alone, in the water? What if the hose is stuck under the water and the diver is just below the surface, oh so close, but yet so far. Do you go for help or jump in the water. Now the air compressor quits, you were about to fill it when the diver needed help and there wasn't time. What do you do now???
If the diver suddenly becomes ill, is it the bends, a pneumothorax, an air embolism, the flu, why did he pass out? Oh my god he's bleeding from the nose and ears, what should I do? How do you treat him with first aid, maybe you don't see anything obvious.
The answer to the whole story is that you need sufficient staffing with properly trained, experienced commercial divers. They are trained to plan, observe, listen , execute, rescue and treat other divers. They know when to go for help. Who to call and how explain the type of care that may be needed once that help arrives. And while the extra personnel may be expensive, if it saves one life, isn't it worth it? Think of how much money is donated each year by companies, business, construction workers, individuals and families in the hope a cure can be found for cancer, MS, to the March of Dimes, Good will, St. Vincent De Paul and on and on and on. But, a divers safety doesn't count. That's too expensive! We pay millions of dollars into insurance and many don't ever need it. But diver safety is too expensive? NO it's not expensive.
Canada is in the process of requiring a minimum of 4 - man dive crews. The U.S.A is also in the discussion phase.
By the way for the industry that uses scuba shop personnel to do their diving. I know, I know you got an insurance certificate from them, CALL the insurance underwriter and the actual insurance company and ask if the scuba shop's insurance policy provides coverage for commercial work. It Doesn't.
Told you I'd ramble and I hope you gained some insight as to why the 3 - man teams are the minimum. Thanks for asking.
Mike Holdridge