Become a Professional Diver

Becoming a professional diver can lead you to a variety of interesting career opportunities. You can become a commercial diver, which involves underwater construction, welding, and ship maintenance. You could also be a public safety diver and work with rescue agencies and law enforcement to save people in the ocean, or you could be a research diver to contribute to oceanic and marine biology research or environmental protection and conservation. Whichever role you choose to take, you will need commercial diving training and certification to be able to dive safely.

Steps

Preparing to Get Certified

  1. Meet the minimum health and education requirements. You must be at least 18 years of age, have a high school diploma or GED, have good swimming skills, and be in good physical health. Get a physical examination from your doctor before you start diving to make sure you’re fit enough for the job.[1]
  2. Get your scuba certification. Being comfortable in the underwater environment and with the physical feeling of diving is necessary if you want to become a professional diver. Training for scuba diving is broken up into three steps: classroom time, confined water dives in swimming pools, and open water dives.[2]
    • Some great Scuba programs include Become-a-PADI-Certified-Scuba-Diver (Professional Association of Diving Instructors), NAUI (National Association of Underwater Instructors), and SSI (Scuba Schools International).
    • Pricing can vary for each of the three stages of certification, but the total cost of Scuba certification is about $300-500.[3]
    • Make sure your scuba program is ADCI-certified (Association of Diving Contractors International) if you plan to go into welding and construction.
  3. Go to commercial dive school for the “Entry Level Tender/Diver” certification. A great option is the CDA Technical Institute in Jacksonville, Florida. They are partnered with ADCI (The Association of Diving Contractors International),which recognizes you as a certified diver in the United States. It will cover all of the necessary training you need to apply for a job as a commercial diver. Dive school can be $20,000-30,000 for tuition, not including equipment and fees.[4]
    • You will need to get a dive physical at ADCI before you start the program, which can cost $400 alone.[5]

Completing Your Training

  1. Get your above-ground welding certification. You can get this at a technical school, such as the American Welding Society.[6] While it may not be necessary for the job you pursue after commercial diving school, more skills will always help, especially if you plan on getting certified in Underwater Welding.
  2. Pursue specialized certifications at CDA Technical Institute if you want a specific job. Options include: Offshore Survival, Nondestructive Testing, and Basic Rigging.[7] Look at the job description of the position you want to see which certifications are required before getting them. If you are qualified for a position without additional advanced certifications, you may choose whether or not to pursue them.
    • The Unrestricted Surface Supplied Diving Certification offered at CDA Technical Institute is recognized worldwide by the IMCA (International Marine Contractors Association), and will be necessary if you plan on working offshore in other countries.
  3. Join the American Academy of Underwater Sciences if you want to become a research diver. Research divers collect scientific data for marine life and geology research, so you will need a science-based degree, such as Biology, before you can be hired at a research institution. You will learn how to dive in specialized environments like polar, night, and aquarium diving, and how to properly collect data from living and non-living subjects.[8]
  4. Pursue your PADI Rescue Diver certification if you want to become a rescue diver. You will work with the police and military on search-and-rescue missions, controlled demolition, and more. You will need to gain your PADI Advanced Open Water certification, Public Safety Diver certification, and the Rescue Diver Certification.[9] You will also need First Aid/CPR certification before you can apply for jobs as a public safety diver.

Applying for Jobs

  1. Look for jobs on regular job sites. You can use Indeed, Monster, or any other major job site to find commercial diving jobs. They’re in high demand, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding positions at private companies to apply for! Private construction companies often focus on one particular type of commercial diving, such as mixed air diving in depths of up to 300 feet of saltwater, but all of that should be covered if you get your training at CDA Technical Institute.[10]
  2. Use the resources your dive school provides. Dive schools can help set you up with potential employers because of their connections to the industry. Network with the alumni of your diving school to learn about new opportunities.[11]
  3. Look on the “Careers” page of a company you want to work for. Apply for jobs often, and work on as many certifications as you can to increase your salary potential and gain valuable skills that help keep you safe at sea. Large companies, like ExxonMobil or Shell, often use contractors who are signed on to a private diving company for their underwater projects.

Warnings

  • Even though recreational diving can be very enjoyable and a fantastic way to relax, commercial diving can be a very dangerous job. Thousands of divers die each year because of a variety of issues. It is important to remember safety first.
  • Many professional divers have to spend a great deal of time away from their family. You could be offshore for weeks or months at a time.

Related Articles

References

  1. ↑ https://www.commercialdivingacademy.com/
  2. ↑ https://www.padi.com/padi-courses/open-water-diver
  3. ↑ http://www.scuba-diving-smiles.com/cost-of-scuba-diving.html
  4. ↑ https://www.commercialdivingacademy.com/value-statement.cms
  5. ↑ https://www.commercialdivingacademy.com/underwater-welder.cms
  6. ↑ https://www.aws.org/certification/professionalcertifications
  7. ↑ https://www.commercialdivingacademy.com/available-certifications.cms
  8. ↑ http://www.aaus.org/diving_standards
  9. ↑ https://www.padi.com/padi-courses/public-safety-diver
  10. ↑ https://www.diversinstitute.edu/getting-hired-advice-industry/
  11. ↑ https://waterwelders.com/underwater-welding-job-networking/
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