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advice on commercial diving .

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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matt5

Active Member
May 6, 2005
10
0
36
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hello out there ,
im hoping that maybe someone out with commercial experience and the goodwill and time to give some pointers will be able to give me some advice. i ve been working the last three years in recreational diving as a padi msdt and have no interest in climbing any further up the padi pyramid.They have enough of my money.My personal preference is now generally for freediving over tank diving anyway. As its quite difficult to make a living from apnea training i ve been thinking about commercial diving.I m 30 years old which i ve been told by a friend who works in the industry,is not too old to begin training.Any general pointers would be welcome such as good schools or areas to specialise in .
i have an irish passport, so im not sure if i can train in the states where i ve heard the training in cheaper than europe...there is masses of information on the web with so many areas and specialities its a bit overwhelming .im not really interested in onshore work and would like to get into salvage or rig work eventually ..but i guess its beggars and choosers there.
anyway i just thought i d put it out there ..any advice will be much appreciated
matthew
 
Hey Matt.

Did you talk to Jay about it much while he was over there? I'll ask a few of the divers out here on the boat for you. I'm pretty sure that there are a few trainers in SE Asia, but I'll check on that too.

Cam
 
hello out there ,
im hoping that maybe someone out with commercial experience and the goodwill and time to give some pointers will be able to give me some advice. i ve been working the last three years in recreational diving as a padi msdt and have no interest in climbing any further up the padi pyramid.They have enough of my money.My personal preference is now generally for freediving over tank diving anyway. As its quite difficult to make a living from apnea training i ve been thinking about commercial diving.I m 30 years old which i ve been told by a friend who works in the industry,is not too old to begin training.Any general pointers would be welcome such as good schools or areas to specialise in .
i have an irish passport, so im not sure if i can train in the states where i ve heard the training in cheaper than europe...there is masses of information on the web with so many areas and specialities its a bit overwhelming .im not really interested in onshore work and would like to get into salvage or rig work eventually ..but i guess its beggars and choosers there.
anyway i just thought i d put it out there ..any advice will be much appreciated
matthew

Hi Matthew,

You will want to have a look at Fort Bovisand or Fort William in Scotland. These are the closest places to you.

Start with the basic commercial diver course in the HSE Syllabus which is HSE Pt. 1. After that you can progress and become and offshore saturation diver. From there you can get into a few commercial diving related fields such as;

1. Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) Diver. You can also undergo welding inspection courses that certify you to become an underwater inspector. (CSWIP u3.1)

2. DMT ( Diver Medic Technician). You train to be an offshore medic in this course. One of the best and most sought after qualifications in the industry.

3. Dive Systems Supervisor . In this you are trained to supervise and carry divers throughout their decompression . You are taught everything about sat. systems.

4. ROV Operator. In this you learn how to be an ROV pilot and technician.


These are only some of the trades you can train in. I am sure there are alot more that I have not listed.

Train well and safe ;)

A
 
"the padi pyramid.They have enough of my money."

Get ready to pay a load more...BUT..you can get it bak quiker....as your not paid in rice and beens like the rec side.
 
HI Mate.

I am am currentley a saturation diver working around the world but down in the UAE.
Now it sounds a glamours life and yes there is some money and benifits but the intial out lay will be very large for you.
Fort Bovisand has closed it's doors for a good number of years. Fort Willam (Bill) is open however expensive.
You want to undertake an air divers course first this will cost you £11137.00 for 13 weeks plus digs. however there are some schools in South Africa which are cheaper that wil give you the same ticket (HSE Surfaced suppiled air diver).

Then you have to have a medical every year which is about £100 - £140 depending where you go.

Offshore survival ticket £700 - £1000 depending where you go(last for 3 years)
Diver Medic £500 - 850 (last for 3yrs)
CSWIP 3.1U £2500- (same 3 yrs).

Now you have to get water time working in the oil and gas world. this is hard to break into however once you get in and your name known most work is word of mouth. Dayrates go by experince and global location but as an ai diver you can look at $200 - 350 a day.
People will tell you that you will be able to do your sat course in 18mths for school, however you may find it very hard to get known quick enough or even get the experince in.

Sat course is £10280. The wages here are nice $500 - $1000 a day and in the North Sea£1000 a day. but be aware the tax man loves divers from the North Sea.

the conditions that we work with are from rough and ready barges living in port a cabins to 2 man cabins inside the ship and when in sat with up to 9 other guys for 28 days and no escape(you are locked in by pressure and big hatches) every thing you do is watched by everyone be it clients, superintendents, to LSS's this means evrything from working, eating to showering....

I hope this helps and it is a good life but be prepared for being let down at short notice or working around the globe where the locals do not like you to much....
If you are married it may put some strains on your relationship... do not expect christmas and birthdays to be on the companies list of priorites.

I wish you well and hope to see you in the industry.
Brit-tech
 
  • Like
Reactions: Erik
Thank you for that bri-tech..That has helped me alot.

I heard that there is alot of respect in which schooll you go to and that it helps to get work.

Do you feel this.

I know i want to go the the best but SA sound gooood.
 
Hi Mate.

The school thing has gone away now since the closing of some schools. However in the States and Canada it still remains.

Also it is how much you want to do the job and what other work you are willing to do i.e paint/grease dive stations etc.
Remember the diving is only a means to getting to work it is what you do when you get there that counts in a positive way or negative way.

I have heard of a few Brits going down SA and getting some bargains with their training. But you have OZ or INPP in france.

With regards to the HSE ticket try and get this if not a reconised one by them. IMCA have some info on their website.

Good luck and enjoy
Ant
 
Deepwater,
The first step (basic commercial diver) of HSE syllabus is part 4 not part 1.

I got my Part 4 training for just £450 pounds (instead of £3000) as it was subsidised by the University of Plymouth.
 
hi guys, can i throw in my 2cents worth. i just completed parts i,iii,iv.
when i did the course in fort william they said the following to me

A. part I (wet-bell/Top-up) can ONLY be done if you have part III (surface supplied)

B. Part IV (Scuba) does not need to be done to be eligable to do your part III

C. Part IV (scuba) is not necessary if you plan to work in the north sea as the laws states you cannot dive on scuba equipment in the north sea.
but its still nice to have done it as it gives you more scope with jobs that you might want to apply for inshore that dont require power-tools, ie, inspection etc..
 
HI Mate.

I am am currentley a saturation diver working around the world but down in the UAE.
Now it sounds a glamours life and yes there is some money and benifits but the intial out lay will be very large for you.
Fort Bovisand has closed it's doors for a good number of years. Fort Willam (Bill) is open however expensive.
You want to undertake an air divers course first this will cost you £11137.00 for 13 weeks plus digs. however there are some schools in South Africa which are cheaper that wil give you the same ticket (HSE Surfaced suppiled air diver).

Then you have to have a medical every year which is about £100 - £140 depending where you go.

Offshore survival ticket £700 - £1000 depending where you go(last for 3 years)
Diver Medic £500 - 850 (last for 3yrs)
CSWIP 3.1U £2500- (same 3 yrs).

Now you have to get water time working in the oil and gas world. this is hard to break into however once you get in and your name known most work is word of mouth. Dayrates go by experince and global location but as an ai diver you can look at $200 - 350 a day.
People will tell you that you will be able to do your sat course in 18mths for school, however you may find it very hard to get known quick enough or even get the experince in.

Sat course is £10280. The wages here are nice $500 - $1000 a day and in the North Sea£1000 a day. but be aware the tax man loves divers from the North Sea.

the conditions that we work with are from rough and ready barges living in port a cabins to 2 man cabins inside the ship and when in sat with up to 9 other guys for 28 days and no escape(you are locked in by pressure and big hatches) every thing you do is watched by everyone be it clients, superintendents, to LSS's this means evrything from working, eating to showering....

I hope this helps and it is a good life but be prepared for being let down at short notice or working around the globe where the locals do not like you to much....
If you are married it may put some strains on your relationship... do not expect christmas and birthdays to be on the companies list of priorites.

I wish you well and hope to see you in the industry.
Brit-tech

Where in the UAE are u working Brit?
i'm sure that u r making a fortune.
 
Hey Matt,

Brit-tech's advice is dead-on right.

I worked in the offshore oil industry for about 6 years, primarily in the Gulf of Mexico and the Bay of Campeche. I also did a fair amount of freelance work on the East Coast, mostly power plant work and commercial dock construction and rehabilitation.

I went to what was then called the "Commercial Dive Center" in Wilmington, California (now called "College of Oceaneering"), and got very good training there. My best friend went to the Ocean Corporation in Houston, Texas; the training was comparable.

It would be worth looking into the passport situation if you thought you might want to get your training in the States. I can tell you there's currently a high demand for divers in the Gulf of Mexico, due to the damage from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and due to high oil prices spurring new exploration and production. One of my buddies in my spearfishing club does mostly brownwater, coastal work -- salvage, commercial dock construction, etc.; he's been ridiculously busy over the last few years.

One thing that certainly helps is having a trade, like diesel or hydraulics mechanics, or welding (welding was my trade). Obviously, there's lots of equipment involved in operating and maintaining a dive station, and you don't always have the luxury of having a technician around that can troubleshoot a problem. But, having a trade is by no means a necessity, and don't let that hold you back.

Best of luck to you in whatever you decide to do; please keep us posted.

Regards,
Dan
 
Where in the UAE are u working Brit?
i'm sure that u r making a fortune.

rofl I maybe but my better half is a horsey woman so she is spending pretty well!!!! but after all the agro she has gone through with me and my work over the years, who am I to complain....she is still by my side plus she is a brillant mother of our three sons, so maybe it's her wage.At least I can pretend when the comms dont work and go back to the bell.

I am down in Oman now was in Dubai. working for a very intresting client..cant say no more on that front.

back in Dubai in Jan and going to make sure I check out island girl and get my 2*(touch wood).

To anyone thinking of going into the offshore divers life have a gooden and remember you are only as good as you last dive and bad news travels faster tha good.

Later Ant
 
brit-tech,

im in dubai and from plymouth also.
My son is considering a career in commercial diving. Do you fancy a beer in january so i can pick your brains re the world you inhabit.

ive got three sons too.

tonyruth48@hotmail.com

or tony 050-8503120
 
If you want to do it you will do it. I wouldn`t recomend it to anyone!!
 
Come on Omega

It aint that bad in fact it is even nice once you have buried a few mates and broken the old boys clubs. Plus it beats sitting behind a desk trying to have a life with the xmas office party.

Later Ant
 
Come on Omega

It aint that bad in fact it is even nice once you have buried a few mates and broken the old boys clubs. Plus it beats sitting behind a desk trying to have a life with the xmas office party.

Later Ant

I just had to quote this!!

:head

Whats it like at the top??
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Omega

Question are you a commerical diver???

if so you would understand those my phrases. In the offshore game you die even when you dont mess up..surface crews are responsible for 40% of divers deaths in the past 4 years.

Yes the old boy clubs are a live and well..but if you are worth your salt you find work.

pm me
 
Well im all signed up for my comercial course in diving in new jersy usa.

With Dive acaddamy.

start in march
 
Omega

Question are you a commerical diver???

if so you would understand those my phrases. In the offshore game you die even when you dont mess up..surface crews are responsible for 40% of divers deaths in the past 4 years.

Yes the old boy clubs are a live and well..but if you are worth your salt you find work.

pm me


I suggest you get professional help!!!
 
HI Mate.

I am am currentley a saturation diver working around the world but down in the UAE.
Now it sounds a glamours life and yes there is some money and benifits but the intial out lay will be very large for you.
Fort Bovisand has closed it's doors for a good number of years. Fort Willam (Bill) is open however expensive.
You want to undertake an air divers course first this will cost you £11137.00 for 13 weeks plus digs. however there are some schools in South Africa which are cheaper that wil give you the same ticket (HSE Surfaced suppiled air diver).

Then you have to have a medical every year which is about £100 - £140 depending where you go.

Offshore survival ticket £700 - £1000 depending where you go(last for 3 years)
Diver Medic £500 - 850 (last for 3yrs)
CSWIP 3.1U £2500- (same 3 yrs).

Now you have to get water time working in the oil and gas world. this is hard to break into however once you get in and your name known most work is word of mouth. Dayrates go by experince and global location but as an ai diver you can look at $200 - 350 a day.
People will tell you that you will be able to do your sat course in 18mths for school, however you may find it very hard to get known quick enough or even get the experince in.

Sat course is £10280. The wages here are nice $500 - $1000 a day and in the North Sea£1000 a day. but be aware the tax man loves divers from the North Sea.

the conditions that we work with are from rough and ready barges living in port a cabins to 2 man cabins inside the ship and when in sat with up to 9 other guys for 28 days and no escape(you are locked in by pressure and big hatches) every thing you do is watched by everyone be it clients, superintendents, to LSS's this means evrything from working, eating to showering....

I hope this helps and it is a good life but be prepared for being let down at short notice or working around the globe where the locals do not like you to much....
If you are married it may put some strains on your relationship... do not expect christmas and birthdays to be on the companies list of priorites.

I wish you well and hope to see you in the industry.
Brit-tech




You wouldn't happen to know how much the HSE2 costs in south africa do you?
 
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