The Who, Why, What, and How of becoming a commercial diver.
Who commercial diving might appeal too;
Does the thought of sitting at a desk all day make you cringe? Not interested in years of schooling at university and then years of debt afterwards? Looking for a career that offers the opportunity to make great money after just 5 months of training and work around the world?
Maybe it’s time to jump into a career as a commercial diver. If you enjoy the outdoors, the ocean, the high seas, adventure and a challenge, commercial diving may be for you. You will get well paid for your hard work. And the only suit that you’ll wear on the job is a drysuit!
As Canada’s premier commercial dive school, DiveSafe International sees people everyday who have decided to make a living through diving – and for good reason. Here’s a quick rundown on why occupational diving is an awesome career path.
Why commercial diving;
First and foremost, there is a lot of work out there for those who have the get up and go. We get calls every week from different contractors looking for divers or asking about our graduates. And recent years have seen an increase in prospects – bucking the national trend of other industries. Truly, there has never been a better time to get into diving.
One of the great things about being a commercial diver is the huge variety of work we get to do. Work in underwater welding jobs, off-shore oil rig, construction diving, engineering inspection, aquaculture, seafood harvesting, public safety, environmental survey, scientific diving, search and recovery, and, increasingly, in the film industry. Not only is it challenging work, but it’s interesting because it literally changes with the tides.
Located in Campbell River at the gateway to the spectacular Discovery Passage and in the heart of the diving industry in BC, diving with us also means you get to spend time on North Vancouver Island on the beautiful West Coast. And there are plenty of opportunities to stay once you graduate.
What you can earn
I know, I know . . . that’s all well and good, but show me the money, right? As a DCBC certified unrestricted surface supply diver, the pay will vary as much if not more than the variety of jobs you pick up. As a rule of thumb you should expect to make approx. CDN500.00 per day.
Of course if you head out seafood harvesting you are entering the commercial fishing industry. Lots of variables in that adventure, weather/price of the product/experience of the skipper and crew, quality and quantity of the product all have a say in your pay. On a good day you’re pulling in CDN1200.00 a day, but when the weather keeps your boat firmly secured to the dock, you’re stuck playing poker with the crew and that could go either way.
We sometimes say “the dirtier the job the better the money”, like diving in an effluent pond for example. But sometimes you just want a break and dream of 100 foot visiblity on the open ocean with whales and dolphins, (the occasional mermaid perhaps), jumping. A nice easy swim with SCUBA gear and video camera in hand along a transect line working on an environmental survey, looking at all the cool critters. Wonderful work when you can find it but don’t expect to get paid the big bucks. Not dirty or dangerous enough.
The type of work dictates the type of diver, Surface supply diver/SCUBA, which in turn dictates the type of money you’ll make.
How to start a career as a commercial diver
The easiest way to get started is to get in touch with us. At DiveSafe International, we run our 21 week Unrestricted surface supply program twice a year, starting in January and July.
Time to make a change, make good money and start planning for the future? Get in touch! Whether you are completely new to diving, a recreational diver or an instructor, we can work with you to get you working.
For more information on courses, schedules, pre-requisites and all things commercial diving, check out the courses page: https://www.divesafe.com/unrestricted-surface-supply-diver/#.
Victoria Addington
It was interesting to know that commercial divers get to work in construction diving. My friend told me that their current project requires construction diving. I think it’s best for them to partner with a contractor that is composed of highly trained commercial divers.