The frenzy of interest concerning the world of water extends to the world beneath the surface. This exotic frontier of hot vents, unusual fish, and magnificent beauty has attracted the interest of people of all ages. Not all activities associated with the deep are exciting-some involve tedious manual labor related to commercial enterprises. In fact, the latter tends to be more common.
During his high school years, Dave Bollinger decided to enter the commercial fishing field. The opportunity for "travel, high pay, and adventure" attracted this experienced SCUBA diver to this romantic but dangerous field. Following graduation, he enrolled in the College of Ocean Engineering in Wilmington, California. The program included rigging, applications of mixed gas diving, and underwater welding, burning, and small tool usage. Since entering the field he has engaged in a variety of jobs: pipeline repairs, contamination diving, cable lying, and several others. The starting salaries are over $40,000 per year with extra pay for certain types of work. However, the job often involves overtime. Dave's advice to those considering this career: "The working conditions are hard; it's a dangerous job and it doesn't take much to die. It is something you should think about for a long time before getting into it."
The field of underwater diving is divided into four basic areas:
- Skin diving, in which you hold your breath while diving. In practice in North America, most skin divers use snorkels;
- SCUBA (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus), in which you utilize a breathing device mounted on your back);
- Snorkeling, in which you use a breathing tube; and
- Surface air supply, in which air is pumped to you through a hose from the surface. Recently, a fifth category could be added-bell and underwater vehicle diving-in which you work below the surface inside a submersible.
SPECIFIC JOBS
Specific jobs in this industry vary greatly in terms of skills and work situations. The following is a sample list:
- anchor and cable inspection
- barge and pier construction and inspection
- cable laying
- coring of the ocean floor
- demolition
- dive resort activities
- diving systems construction, repair, and maintenance
- dredging
- drilling equipment removal
- emergency medical technician diver
- equipment cleaning and installation
- exploration drilling
- fabrication of special equipment
- flotation devices maintenance
- flow line installation and maintenance
- gas rack operation
- gravity surveying
- grouting
- guideline replacement
- Harbor and deck construction
- hyperbaric chamber operations
- injection equipment installation
- instrument use and maintenance life support systems
- construction, operation, repair, and maintenance of marine environmental control work
- marine patrol (law enforcement)
- medical and emergency care for diving illnesses and accidents
- oil drilling and oil production equipment installation, repair, and maintenance
- operation of one-atmosphere suits
- remote-control vehicles
- diving bells pipeline installation and maintenance platform construction
- public safety and marine police activities
- rock drilling
- blasting salvage
Scientific and academic research activities are:
- marine archaeology
- sample collecting
- seismic surveying
- specimen collecting
- surface geological appraisal
- surface mapping search and recovery
- sewage line installation, inspection, and maintenance submersible operations supervisor
- tool design and testing trenching
- Underwater diving instructor underwater painting underwater photography and Videography.
Many of these jobs require additional skills as well as good diving ability. Bob Smith, Director of the National YMCA Center for Underwater Activities, makes the point nicely: "Diving can be exploited to further another career." If you have the ability to weld, take photographs, or understand geology and you combine it with diving, your career can prove interesting and financially rewarding.
One career with considerable appeal is that of full-time diving instructor. This person may engage in full-time teaching, work in an underwater diving shop, or own or manage a school and conduct courses. In this managerial capacity, you might have the following program: courses on Monday nights at the community college; two courses on Tuesday and Thursday at the local high school; and private lessons at your school's pool.
Diving instructors often attend school. For example, those attending the NASDS (National Association of Skin Diving Schools) College receive the following training: diving physiology and psychology; prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diving hazards; cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques; certification in senior lifesaving; extensive work in surf rescue techniques and lifesaving adaptations to SCUBA; night diving; and deep diving and surf diving techniques. In addition, there are similar studies in teaching methodology, sales and marketing techniques, as well as general management. Linda Ponder, current NASDS administrative assistant, reports, "Presently there are at least one hundred positions for qualified diving instructors open within our member SCUBA schools. They are in such demand that we cannot enroll enough students to fill the needs in our NASDS Diving Instructors College."
In some areas, SCUBA divers work on a contract basis with law enforcement officers. These divers are called upon when a person or a piece of evidence must be retrieved from the water. Several police departments have their own marine units that handle such matters. These officers may do regular police work and then swing into action as divers when the necessity arises. In some areas, such as Florida's Dade County, the Police Underwater Unit averages a call a day. The Florida Marine Patrol, a state group, has actually made some underwater arrests in such areas as illicit drug smuggling and lobster poaching! This career offers the opportunity to mesh an interest in police work with diving.
In recent years, an expansion of diving opportunities has resulted from the interest of the petroleum companies in offshore oil. This should continue strongly during the twenty-first century. These jobs involve divers with surface air supply or SCUBA. Sur-face air supply diving generally involves dives of great depths- one thousand feet is not unusual. A lifeline runs from the surface to the diver. SCUBA divers generally work at lesser depths and have the advantage of increased mobility. Some colleges, such as Santa Barbara City College, offer an associate degree (two years) in marine diving technology. Students take basic diving courses and technical subjects such as fundamentals of electronics and combination welding. Additional course work in oceanography, marine biology, and related general studies rounds out the program.
See the following articles for more information:
- Find Your Calling: A Checklist
- 5 Ways To Build Your Career Outside of the Office
- How To Impress Your Interviewer When Making a Career Change
- 5 Tips For Successful Networking
