Aiden,
I was fairly sure that I'd already replied to your post, but it obviously didn't send- I was working and the internet was variable.
You're right- everyone has a different experience. Personally, I've been diving since 1993 and I've never been out of work for more than 3 months in that time (although I took a couple of years out to play at Rope Access work) and I've mostly loved it. But I have been more than lucky on more than a couple of occasions, and for the first, say, 14-15 years I earned **** all money to boast about, although the lifestyle was fun. Most guys that do the diving course however, never get a paid dive- and by their first to second year, around 80-90% have given up (this is based on UK diving medical statistics about returning candidates, not exact, but mostly backed up by personal experiences- I was on a course of 13 in 1993, and by the end of year 1, there was only me and one other diver who lost his life diving in the ME soon after..).
This is the worst oil industry recession in around 30 years for divers, and this generally affects more than offshore oil and Gas divers- the Offshore Sat divers fall back on Air work (remember, they have usually spent a long time Air Diving before getting into Sat, so they know guys in companies, have a lot of experience and tickets etc.) so the Air Divers head to the Windfarms, the Windfarm guys head to Civils and the Civils guys take up scallop diving...also, there used to be a 'tradition' (if it can be called that) of Europeans, Americans, Yaarpies Aussies etc working over the world due to training and experience. Unfortunately, many regions have been implementing their own training, and usuing locals, or relatively cheap Asians so the days of the Brit walking onto a Barge in Brunei or Bombay and walking into Sat for rock-star wages is mostly gone...also, due to cuts, companies are cutting corners, some work in areas where they can get away with cutting safety drastically, with predictable results..rates are dropping, guys are getting strung along with the promise of 'jam tomorrow' to get them to work for **** all, then getting nothing but bouncing cheques 3 months later...well, how is someone from Falkirk, who is up to his neck in debt and losing his house, going to be able to fly himself down to Nigeria and walk into an office in Port Harcourt to demand his money? It's a dirty business in many places..
The Industry is occasionally fun, mostly cut-throat and occasionally dangerous and cheap.this goes for many of the divers you'd meet....but there's no cookie cutter for Divers- I've been in sat, sitting next to an ex French Foreign Legionnaire, a Bass player in a Punk/funk band, a time served coppersmith and a couple of bullshitting chancers.....this is just real life in miniature...
I'm guessing you are asking if someone can make it as a diver in something other than Offshore work, and the answer is yes, although it may feel more like work, but there are thousands of guys who specialise in welding, salvage, construction UXO salmon farms...who enjoy their lives, and make a decent wage (and can go for a pint any time they feel like it)
The only hurdle to jump is getting a job. And getting paid. And then getting another job...and another....
What I'm saying is, if you make a go of diving as a job, there is usually no security. Fine for a 20 year old sharing a flat with nothing to spend money on but coke'n'hookers, but a mortgage, wife, kids....well, there's a lot of stress when the cheque bounces, or oil drops to $20 a barrel...
And then, like I say, everyone's experience is different, so I can guarantee that some young guy somewhere, has just left his training course and walked into a safe as houses job for life somewhere....go ******* figure!
If you can afford to write off any money you spend on becoming a diver, and can cope with failing miserably and finding something else to do, then go for it. Same, if you know someone in a diving company that'll give you a start....but if you watched 'the Big Blue' and fancied being paid to swim around and watch funny fishes doing ****, then get a lawyers degree and go on diving holidays!