commercial diving women

[colleen]

Hi. I'm new but I love the info coming out on this sight. I'm after info on the commercial diving business, especially from women who are in the field - what's the business like, job opportunities, experiences re: off shore or inland commercial diving. Any Canadian women divers out there? Any suggestions for pursuing this area of diving?
Thanks

WannaBDiver

 

[Ladydiver]

Hi Colleen,

Welcome to Scuba Board! Feel free to hang out and enjoy the board. I think it's great that you are interested in commercial diving. I personally don't know much about that part of the diving world but I am sure we can find some folks lurking around who will have some input for you.

In the meantime, if there is anything I can help you with, just let me know.

Cheers,

 

[morgan]

Hi Colleen:

I don't know anything about commercial diving but I am a Canadian woman diver. What part of Canada are you from? I'm in south central Ontario and always looking for new places and people to dive with. We have a good group here and dive Ontario wrecks every week to around 100 foot level.

Morgan

 

[Bob3]

I've got an information page set up for questions commonly asked about commercial diving. See:
http://www.angelfire.com/ca/divers3/diveinfo.html

Feel free to e-mail me if you have any other questions.

 

[Beck_narco_diver]

Hi col,
I have ben researching comercial diving in the uk, and i will say it is a hard industry for women to get in to, especially if you want to be in a team with men, most companies, in refernece to off shore diving, will not allow women in a chamber with men, or even in the diving bell in some cases... I mean it really depends on where in the world you are, I have met women who are offshore part 1 divers, ie mixed gas, surfacesupply and opencircuit offshore divers, but the problem is getting jobs... ok you can get to certain levels but you tend to find that certain courses require work experience ie a year of working the field before you move onward, as i say there are not many jobs avalible and the major companies do not seem to think that us women are up to the job... so you can get the basic course , work in the field then move on to futher courses.... What most people are suggesting if you are looking at getting in to the fields of commercial diving try and get at lest some ROV config and drivig certs, that way you are more valuble to a company, so if you are not in the water you can film what others are doing from topside

 

[Sundiver]

Having been in the business I can tell you it is very difficult for women to break into the oilfield, salvage, or construction diving. The first thing you need is skills to use when you get down there. Diving is just a way for a skilled worker to do his (or her?) job. So maybe look at it from that point of view. There is a commercial diving company in the gulf that is owned and run by a woman, Julie Rodriguez. She bought the company from her father and has done very well with it. Their url is http://www.epiccompanies.com/index.html
Good luck
Sundiver

 

[divekyra]

Hi Colleen,
I registered to this site just to answer you, well ok and I am sure I will check out other things and get into all sorts of trouble ha ha. I am a commercial diver, female, not Canadian but Mexican; as minority as you can get in the field (yep, I'm also short). I work inland in Nuclear Power plants. I made the jump from SCUBA instructor to Technical (cave diving) to commercial. If you are thinking about it do it OUT OF LOVE for diving. That is the only way you will make headway. I don't nkow if I am lucky or what but I started out with rough times and was convinced I'd write a book about how tough it is to be a female commercial diver. Closing in on my second year I realized that it was no longer as tough and that I have a few (not all: you cannot have EVERYONE like you) very close diver buddies at work who call me "little sister". It has been the most amazing time of my life. Colleen, if you love being in the water and are comfortable it will work for you. It will require a lot of hard work and determination and patience and yes, you must be in better shape than most of the guys just to keep up. I have trained in welding, burning, plasma cutting and coatings and I am certified in all except welding in nukes (I still hope to get certified for this someday). The pay sucks, the hours can kill but it's all worth it when you get to dive and you do a good job.
I do not have email access at home and I will be on the road but I check my email and I am more than glad to help you in any way, with any questions.
Kyra

 

[DeepSeaDan]

Hey there,

Had 1 girl in my 79'-80' U/W Technology class, out of 150 students registered - she was a sweet l'il thang from Georgia who could scuba circles around all of us, handle the weight of the MkV heavy gear like the gymnast she was, but didn't know a box end wrench from a cereal box! She charmed the hell out of the ex-navy Instructors, but never did learn much about mechanics, hydraulics, electrics, pneumatics, rigging, l.p. & h.p. plumbing or the myriad of other systems & skills that a good diver should have a working familiarity with.

Come graduation time - she passed! But she never found work in the oil patch.

That was then, this is now - "Marni" - the first female Saturation diver in the commercial oifields!

Now, get out there & get what you want in this life.

And good luck go with you!

Regards,
D.S.D.

 

[SubMariner]

While your posts are appreciated, I just wanted to point out to you that this thread is 4 years old.

So please don't be offended if any of the original participants aren't answering you.

Take care,

 

[divekyra]

Didn't I say I'd get in trouble some way or another? Ha ha. I found this place through research for an essay and was too excited to see one comment on commercial diving to do my stop think and act and I just acted without looking at the date. Oh well, she probably moved on to more fun dives.
Thanks for the heads up. I like this site.
K.