Considering Navy Diver, help please

[Gatorshark]

Word of Caution: When deciding on whether or not to join the Navy, or any branch of the military, DO NOT join with the notion you are guaranteed a specialty that is considered elite or selective. Navy Dive School, BUDS, EOD are very competitive and rigorous courses of training. God forbid you are injured or deemed medically unable to attend one of these courses after you have enlisted without a 'plan B'. You may then find yourself in a rate or specialty that you never wanted...for 4 to 6 years. That being said, good luck in your endeavours, Semper Fi.

 

[jaydog]

But im just trying to figure out PAY here guys. At the end of the day i dont wanna come out and work at McDonalds. I wanna make sure whatever i go into gives me knowledge and experience to take a shot at a good to very good paying job outside. I was of of the understanding that welders and such could make some serious bank. If this is not the case i might wanna look elsewhere?

Spec-ops diving experience probably won't mean a whole lot in the commercial diving environment. Don't take this the wrong way (how's that for an old f@rt setup?) - You're young, do whatever you're going to do for the experience. There's a lot to learn in life - and what you know or believe today could be very different in 4 or 5 years with all of the experiences and knowledge you will have gained. If you want to dive in the Navy - go do it - and do it to the absolute best of your ability. If you excel at whatever you aim at - the sky will be the limit for you - whether in the military or outside.

If you spend 4 or 5 years in the Navy and apply yourself to whatever you do - you won't be working at MickyD's when you get out unless you want to or are too lazy(and you don't sound like the type) to find a good job.

I agree to an extent with Web Monkey - having to do something for a living CAN take some of the enjoyment out of just about anything. BTDT. But if you can find something that you LOVE and can get paid for it - heck - at that point it almost doesn't matter what it pays. And you'll probably be able to figure out how to make it pay.

 

[Katamuki]

Dont forget the Air Force and Army both have combat divers too as well as the Coast Guard. There are many options for military service these days. Also most local PD agencies have PSD dive programs too.

 

[sharkfood]

And don't forget the recruiters #1 job is to get you to sign on the dotted line.

 

[bottomfeeder22]

As a 3rd generation sailor, I say go for it. My father was a Navy diver (experimental), got out and became an operations manager for an oil company working in Saudi Arabia, very good money. Myself, I was an Electronics Tech(ET) for 8 years and got out. Now I'm an ET on an oil rig making excellent money, and working half the year.

Does this mean that doing a few years in the service will get you 40 Ferraris and millions of dollars when you get out? Absolutely not. I saw many a sailor get kicked out for drugs, insubordination (keep your mouth SHUT!), and even kiddie porn on their laptops (he's making big rocks into little rocks now in Leavenworth). Their post-Navy lives are now very difficult. Whatever you do in the service will stay with you for life, be it positive or negative.

You reap what you sow. Enlist, work hard, keep your eyes/ears open and mouth closed, and you'll be rewarded handsomely when you do decide to get out, whether 4 or 30 years down the line.

Enjoy the experience while you're in; my 8 years were easily the best of my life. Thanks for your interest in serving our country.

 

[muddiver]

Why limit yourself to an Enlisted position that involves diving? Some of the instructors at the commercial diving school I went to were either ex or reserve Navy Officers that had been to dive school and worked in a dive unit. Have the Navy pay for a higher education and when you decide to leave you can get a job with a company like Halcrow doing structure inspections.

Don't limit yourself to the Navy. The Army has a s**t hot diver program and they do more salvage and construction "in country" than the Navy guys.

I don't know how the contracts are now days, but when I signed my recruter was very knowlagable and honest. His reccomendation was to sign on as a Reservist because what ever MOS you choose, you would get. No "sign here and we will tell you your job later".

Last but not least, combat swimmer experience won't mean a thing in the commercial diving industry. Only Navy or Army Civil Engineering or Construction Divers get hired without paying $15,000 for a commercial diver certification.

 

[Cazten]

Thx for al the replies guys. I should make it clear that im joining the navy FIRST, and looking for a interesting rate second. The navy is my only interest in the military as the experience seems to suite what i want. Specifically traveling the world. My brother was in the navy so i know what to expect. Just happens that all the fun ones to me are spec ops, and in that category most specifically Divers or SEALS. Im not in it to look at the pretty fish .

However from what im gathering here it looks like the training ill get Specifically in the Navy diving rate isnt going to be comparable to hook me up with any kind of commercial job? That would seem odd to me because is says specifically on the site your getting extensive training in all diving gear, using all the de-compressor things for long dives, and using multitudes of underwater tools like welding, saws, ect. Just in case i wasnt clear enough, this rate is specifically for diving. Its not seals or eod's or anything. You are a professional diver.

But it seems like in your opinion this isnt going to offer me the professional experience im looking to get out of a rate so I might pass on it and looks into a different rate. Thanks guys.

 

[irishsquid]

As a 3rd generation sailor, I say go for it...
Does this mean that doing a few years in the service will get you 40 Ferraris and millions of dollars when you get out? Absolutely not. I saw many a sailor get kicked out for drugs, insubordination (keep your mouth SHUT!), and even kiddie porn on their laptops (he's making big rocks into little rocks now in Leavenworth). Their post-Navy lives are now very difficult. Whatever you do in the service will stay with you for life, be it positive or negative.

You reap what you sow. Enlist, work hard, keep your eyes/ears open and mouth closed, and you'll be rewarded handsomely when you do decide to get out, whether 4 or 30 years down the line.

Enjoy the experience while you're in; my 8 years were easily the best of my life. Thanks for your interest in serving our country.

Everything he said, Good advice!

...I should make it clear that im joining the navy FIRST, and looking for a interesting rate second.

BAD DECISION! You better know what you want and get it signed on paper. That will guarantee a school only and rate if you pass. Fail and it will be the same as joining and THEN deciding a rate to strike for. When I was in and unless it's different now (my son is currently an active CPO and agrees with me) you most likely will be haze gray, underway, and chipping paint.

The navy is my only interest in the military as the experience seems to suite what i want. Specifically traveling the world. My brother was in the navy so i know what to expect. Just happens that all the fun ones to me are spec ops, and in that category most specifically Divers or SEALS. Im not in it to look at the pretty fish .

Don't bank on travelling the WORLD in a 4-6 year enlistment, it can be done; but don't bank on it. The Spec rates you're considering will eat at least the first half of your enlistment in initial training alone.

However from what im gathering here it looks like the training ill get Specifically in the Navy diving rate isnt going to be comparable to hook me up with any kind of commercial job? That would seem odd to me because is says specifically on the site your getting extensive training in all diving gear, using all the de-compressor things for long dives, and using multitudes of underwater tools like welding, saws, ect. Just in case i wasnt clear enough, this rate is specifically for diving. Its not seals or eod's or anything. You are a professional diver.
But it seems like in your opinion this isnt going to offer me the professional experience im looking to get out of a rate so I might pass on it and looks into a different rate. Thanks guys.

You would probably learn all that, but not in 4-6 years. I wasn't a diver in the Navy, so I can't say that for sure, but; most rates are: the longer you're in the more you learn. In 4-6 years, with meritorious advancement, initiative, keeping your self ship-shape you can make PO2 (Petty Officer 2nd Class) That's when you get to start doing the really fun, cool, stuff. I hope this helps and wasn't meant to be discouraging. The Navy is GREAT and I loved every day of it. Be sure you know what you want BEFORE you go in.
Thanks for your decision to serve.

 

[J.R.]

Haze grey... ALL THE WAY...

(By the way... how's your color vision? WAY back when I joined the Navy with the intent of becoming an ET... discovered I was 'color deficient'... got ticked off and applied to the SEALS... found out they want good color vision too... ended up cruising 4 years behind a typewriter in an air conditioned space... not BAD duty... but wasn't what I had originally intended...)

 

[dive_forever]

.... there are many different jobs in the Navy that will enable you to get diving training, but the diving is a collateral part of your job.

For the officers this may be true, but for the enlisted fokes this changed about a year and a half ago. A navy diver is now a rate, so it would be there primary job. This spring a ND1 (navy diver first class) spoke at a dive conference that I attended.

A guy that works with me went through the first course at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center (NDSTC), in Panama City, Florida). He came out as an advanced diver (the recreational equivalent).

I am not able to comment on his diving skills, because I have not dove with him, yet.

Before you join make sure that you have a guaranteed school. Also take advantage of the tuition assistance and work on your college education. Use your GI Bill later in life, like after you get out.

While the services are a great place to get a stable paycheck, great benefits, get good, training and begin a career ... while you may never be rich you will never go hungry.

Hope this helps.