Dive Academy International Graduates

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warmwaterturner

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Scuba Instructor
Messages
626
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103
Location
Houston, Texas
# of dives
I'm a Fish!
My son is interested in attending a commercial diving academy in Florida. The program run about $25,000.00 for the training. My question is job placement and the market after graduation. For those who have done the training - is it worth it? Did you find employment as a result of the training? Thanks!
 
Post on offshorediver.com. You'll get plenty of shall we say colorful opinions. There is a school in Houston. Cheapest is in Louisiana.
 
Should be tons to read that say, "don't waste your money".

Seriously, Don't waste your money.
Seriously, Don't waste your money.
and did I mention ... Seriously, Don't waste your money.

Now, if you insist on wasting 25k, read below and let me tell you about a way to at least minimize the pain of it.



If you are dead set on becoming a commercial diver, then there is two routes. A. go to the absolute cheapest dive school you can find. The one in Lousianna has been the cheapest for a few decades. OR B. go to school in the UK. For the same 25k you can cover room, board, flight and tuition and you'll have a cert. that is good worldwide instead of a cert. that is only good in the United States.

If you want more of the inside scoop (I've been a commercial diver since 1998), then send me an email. I'll give you the honest truth that the dive schools are not telling you.

mccumb4@gmail.com
 
Other alternative is Santa Barbara Community College.
 
My son is interested in attending a commercial diving academy in Florida. The program run about $25,000.00 for the training. My question is job placement and the market after graduation. For those who have done the training - is it worth it? Did you find employment as a result of the training? Thanks!

Chances are that if he doesn't have a construction or welding background he wont find a job. Make sue the school offers an IMCA or IMCA/DCBC ticket. His position in class and the reputation of the school greatly increase his chances of employment (some major employers prefer specific schools).

I too an available to contact if you would like to discuss matters.
 
Right now there's about 2000 seasoned, experienced, tried and true commercial divers out of work in the U.S.

Dive schools are pumping out students at a rate of 30'ish per month each, every month.

Without a destructive hurricane season, i wouldn't bother. With a destructive hurricane season, here in the US, the companies will throw every single diver they can find at the rigs and transmission lines.
 
Young Memorial Community College in Morgan City Louisiana. More than 20,000.00 less and just as good. Plus it's in Morgan City, home to some heavy hitters in the industry who hire out of that school all the time.
 
Santa Barbara City College will get him a two year degree in Marine Technology, and then he can transfer to a four year college if he is doing well. There are a few commercial divers that had college degrees and did very well in the industry, and there are a lot of high school level folks that also did well, in the past.
 
I'm a DAI grad 0208 and will tell you with all sincerity, diving is just another mode of LABOR. dont go if you dont wanna start from the bottom and WORK. If you wanna dive and not work take a U/W photo class and take pictures of fish and tourists. If you wanna make real money and dive, get letters after your name .... then get your dive certs. (i.e. engineer, civil or marine or vessel) You are just a grunt in a hat if you dont and they are standing in line to replace you. Sorry for tone or bluntness of conversation just telling you from personal experience, good luck in all your endeavors.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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