Divers Needed - Golf Ball Diving

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Pardon my shortness in this reply, but I have been receiving posts and private messages about how dangerous this is, how people wouldn't do this, how this is fake and no one ever make money doing this.

Lets start with the very concept of the post it self, "HELP WANTED" this implies and is for a job. A job that requires special tools, a special type of person, and a willingness to do something many other people don't. There are many jobs in the world that meet this very same parameter. So why do people assume that this is meant to be easy or something ANYONE can or would do? The fact is, if you as a diver / contractor do not want to go into the hazard, you have every right not to go. You are not penalized or looked down upon for looking out for yourself because in the end, the ONLY job that you have to do is go home.

So please stop busting my balls about a job that "YOU" wouldn't do, I want to talk to people that have sincere questions, and are interested in learning about a possible career / job that they hadn't considered before.

In the end I pride myself on the professionalism my team provides, I am proud of the company I have started to grow, and I am pleased to work with a company that is able to clean up after an expensive hobby and turn it into a thriving business.

So for all you nay sayers, I say, if you don't want to do it, then don't, but if you are interested, than please feel free to contact me (if you are in MD, WV, PA, DE, NJ, NY, CT, MA, RI, VT, NH, ME) otherwise Jeff Wall at PG Professional Golf for the rest of the country.
 
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So please stop pissing and moaning about what YOU wouldn't do, this is a post looking for people that ARE willing to do a dirty job and get paid for it.
What- are you afraid that people bringing up the risks involved in golf ball diving will scare away potential job applicants?

You posted in a public forum. You should expect some discussion and opinions that are different from yours. Why don't you quit complaining and trying to control the content of the thread?
 
I truly welcome an open discussion about the risks, hazards, and rewards of any task. I was simply trying to convey that many individuals (literally), not just fstbttms, though I am impressed that you think you are the center on my post focus.

If you have read through all the posts and replies, you will see I have always tried to answer everyone's questions.

As for controlling the content of the thread, I do that by replying and answering questions. Not getting into flaming matches.

So again, I thank FSTBTTMS for responding, though my response was not to him personally.
 
As noted in a previous post, I can "control the content of the thread" so I learned how to close the thread, but only to receive a PM that is worth posting. See below;

This is the message that was sent:
***************
I was going to add some questions to your post, but it is closed.

Anyway, when a diver does this work, through your organization, do you tell them which course to dive?

Are there set hours that a diver must work?

You state that this is a job. Then you state the divers are contractors. Please clarify why you say it is a job and then that it is a contract?

***************Courses we service are under contract with PG Professional Golf Services and maintain (in theory) an exclusive servicing contract. PG then seeks individual contractors to service the courses. Therefore, an individual that retrieves the golf balls is an independent contractor to PG or one of the Regional Area Manager (myself for example).

The courses, especially in the North East generally only need to be serviced twice a year, so the Area Manager coordinates with the diver / contractor to which courses and when they need to be serviced. The diver is issued a 1099 at the end of the year and is responsible for their own taxes.

In regards hours worked, there are not set hours but limited to the hours of the golf course. We work when the courses let us on their course (often only Mondays and Tuesdays), never nights and generally not on weekends. Because we are providing a service to the golf courses, we must be flexible to their needs.

For further clarification in regards to job / contractor. Think about having some work done to your house. The contractor is performing a job, and while they generally work to their schedule, they usually have to be flexible to the client's needs. Hence you perform a job (aka retrieve golf balls) but are a contractor because you technically work independently, i.e. carry your own general liability insurance, have your own gear, work your own hours (though we can provide a guideline that works for the courses).

I hope this answers the questions.

I will continue to leave this post open and continue to welcome further exchange.
 
I would like to know the # of cources in the area of south NJ. I would be interested,
I am a commercial diver, and would like to know how you set up your people that are
interested? I don't want to waste your time just trying to get a handle on the "job".
See you topside! John
 
I am in the mid west (nebraska) have my own salvage LLC, full face mask and goose poop suit, as well as free time. tell me more
 
please don't think I am ignoring the recent posts, I believe these individuals have sent me PMs to which I replied.

Mean while, we are about a month away from starting in the North East.
 
Courses we service are under contract with PG Professional Golf Services and maintain (in theory) an exclusive servicing contract. PG then seeks individual contractors to service the courses. Therefore, an individual that retrieves the golf balls is an independent contractor to PG or one of the Regional Area Manager (myself for example).
Well, let's be honest. The divers working for you are not independant contractors, not at least, as far as the IRS is concerned. According to them, an independant contractor is someone being paid to perform a service for you that he also offers (and advertises) to the general public. Assuming your divers do not own their own golf ball retrieval businesses, technically they are your employees. But that would mean paying them benefits and Worker's Compensation insurance, wouldn't it? :no:
 
Hey, no fair poking holes in their boat! :D
 
Well, let's be honest. The divers working for you are not independant contractors, not at least, as far as the IRS is concerned. According to them, an independant contractor is someone being paid to perform a service for you that he also offers (and advertises) to the general public. Assuming your divers do not own their own golf ball retrieval businesses, technically they are your employees. But that would mean paying them benefits and Worker's Compensation insurance, wouldn't it? :no:

They are independent contractors because they are set up as individual businesses. We do not dictate time, but provide them a time frame a client seeks. The fact is, any diver is able to go and try to solicit on their own for the business, and if they are able to procure their own contracts, we pay them for the balls they can procure.

Also, every contractor/diver that works for me, carries their own general liability insurance, and has a federal id #, some may set up an LLC while other simply run a sole proprietorship. As for the workers comp, that is up to the individual should they wish to carry it for them selves.

In the end, I simply let the divers know where the work is, if they work it, they get paid, if they don't, then no money. There are no punitive, or human resource issues should someone no show / no call.

It seems that fstbttms has a real issue with this, and I get that you feel that it isn't for you. I don't know if you tried to do this at one point and something happened and you got burned, or if you feel that this is some sort of snake oil scam, but I have always tried to be open, honest, answer all questions and be forth coming.

If you for some reason have a personal issue, please feel free to contact me, PM me.

In the mean time, spring is coming and it is time to go and enjoy the fun dives along with the work dives.
 
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