Entry Level Q's

[DivingOtter]

If you go offshore then yes you will be a tender for a long time. Inland diving is very different. Some people get wet the first day on a job because lets face it, what good is having you around as a diver if you cant dive, and by dive I dont mean make it to the bottom and hook up a sling or weld a plate but working in zero visibility using a broco torch at a few thousand degrees while a current is dragging you away from your project.

---------- Post added April 13th, 2012 at 12:14 AM ----------

I have been out of the commercial diving business for over 20 years but 20K sounds like too much money to me. The reality is that while you will be doing a lot of diving in these courses they are training you to be a tender not a diver. The placements they are referring to are for jobs as a tender. A tender is just like being an apprentice, you will work your way up to diver, you will not be coming out of this course and working as a commercial diver on your first day.

As my boss stated to me, your pretty much paying for a piece of paper so the insurance companies cant complain.

 

[al1]

Depending on where you want to work, will depend on the school that you go to.

Do you want an IMCA certification crd or an ADCI certification card.

Did you want to work in the states or overseas-if overseas then you need to get an IMCA (International Marine Contractors Association) certification card.

I

---------- Post added April 15th, 2012 at 05:11 AM ----------

If you work overseas you will be in the water a lot quicker since everyone acts as a diver and a tender.

I'm Asia based and the diving work is starting to pick up now. It varies from time to time and slows down in the monsoon seasons over here.

There are more Asian divers now compared to 30 years ago when i first got here and unless you have speciality tickets ( DMT, 3.2U, 3.4U ETC.) it is getting harder to find work over here if your a foreigner.

Good luck with your adventure.