How to get in the door: Support Diving

[DivePureBliss]

Could anyone tell me more about Support diving ( how it relates to getting a CDL) For working alongside NASA, or research based diving etc.
Any info, links, or opinions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[KevinNM]

I think you need to elaborate on what you are asking.

Typically expedition scale dives have support divers needed to set things up, tear stuff down and provide assistance to the mission divers. What qualifies you to do this varies greatly, depending on the sponsoring organization and what you are being asked to do. Most of the ones I know about are volunteer, but I assume that this isn't true for the feds.

 

[Wookie]

I think you need to elaborate on what you are asking.

Typically expedition scale dives have support divers needed to set things up, tear stuff down and provide assistance to the mission divers. What qualifies you to do this varies greatly, depending on the sponsoring organization and what you are being asked to do. Most of the ones I know about are volunteer, but I assume that this isn't true for the feds.

Having been on literally hundreds of NOAA and Department of Interior (National Park Service and BOEM) science diving missions, there are often volunteers to assist the scientists. But I don't understand the OPs question either. Does she want to be a commercial diver, or assist research? Scientific diving rarely (I've never seen it, only heard of it) involves commercial diving. If it does, they get the military to do it, like retrieving pieces of the USS Monitor.

 

[Will1760]

I don't have an answer for the question but the way I would interpret the question would be:
"How do I become a diver for NASA or other organisation"

 

[DivePureBliss]

I'm sorry to be confusing. The first time I saw the term "Support diver" was in the context of a discussion about CDL, so I assumed one led to the other- I'm very new to this and am trying to sift through the different kinds of diving ( and and special certifications or standards that may be required for specific occupations).

I guess my real question is, where do I want to be looking if I want to help with research (Ex. ocean, coral, conservation) and the diving needs of organizations like NASA?

[I am SSI open water certified, with wreckage and navigation training due in the future] Thank you for your patience!

 

[Wookie]

So, there are basically 4 types of diving.

The first and most basic is recreational diving, which you are familiar with.

Another is scientific diving. Scientific diving is exempted from Commercial diving, although most research divers are paid, and may use tools, they use tools for their research and diving is ancillary to their real job. Research may be conducted by NOAA, Universities, National Park Service, or myriads of other organizations, or by aquariums. If you are doing research or scientific diving, you are doing so under the auspices of a Scientific diving manual, which are often written and used by members of AAUS, or the American Academy of Underwater Science. Manuals do not have to be approved by AAUS, my former manual was not, but was written following their guidelines.

Third is Commercial diving. I can't speak about commercial diving, as I know just enough to make a fool of myself.

And fourth is military diving.

I think you are interested in scientific diving. Typically scientific divers are graduate students at a university that has a marine biology or underwater archeology program. There are very few opportunities for undergrads to do any scientific diving. FSU or UF has such a program, I know nothing about it, University of Western Florida has an excellent underwater Archeology program for undergrads.

 

[Edward3c]

So, there are basically 4 types of diving.

The first and most basic is recreational diving, which you are familiar with.

Another is scientific diving. Scientific diving is exempted from Commercial diving, although most research divers are paid, and may use tools, they use tools for their research and diving is ancillary to their real job. Research may be conducted by NOAA, Universities, National Park Service, or myriads of other organizations, or by aquariums. If you are doing research or scientific diving, you are doing so under the auspices of a Scientific diving manual, which are often written and used by members of AAUS, or the American Academy of Underwater Science. Manuals do not have to be approved by AAUS, my former manual was not, but was written following their guidelines.

Third is Commercial diving. I can't speak about commercial diving, as I know just enough to make a fool of myself.

And fourth is military diving.

I think you are interested in scientific diving. Typically scientific divers are graduate students at a university that has a marine biology or underwater archeology program. There are very few opportunities for undergrads to do any scientific diving. FSU or UF has such a program, I know nothing about it, University of Western Florida has an excellent underwater Archeology program for undergrads.

In the UK there are just three. Scientific falls under commercial as its diving whilst working, just like PADI (et al) instructors do.

 

[KevinNM]

It's actually pretty hard to find jobs where you are paid for diving. Particularly if diving in sewage tanks and other nasty jobs isn't what you are looking for. Even more so if you want to have fairly normal standard of living in the US.

Most dive instructors (not all - but most) in the US are not supporting themselves by instructing, it's a hobby job, not their day job. I know one full time instructor who needed his girlfriend to co-sign a loan for a used car after 5 years of being a full-time instructor at a dive shop. There are instructors who do very well, but they are not at all common.

Apparently commercial diving opportunities are currently very limited for newly qualified commercial divers, and it is not easy for experienced ones.

People do get academic positions where they do diving, (I've met one who National Geographic produced a program about his cave archeology) but there are a lot more people who want to do this and have a PhD in-hand than there are open professor positions to do this.

So if you are looking to do this as an unpaid hobby then there are reasonable possibilities, doing it as a job is hard. But I know that things like the GUE major expeditions fill very fast despite the total lack of pay.

 

[Kevrumbo]

I'm sorry to be confusing. The first time I saw the term "Support diver" was in the context of a discussion about CDL, so I assumed one led to the other- I'm very new to this and am trying to sift through the different kinds of diving ( and and special certifications or standards that may be required for specific occupations).

I guess my real question is, where do I want to be looking if I want to help with research (Ex. ocean, coral, conservation) and the diving needs of organizations like NASA?

[I am SSI open water certified, with wreckage and navigation training due in the future] Thank you for your patience!

Something like this. . .?
NASA - Neutral Buoyancy Lab

NBL Dive Jobs

 

[Akimbo]

Captain Frank forgot the most sought-after diving dream job category in new diver's imaginations... underwater photographer. I think I have known 3-4 that actually make a living above the poverty line. Unfortunately that is probably better than most of the marine biologists without PhDs that have not taken jobs in pharmaceutical sales.