When I was looking at becoming a commercial diver, the first thing that I did was use the Internet to find commercial divers and commercial diving companies to ask them about what they look for in a diver, what the pay and lifestyle is like, what I could most likely expect a career to be like with my limited experience in industrial arts, and which schools they recommended, rather than simply believe the schools.
I decided that Louisiana Tech in Morgan City, LA, Seneca College in Canada, and West Coast Commercial Diving School in South Africa were my best bets at the time. In talking to the owner of WCCDS in South Africa, I learned that he did not have the intention of starting a commercial diving school. He did so out of necessity because very few of the divers that he was hiring in his business either didn't have the skills or the stamina needed for the job.
The school became a by-product of in-house training that eventually expanded into an HSE recognized school with instruction from Class IV to Class I levels. He too, was a no-nonsense guy, and a former military diver. To boost the fitness level of his divers, he had students run up and down sand dunes, climb ropes, swim, etc. While that might seem like the :inquisition: to many people, those of us who enjoy or enjoyed incredibly high levels of fitness know how much happier we are, how easy physical labor is when in great shape, and how much more motivated we can be when being at our physical best.
At the time, it was the only civilian diving school with a physical curriculum that I encountered. Today, the school in Jacksonville (or are they in Forty Fathom now?) does have a fitness program among others. Rather than be a deterrent, I was looking forward to the challenge. I also thought that a small school run by an experienced diver and one who had the forethought to have a fitness program also would have the forethought to dot all "i's" and cross all "t's" in my training. My friend, Matt, decided he wanted to go with me, so I put off training until he could afford it. During that time, the exchange rate between the USD and the Rand became less favorable after Bush was elected and we couldn't afford the school. The other positive for the Cape Town area was the surfing. The owner told me to bring my board since the school was isolated, but near great surf.
Today, I'm still not a commercial diver, but I still want to undergo commercial diver training for my own growth and experience. (Hint. Hint.)
While commercial diving training isn't exactly the focus of the thread, taking myself back to the point of being a prospective student the most important considerations were:
1) Which schools were affordable?
Students obviously cannot attend a school which they cannot afford, so no matter the quality and reputation, cost vs. benefit is a huge consideration for most students. If a school were created that offered quality training at an affordable price, there would be interest even if training was known or advertised to be demanding.
2) Which schools would prepare me for the realities of entry level work?
While some commercial diving schools offered more training and lots of patches, I discovered that much of my training wouldn't apply as an entry level diver/tender. I would need to be retrained again later OTJ. Patches look pretty on the wall, but where it counts is in the water. With that in mind, an instructor with a cert from any agency would be highly competitive against the prettiest patches with officially recognized training in the following:
- Marine diesel mechanics
- Compressor repair and maintenance
- Seamanship & Captain's licenses
- Professional rescue training and EMT training
- Thorough rescue training and experience (Many dive pros today are not trained to rescue technical divers - especially those in rebreathers. A dive professional who could be certified as a USLA level lifeguard, EMT, and in technical rescue like PSAI's TEAM program is more qualified to meet the demands of helping a wider range of dive travelers.)
- The ability to teach high quality courses in a fast-paced environment
- Sales, customer service & public relations skills
- Underwater photo, video and editing skills
- Light commercial diving abilities such as hull cleaning, buoy & dock maintenance, changing props, etc.
If a student could emerge from a school with a solid mechanical skills, seamanship, the fitness and training to deal with all medical and rescue situations at the first response level, the ability to retain quality education in a resort environment, emerge in possession of great customer service and relations etiquette, be able to use film for both training feedback and for revenue generation, as well as knowing how to safely do underwater maintenance, that student would be better prepared for the job.
3) Location and housing?
Obviously, the warmer and more paradise-like the better! The biggest drawback to housing is that it is either "dorm style" reminiscent of Hogan's Heroes like Dixie Divers in Ft. Pierce was or too expensive or inconvenient. I know a place in warm water that would be perfect to convert to a dive training resort that is not being used and would include housing equal to that of a hotel or motel on-site. Comfortable private rooms or rooms with two beds would go a long way against some of the competition.
4) Fees and course structure?
All-inclusive meals, materials, training, housing and pricing with no hidden or added fees would really help. I thought about becoming a PADI instructor to "live the dream" a couple of times and thought about attending either Dixie Divers or Pro Dive, but I was put off by the fees at Dixie Divers and the confusion of course cost and selection at Pro Dive. A simple program with an easy course and time track that everyone would undergo would be far more attractive than trying to choose from a menu and trying to figure out if you are being up-sold. If a student opens your training program and sees, "This is what you will learn. This is why you are going to learn it. This is how long it will take. This is where you will live and the amenities provided. This is how much it will cost and not a penny more," he or she will feel far more confident about taking the career and financial plunge.
