Military Diving

[chickdiver]

"All of the guys I know with the bubble are pretty bad recreational divers too. Its actually pretty funny to watch them."


This is so very true! I live in FLorida- not too far from the Navy's dive school, and I have taught a handful of Navy divers. With the exception of 1- who was an avid diver before going EOD, they have all sucked! Over the years I have gotten to be frieds with a handful of EOD guys via my previous student, oddly enough, almost none of them dive "for fun", only for work.

 

[scuberd]

I have absolutly no desire to be shot at, so I'm looking at the engineers.
Also, being how I know how to dive for fun, would that help or hinder me?

thanks for all of your comments so far, I really needed some frist hand accounts.

 

[rmediver2002]

Well according to the last post it could only help right?

It is going to work both ways on this one, your comfort in the water from already being a diver is going to be an advantage but for the rest I would really make sure your payin attention to how the material is being taught even if you do not understand why it's taught that way.

The dive school trains you to be a self sufficient commercial diver, you will rarely dive with a buddy outside training unless your training under a experienced diver or in the future training a new guy. This is the case in both surface supplied and SCUBA operations. You will almost always be diving with some type of tether to the surface. a tending line in SCUBA and an umbilical in surface supplied.
The medicine, physiology, and physics training is going to be much more in depth than most recreational programs. UYour being training to conduct decompression diving, treat diving related injuries (AGE and DCS) on-site. You will be the one running the chamber even in school...
The SCUBA portion is going to lose the highest number of people, your going to have problems imposed on you including removal of your equipment (including your tanks if they can get them) and you have to remain calm and collected and fix the problem, going to the surface is not going to be an option during this training.
Many people have done it before you and many will do it after you, nothing impossible and nothing every instructor has not done themselves.

As far as diving I personally resent the comments to the effect that Navy divers suck, just shows your ignorance making blanket statements about a group of divers so large and diverse, especially considering the history behind the program. Ever wonder why a Navy diver would be taking training from a recreational instructor anyway? Did you see their dive card?

One point I will most certainly concede is the area of buoyancy control, working commercially your going to be diving overweighted nearly all the time. One reason is you need the weight to get any type of leverage when working. The other reason your most often working on the bottom not in the water column.

In closing if you have specific questions please feel free to contact me privately jlane@adp.fsu.edu

and for those of you so intimidated by Navy diving that you feel you have to attack the level of proficiency I feel nothing but pity...

Your never going to convince yourself your good by talking, get in the water and dive.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

If you are interested in adventure, like "special operations," and think you can hack the program, consider the USAF Pararescue career field. It combines emergency medicine, parachuting, scuba diving and a lot of other things (mountaineering, cross-country skiing, etc.) into a single career field. Here's a web site:

USAF Special Operations--Pararescue

SeaRat

PS--If you don't want to get shot at, don't think about it.

 

[chickdiver]

Hey Jeff-

I wasn't attacking anyone. HOWEVER, let me say this- I have taught a number of Navy divers over the years, and yes, I saw the cards. They came to me for training in overhead environment and mixed gas diving, because the Navy card will get you nowhere with cave diving. What I have seen is a lack of basic bouyancy skills (understandable, given their "jobs" underwater), also, a lack uf understanding of the mechanics of decompression and decompression theory (also understandable given the Navy's antiquated approach (yes, I know that first hand because EDU is currently collecting data from one of the projects I work with, and I have been there several times). What I also saw: people who were very comfortable in the water, people who were excellent problem solvers, people who had the ability to adapt to many different equipement scenarios without batting an eyelash, and people who were willing to learn from me and my knowledge base providing I was able to back it up ( I am). Was I criticizing Navy (or military) divers on the whole- NO. I was criticizing their lack of skill for recreational diving. If I was misunderstood, I hope this clarifies that. I take it a little personally, as 2 of my best friends are Navy divers (both EOD).

 

[RICHinNC]

scuberd....you might want to rethink the service....dont want to get shot at??? the distinction between the forward edge of the battle area feba (any old vet remember that one???) and the rear...is gone.

Been watching the news lately....a lot of our POW's are rear echelon support troops.

No matter what your specific job in the service is.....at least half...if not more...of your time will be spent NOT doing it. Dont let a recruiter sell you a lift bag full of fertilizer. There is little glittzy about service life. If you are in college...stay there...finish it...at least if you go in afterwards you may get a stripe for it....and if you consider becoming an officer....you supervise more than you get to do...

dont want to sound negative...but be careful....the service isnt for everyone and it isnt very forgiving....

yep...i spent 20 in if you were wondering...72--93

 

[rmediver2002]

Hey ChickDiver,

Fair enough, I posted a response right after reading your and cadet divers comments and re-reading my post think I overreacted to the statements.

Jeff Lane

 

[KEOD95]

I was a the Navy EOD Tech from 89-95 and I had some of the best times of my life.

Navy EOD offers incredible diversity in the types of duty that r ranging from MCM diving to MMS (Marine Mammal Systems) to VIP protection.

Unlike ships husbandry (2nd and 1st Class divers) EOD as the name implies is focused on performing BIPS or RSPs of hazardous ordnance. New and old, foreign and domestic, above and below the water line. Diving, jumping, fastroping, SPIE rigging, etc. are nothing more than modes of transportation to get to the objective.

During the diving portion of the training (9 weeks in PC FLA) you will learn scuba, MK 21 You wont pick up the MK16 Until you reach Indian Head, MD. By far the most challenging part of the training is the mental pressure applied by the instructors to simulate a combat environment.

There are several good links that give more detail about the course curriculum out on the web.

Good Luck

 

[KEOD95]

Being both a former Navy EOD diver and civilian diver I can appreciate some of your comments but disagree with others.

The NDSTC EOD dive school program does not spend a ton of time with BC control. The course curriculum is focused on teaching safe diving techniques that will allow EOD divers to get to their objective and take care of business. Most of the water I dove in was inkly black, usually at night and there wasn't much time to float around to see the pretty fish or sea fans.

I would disagree with your point regarding Navy's Divers not being proficient in Diving Physiology or Gas Laws. We spent a full 5 weeks (8 hours a day) on the subject. The attrition rate was at least 50%.

Ships husbandry divers (surface supplied) are obviously not concerned about bouyancy control.

The final point I would make is that the Navy Diver program while maybe not be the most up to date puts out very confident, physically fit and smart divers.

I am surprised at some of things I see in the civilian dive community regarding deep air dives 200+ . Safty was always paramount. Most Navy Divers myself included would never think of doing such things.