Navy Diving vs. Commercial diving

[bushnell15]

Hi my name is Ryan and I am looking to be an underwater diver. I am on a stand still of wondering if I should do it through the navy or army, or go to diving institute for it. I had a buddy graduate from the Seattle Diving Institute and had nothing but good things to say about it but i also know two guys who are diving for the navy in san diego and make great money doing it. I heard getting in the Navy diving classes are very hard and that recruiters promise you a spot but it's not a sure thing. I was wondering anyone can help?

 

[awakefie]

Recruiters will tell you anything that is for sure. Wish I had more info, for you but I have no clue.

 

[kanonfodr]

My former landlord is a recently retired Navy Diver (actually a Dive Medical Technician) and he had some interesting stories to tell. Navy diving definitely sounds like a challenge, so you need to be really comfortable in the water (swimmer) as well as in good physical shape. Type A personalities excel. What I hear is that navy diving is a brotherhood akin to special forces and it can land you a job post-service simply because many commercial divers are former navy divers.

Also, army diver training is done in the same place as navy diver training, but generally a recruiter can lock you into an MOS *when* you get to MEPS, not a moment before. I arrived at MEPS and couldn't get the exact job I wanted, but one that was close enough. Sometimes I think about it...

Also, being as I'm in the Army, go Navy. Trust me.

Commercial Diver training...does your recently graduated friend have a job yet??

Peace,
Greg

 

[Scubagolf]

Recruiters will tell you anything that is for sure. Wish I had more info, for you but I have no clue.

Do a search on "navy diver", for example:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/new-divers-those-considering-diving/58031-becoming-navy-diver.html

 

[Sauerkraut]

Dont leave the Coast Guard out of your candidate selections

 

[NAM001]

Hi my name is Ryan and I am looking to be an underwater diver. I am on a stand still of wondering if I should do it through the navy or army, or go to diving institute for it. I had a buddy graduate from the Seattle Diving Institute and had nothing but good things to say about it but i also know two guys who are diving for the navy in san diego and make great money doing it. I heard getting in the Navy diving classes are very hard and that recruiters promise you a spot but it's not a sure thing. I was wondering anyone can help?

i just went through this helping a buddy get into a diving program. one thing about the program is you have to do some physical testing as a civilian before the reqruiter can sign you into the program. you dont pass the test you dont pass the recruiter phase. there is also bonuses ( quite substantial) for signing into the program. the navy is a heavy price to pay for the training 6yo. i dont remember all the details but they have 3-4 catagories in the diving field from udt/seals to the equivilant of shipyard/construction diver. meps is the final initial classification for the service. they are still limited by the recruiter contract. depending on the catagory of diving it may include rebreathers. UDT/SEAL will they tell you what you want to hear yepper. take a vet or retired with you to see the recruiter. dont let them interview you for the job interview them for an employer. remember they are trained to make a sales pitch. things like attrition duty assignment bonus payment training pipeline are the job diver is a classification. you get a guarenteed pipeline contingent on passing a pre-entry physical exam or say no. when they recruit you and set a boot came date you will have before signing the pipeline training reserved for you.

one other thing do your recruiting after talking to a recruiter who is a diver. they can gat you in touch with one. the way you get the straight dope on the program that that cook recruiter hs no idea about.

i had a ball doing it, l love calling bs to a recruiter.

21 year nav retired

 

[chiefelectusn]

There is no finer training than the Navy, but you are getting that training for a commitment of 6 years.
I agree with KWS, go with an "old salt", be able to separate fact from fiction.
"ask what you can do for your country.........."
Best on your choice,
Chief

 

[AfterDark]

KWS, not to nit-pick but the UDT was phased out in 1983. In 1983, the UDTs were re-designated "Swimmer Delivery Vehicle Teams" (SDVTs). SDVTs have since been re-designated SEAL Delivery Vehicle Teams.[1] The Navy now has EDT's similar to the Army. The SEAL's are strictly special forces / intel gathering / combat troops. They dive these days as one of the ways to ingress an objective. I worked with a Navy diver (not SEAL) back in the 90's he was assigned to a sub tender when he served. He told me the work they did was similar to commercial diving except they also do underwater inspections of Navy vessels in ports where underwater sabotage is considered a danger. They're probably pretty busy these days. The training is tough. There was a movie made about the 1st black American to become a Navy diver, stared Cuba Goodings. I don't where true and fiction part ways in the movie but it was a good flick.
Ryan good luck with whatever you choose. My 1st dive buddy went to commercial diving school and worked steady from the 70's thru the 90's he's retired now and doing quite well.

 

[DCBC]

I am looking to be an underwater diver. I am on a stand still of wondering if I should do it through the navy or army, or go to diving institute for it.

Hey Ryan. I started my diving career by enrolling in the Navy in 1972 as a Diving Officer. I served 7 years and then another 6 Navy Reserve. While I was with the Reserve, I worked as a commercial diving instructor at a civilian college.

I then worked 3 years onshore as a diver and commercial instructor; then went offshore, working primarily in saturation diving. The last 20 years have been mostly dry, working as a dive supervisor, dive superintendent and for the last 3 years as a Consultant to Big Oil. I seldom dive now having done only one saturation last year for inspection purposes.

That said, I'd suggest that you go Navy Diver to start. To move up the commercial ladder every individual has to build a dossier of trust. Jobs that you've been able to accomplish. Employers you've worked for etc. As an ex-Navy Diver, much of this is assumed. You are given the benefit of the doubt. In other words, it's yours to lose. There are ex-Navy Divers diving commercially who will help you get to where you want to go because you are a member of the Club. So Navy should be your first choice.

If this isn't possible for one reason or another, do some research into the school so as to better understand where their graduates go after completion. Key employers deal with specific schools. Understand what you ultimately want to do and work backwards. Seattle Institute of Technology offers DCBC and ADCI certifications which are great for Surface Supplied Air (the first ticket you will need). They have a better training program than most schools.

Another benefit of the Navy is that you can save a bundle on education, as mixed-gas and Bell/Saturation training can be expensive if you have to pay for DCBC/IMCA certifications...

 

[NAM001]

KWS, not to nit-pick but the UDT was phased out in 1983. In 1983, the UDTs were re-designated "Swimmer Delivery Vehicle Teams" (SDVTs). SDVTs have since been re-designated SEAL Delivery Vehicle Teams.[1] The Navy now has EDT's similar to the Army. The SEAL's are strictly special forces / intel gathering / combat troops. They dive these days as one of the ways to ingress an objective. I worked with a Navy diver (not SEAL) back in the 90's he was assigned to a sub tender when he served. He told me the work they did was similar to commercial diving except they also do underwater inspections of Navy vessels in ports where underwater sabotage is considered a danger. They're probably pretty busy these days. The training is tough. There was a movie made about the 1st black American to become a Navy diver, stared Cuba Goodings. I don't where true and fiction part ways in the movie but it was a good flick.
Ryan good luck with whatever you choose. My 1st dive buddy went to commercial diving school and worked steady from the 70's thru the 90's he's retired now and doing quite well.

dont mind the nit pick at all, it has been 6 months or so since i went through it with him. i am sure that udt was my name for the new mane. i was more concerned at the time that he got the right info, under what ever name. for the big bonus money he had to do parachute jumps and other stuff in the pipeline. i do know i went into it far enough to make sure he did not enlist for one thing and get stuck with another. the recruiter said that he did his acceptance physical then signed the recruitment for enlistment forms and at that time he would be given his dive school comencement date from navedtra or whoever that is today. the recruiter also could not say how they handled atrites for reasons not fault of enlistee. fo course the recruiter also could not tell us how thier thrift retirement account works either. you would think that career people would know that. any my guy is going in in may, so his email says. he is fininshing up some college first. they were looking at his dm cert and college. motivation issue probably. sl he will be booting it at e3 to start and getting the bonus upon grad of basic dive schoool or something like that. dont know which dive path he finally took but that was his choise.
they may have called the pipeline eod or something.

chief trichan huh....... stsc ss here 1993 ret