Navy Diving vs. Commercial diving

[fstbttms]

Perhaps you should reread my initial comments.

Point taken.

 

[WVMike]

Here is an excellent book on Navy Diving. You should get this book and read it. Then listen to all the good advice those with the experience are giving you.

United States Navy Diver, by Mark V Lonsdale. Available from Amazon.

Amazon.com: United States Navy Diver (9781930536272): Mark V. Lonsdale: Books

 

[muddiver]

The bottom line with any occupation is to get the basic ticket/training and get into the market to make money as soon as possible. Work is all about experience and sitting around twiddeling your thumbs over what school to go to is time (= Money) wasted. Go the most direct and least expensive route to get in.

I reccomend the military because it is free up front. If you are not in a combat arms or logistics MOS you will most likely not get shot at, or not as likely. If that will not work out see my previous post about state run training programs.

If you go to a private commercial diving school you will be paying them $15,000.00 on way or another. I still have around $35,000 in student loan debt myself and I have been in the work force for about ten years. In my case I have more than a $25/hr diver job though, a commercial diver cert., a Masters in Civil Engineering and I am getting close to a six figure income, so the student loan is a great write off on taxes in my case. Your experience may not be as palatable after you get out of school.

 

[dadediver]

Former Army here, so I can't help out on the Navy side to much, other than 'Go Army'.

Aside from that serving in the Armed Forces can be a career and for many it is. You get in at 18 and can retire at 38 when you have your 20. Trust, there is a whole other world to work it once you retire. Likely along the way, you can get a lot of your higher education covered! I've got a buddy that is being sent through to get his 2nd masters degree now. He's doing more than 20, but you get the point.

As was pointed out, the way the military tends to work is you enlist and get a 'job'. In the Army it was called a MOS. Only certain MOS's could go to certain schools. For instance, 11B (Infantry Man) is qualified to just about any of the fun schools (Ranger, Airborne, Air Assault, Pathfinder, SF, so on so forth), but a cook is likely not going to be able to go to those fun schools.
When you talk to the recruiter, look at 'Jobs' that are qualified to try out for Navy Diver.

You enlisted for X amount of years, so if you get sent to diver program and fail out, you're going to go back to your old job. You may be able to try again. Depends upon the school.

At Ft. Campbell you'd show up on Wednesday for Air Assault. If you failed out of the class, you'd be back next week. When I was in they had a 60-70% drop out rate! It was atypical for someone to make it first time through.

Not really. I was a heavy wheel mechanic and went to Airborne (basic) school, Air Assualt School, Ranger School (I liked the mountain phase so much, I did it twice), Air Borne (free fall) School and earned the EIB. About half the class in my RS class were other than infantry. We had several spoons (cooks) in our class and they graduated without any recycles. Serve in a combat arm unit and the schools are open to a lot of different MOS.

 

[Navy]

Ryan, Go Navy!!! Like the others have said there is no experience like it and you have a job, medical, housing, 30 days paid leave, holidays, 3 meals a day at sea, advancement potential. You are paid to train and learn. In the civilian sector you PAY to learn and train. Taking an old salt with you is a good idea. When you come out they think you know everything, as a commercial diver you are having to prove yourself everytime. After 20 years of bliss you retire and start a new life or expand on your old one. Go Navy. Been there done that.

 

[fnfalman]

I want to do the military diving that let me carry a silenced pistol that I can shoot the bad guys while emerging from the surf. That would be badass.

 

[kanonfodr]

I want to do the military diving that let me carry a silenced pistol that I can shoot the bad guys while emerging from the surf. That would be badass.

Lol, if only you knew. My retired Navy Diver landlord had several things to say when SEALs went diving, most of it along the lines of "Navy Divers prevent dead SEALs."

Back to the OT: The military is a great job, but allow me to dispell some misconceptions:

Every job is a combat MOS. I spend most of my days in a tin can, using shiny objects with buttons and pretty screens to fix radios. I have been bombed, mortared, rocket'd, shot at, and have done some shooting myself. Both times.

Do your 20 and you can retire. If you can put up with it. It's a hard job with a lot of stuff constantly flowing. I question what leaves my superiors with the ability to handle it, as once this enlistment is up I am gone. It's something most people don't get until they are actually in. Before I signed up I wanted to do my 20 and retire. Now...college sounds nice.

Cool schools. Yes they are there, but is Pathfinder training really going to help you in the average post-military civilian job??

Comeraderie. It's there, period. Respect between two people who have never met, simply because they were both in the service. It can open a lot of doors as many ex-military employers/supervisors like the attitudes of prior military employees in regards to work ethic, teamwork, etc.

You won't regret the experience, at least not all of it, but college sounds a lot nicer considering it will be darn near a decade from now when I actually am able to get my life truely together.

Peace,
Greg

 

[dadediver]

I want to do the military diving that let me carry a silenced pistol that I can shoot the bad guys while emerging from the surf. That would be badass.

Your buddy there isnt carry a silencer on his 45 ACP.

 

[dadediver]

Lol, if only you knew. My retired Navy Diver landlord had several things to say when SEALs went diving, most of it along the lines of "Navy Divers prevent dead SEALs."

Back to the OT: The military is a great job, but allow me to dispell some misconceptions:

Every job is a combat MOS. I spend most of my days in a tin can, using shiny objects with buttons and pretty screens to fix radios. I have been bombed, mortared, rocket'd, shot at, and have done some shooting myself. Both times.

Do your 20 and you can retire. If you can put up with it. It's a hard job with a lot of stuff constantly flowing. I question what leaves my superiors with the ability to handle it, as once this enlistment is up I am gone. It's something most people don't get until they are actually in. Before I signed up I wanted to do my 20 and retire. Now...college sounds nice.

Cool schools. Yes they are there, but is Pathfinder training really going to help you in the average post-military civilian job??
Comeraderie. It's there, period. Respect between two people who have never met, simply because they were both in the service. It can open a lot of doors as many ex-military employers/supervisors like the attitudes of prior military employees in regards to work ethic, teamwork, etc.

You won't regret the experience, at least not all of it, but college sounds a lot nicer considering it will be darn near a decade from now when I actually am able to get my life truely together.

Peace,
Greg

I dont think they have the pathfinder school anymore, do they? The are using the Rangers and the QRF's platoons as pathfinders. When I was with the 3/22 25ID (Hawaii) back in 1988, we were doing the work of the pathfinders and the 19D's.


The combat arms teaches a whole host of things that can be used in the cilvian world. Many of the combat arms require a hight GT score (AFQT score now) than quite a few of the support MOS.

 

[fnfalman]

Your buddy there isnt carry a silencer on his 45 ACP.

Looks like a SIG P226 9mm to me. But no silencer therefore uncool.