Thinking about career change!! Advice needed!

[bill088]

Wuttsup everybody, my names Bill, im from northern newjersey. I am currently a full time mechanic at a local shop and im really starting to lose my love of cars. As far back as i can remember, ive always been interested in how things work. Took apart all my older brothers cool toys just to see whats inside. Now that im older, (freshly 24), and currently working as an auto mechanic, i find that the work is monotinous and boring. oil change, oil change, oil change, brakes, axle, timing belt.... blah blah blah. A very good freind of mine recently started looking into commercial diving as a new avenue. Me being the inquisitive person that i am, also, started investigating. He mentioned that his cousin had completed dive training at a voc. school and was immidiatly offered a job for roughly 80k a year. granted, i understand that this isnt the case for everyone BUT, after listening to the skills that the job requires, i feel i might be a bit ahead of the curve, and thats almost 4 times what i currently earn. During hichschool, i took a vocational program on small engine repair, and recieved a certificate of 1000 hrs completion. I got straight A's and even helped the teacher out when people were confused or having trouble. I unfortunatly do not hold any welding certs. I am a complete newbie when it comes to scuba, but im goin to take a one night exploratory class at a local dive shop to get the "feel" for breathing underwater. My BIG question is, do you think this is a wise avenue to travel down considering my skillset and history, or am i getting in way over my head. How is the job market, what can i expect from such a career, and how long does it take before a tender, really starts getting the opportunity to do some work below the surface. ive been a mechanic for three years and i feel as though further advancement is goin to require way more effort and crudentials than i have the desire to persue. The more i think about diving, the more i feel like its something i could do, given the propor training. i would really appriciate all the UNBIASED responses i can get. i dont want to hear a bunch of b/s and negativity. I want the straight fact on whats what and how to go about it. I genuinly appriciate your time and advice, Bill.

 

[diversteve]

There's a forum for that. I've moved this thread there - Commercial Divers

 

[Bombay High]

Wuttsup everybody, my names Bill, im from northern newjersey. I am currently a full time mechanic at a local shop and im really starting to lose my love of cars. As far back as i can remember, ive always been interested in how things work. Took apart all my older brothers cool toys just to see whats inside. Now that im older, (freshly 24), and currently working as an auto mechanic, i find that the work is monotinous and boring. oil change, oil change, oil change, brakes, axle, timing belt.... blah blah blah. A very good freind of mine recently started looking into commercial diving as a new avenue. Me being the inquisitive person that i am, also, started investigating. He mentioned that his cousin had completed dive training at a voc. school and was immidiatly offered a job for roughly 80k a year. granted, i understand that this isnt the case for everyone BUT, after listening to the skills that the job requires, i feel i might be a bit ahead of the curve, and thats almost 4 times what i currently earn. During hichschool, i took a vocational program on small engine repair, and recieved a certificate of 1000 hrs completion. I got straight A's and even helped the teacher out when people were confused or having trouble. I unfortunatly do not hold any welding certs. I am a complete newbie when it comes to scuba, but im goin to take a one night exploratory class at a local dive shop to get the "feel" for breathing underwater. My BIG question is, do you think this is a wise avenue to travel down considering my skillset and history, or am i getting in way over my head. How is the job market, what can i expect from such a career, and how long does it take before a tender, really starts getting the opportunity to do some work below the surface. ive been a mechanic for three years and i feel as though further advancement is goin to require way more effort and crudentials than i have the desire to persue. The more i think about diving, the more i feel like its something i could do, given the propor training. i would really appriciate all the UNBIASED responses i can get. i dont want to hear a bunch of b/s and negativity. I want the straight fact on whats what and how to go about it. I genuinly appriciate your time and advice, Bill.

Hello Bill,

Mechanical skills and aptitude are good to have as a commercial diver. However they are just one of many things you will need to get good at. Doing one day of SCUBA is a good idea, but will give you NO idea what its going to be like diving surface supplied air or bell supplied mix gas.

You are at a good age to begin. A little on the older side, but thats not a bad thing. I would recommend trying to get on a job site and watching the tenders and divers work. Go in as an assistant for no pay.

I make a lot more than the salary you quoted. The money is in Saturation diving and depth pay. How fast you progress from tender to air diver to mixed gas and sat depends on you.

Your attitude, your brains, how fast you can think on your feet and improvise to get a job done, people skills, physical strength and common sense.

I know very little about the schools in North America.

If you are lucky, DCBC and Akimbo - two very experienced commercial divers from North America will get involved here as well.

Good luck

BH

 

[Akimbo]

There's a forum for that. I've moved this thread there - Commercial Divers

A lot of your questions will probably be answered by reading other threads in this forum. I am “assuming” you didn’t notice it since the thread was moved here.

A career change is never a casual decision. I would recommend starting a recreational Scuba course as part of your research and make a point of diving the crappiest muddy cold water you can find. Start learning all you can about seamanship from tying knots to the vessels themselves. Something common and simple like previously undetected claustrophobia, sea sickness, low cold tolerance, or sinus problems that prevent clearing your ears can be a show-stopper.

All things being equal, an unattached individual starting commercial diving has an advantage. It is not a great lifestyle for someone who wants to start a family. On the other hand, it is great if you want to travel at the drop of a hat.

Here is a long thread that may help provoke thought on some of the personality traits that successful commercial divers require.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/advanced-scuba-discussions/378868-panic-experienced-diver.html

By personality, being very resourceful is a huge plus. It is not a life for a perfectionist unless you definition starts and ends with getting the job done. Operating costs are unbelievably high, time is big money. That Snap-On chest full of tools you cherish and plan to hand down to grandchildren would be a minor consumable offshore. It is not an issue of being wasteful, but a strange parallel-universe of what is cost-effective. It can be a change of mindset for some people that can be hard to overcome.

This book is pretty old now, but still gives an unvarnished “flavor” of the lifestyle and includes basic useful skills. Living conditions and the technology are much better, but the money is less. Even the now “historic” aspects will help you understand some of what you will learn.

Amazon.com: Commercial Oil-Field Diving. (9780870332357): Nicholas B. Zinkowski: Books

Welding is a good skill to have even if you are not a certified pipe welder, or even become a commercial diver. I fully concur with Bombay High’s comments. Buy a few beers for some of the commercial divers near you even if you plan to dive internationally. Oh, and brush up on Diesel mechanics, gasoline engines are pretty rare offshore.

Finally, it is smart to think about your third career. Very few commercial divers retire and collect Social Security (~65 plus in the US).

Best of luck.

 

[bill088]

So what you guys are trying to say is, to put alot more thought and effort into it before making any decisions. I absolutly agree. Thanks for your input.

 

[Bombay High]

So what you guys are trying to say is, to put alot more thought and effort into it before making any decisions. I absolutly agree. Thanks for your input.

Exactly ... I wouldn't discourage you at all. Maybe you are the kind of guy who will shine in this field. Its no bed of roses, but you can make a good living and then some, if you are determined to. But the Glory Days of offshore diving are gone. Akimbo was there in the midst of it. I arrived at the tail end. Today, I would not advise my sons to get into it.

 

[jon@scubatony.com]

It think its a great move, Bill! Commercial diving is very different than the blue water fun diving that I'm into, but either way it scratches a lot of itches. If I were you I'd get out and try some warm water, clear water diving first. The cold black waters of the northeast can scare alot of divers off - but if you step in slowly, get your feet wet in the gorgeous waters of the world, I'm sure you'll fall in love with it. From there, you can take the steps necessary to go in any direction you chose, whether it be recreational diving or commercial diving. Every puddle is different, and you may find you love certain environments and don't care for others, so its important to try a wide range of things - starting with the fun and easy and increasing difficulty levels as you learn.

 

[DivingOtter]

Right now times are tough in the industry and work is scarce. Im based out of Toms River and the NE is my stomping grounds. Alot of companies in this neck of the woods are union based which, when you go to school they dont tell you how difficult it is finding work especially if you need to join the union. Dont get me wrong, I love what I do but truth be told its a life of inconsistant pay and a 24 hour schedule. Your topside welding skills will no doubt help you but underwater it is a a horse of another color. Very few companies ( in my experience ) do much techincal underwater welding. The welding most do is ugly make it stick and hold either for salvage or lifting. If you do decide to go ahead with schooling the price is about 18k plus all your gear. Dont be roped in by schools that are cheaper and 8 weeks long. Go to a school that has accredited classes with ACDE and ANSI. Without ANSI it will be VERY difficult if not impossible to find work outside of a mom n pop kinda outfit. The top schools are in FL, LA, WA and TX. Dont bother with the one here in NJ because its not worth it. The training was top notch but management and ownership are horrible.

 

[damon_2]

You need to think this thoroughly before considering a career change. If you really want to do this then go for it. But not before you have gathered enough on the career you are pursuing. There is a boom of welding jobs so I think it won't be difficult to find one. The scuba diving is another thing and I don't think that one session will be enough. Just keep on gathering information and think it through before leaping into the unknown. Good luck.

 

[DCBC]

Hi Bill,

First of all, welcome to SB! I think that you'll find that there's a lot of experience around to share (although you do have to deal with some BS from time-to-time).

Changing careers is never easy. From what I can gather, your current job is local. You're not too far away from home and sleep in your own bed every night, unless you're single and that's a different discussion... I suppose what I'm saying is that happiness in life is based upon job satisfaction, but also family and life style. To gain one you may have to give-up another positive that we all tend to take for granted. I guess any decision like this can't be based upon income, as there may be larger issues. I don't know your situation, but I'd encourage you to not make any rash decisions. The grass is always greener...

I can add little to what has already been said. You obviously have mechanically based work experience, which is seen as a big benefit when hiring any Diver. The fact that you haven't any diving experience isn't negative, as you will complete your initial training and get an unrestricted air ticket.

As I have commented in the other threads (which I suggest you read carefully), the future of commercial diving is a good one (IMO). There is a large number of Divers unemployed, but I'd hazard to say that the majority of them are freshly certified and most have no mechanical/construction experience. A commercial diver is hired to do the job; diving is just the way we get to/from the job site. It's all about doing the work, on-time and on-budget. If you can't do the job properly, it doesn't matter if you're the best diver in the world, it amounts to nothing.

With the on-shore, you have an opportunity most of the time (depending upon the nature of the business) to come home most evenings. The off-shore is obviously different. The positive/negative of the off-shore are higher pay, higher risk and longer deployment. So it really depends upon what you are looking for and where you can secure employment. I was a Navy Diver that went to the off-shore, started my own on-shore company and then went back to the off-shore (later becoming an independent contractor for 'Big Oil.') Once you have the experience your employment opportunities become more varied and abundant. The problem is getting your foot in the door and (for me) securing a full-time salaried position with a big company. These are challenges that everyone faces and everything is based upon your reputation, your background and 'who you know' (like many other areas of employment).

No matter what your decision is, good luck! Again, welcome to SB. Feel free to contact me if you have any specific questions.

Regards,

Wayne