If you want to be a commercial diver, you will need proper training. This should come in the form of formal education, certification in CPR and much more. There are many prerequisites to receiving commercial diver training because the courses are usually quick and can be completed in as little as 40 hours, or five days of eight-hour courses.
Prerequisites
You should be in good physical health, know how to swim, have a GED or high school diploma and pass a diving physical. While most commercial divers are young, there is no age limit to training or working as a diver in commercial respects. However, most older adults are not physically capable of handling the job requirements safely and efficiently.
Training Options
There is a multitude of training options available to you, but it is important to select one that fits your needs. Most schools will offer a basic commercial diver training option for those that already have basic SCUBA skills and all their CPR and first aid certificates. This type of course is usually about one week long and provides you with a certificate of completion.
Typical short options include public safety diver, for those that want advanced training and are working in the commercial diver field, surface support technicians and diver safety.
However, there are other options, including Associate degrees. You can either select an Associate of Science in Marine Technology or an AS degree in marine diving technologies. However, most people do not feel the need to have that much training.
Job Prospects
Though you may never have heard of commercial divers before, there is a high demand for them throughout the world. If you want to focus on the United States, you will likely work in the Gulf of Mexico because of Hurricane Katrina. There are around 4,000 oil rigs in that area and over half of them are damaged or completely gone. Therefore, there will be plenty of work in that area for a few more years.
However, oil rigs, dams, bridges and other structures must be maintained and repaired when necessary, so there is still work to be done in other areas.
Type of Work
If you want to become a commercial diver, you should know it is very demanding and physical work. While you are highly compensated for your work, it isn’t considered easy money because you may be working up to six week straight with a month off or work ten-hour shifts each day.
Commercial diver training can be found through Kirby Morgan Professional Dive Center.
