Crimson Fish:
...from age 8.
First I considered Marine Biology, but discovered there was more time spent in the lab than on the bottom; I then looked seriously into Marine Archaeology, but found the road to the bottom was too long academically, & again, the job involved more time on surface than in the deeps.
Then I discovered commercial oilfield diving &... PRESTO! THAT was the life for me!
You wanna talk "Tek" diving - the deepsea oilfields are the place to be: vast saturation diving complexes, diving bells, millions of ft3 of helium to quaff & best of all - the nifty jobs to be done! Burning steel, raising ships, setting structures, laying pipeline, blowing things up...the list of fun goes on & on!
The catch: "The Life" demands your all - you go where the work is, when the work is, or you don't work. Your bags are permanently packed. You spend great gobs of time bobbing around the world's oceans, seas & lakes on barges, boats, drill platforms & other floating work stations. That means no nightlife, no chicks, no family & 12 hour / 7 days per week shifts...
I ran like the wind for 10 years with it, then age 30 rolled by & I started to think of other aspects of life - wife, kids, a home ( instead of a coat hook! ). Now I'm satisfied to teach people to be fishes & continue my love affair with the deeps in shallower depths, much closer to home.
Best,
D.S.D.
