Schooling related to diving

[tothedepths]

I am looking for any advice on college or other types of schooling that would benefit me as an OWSI. I would like to take advantage of my GI Bill but am unsure what I could use it for that would benefit me in the diving world. Thanks to all who can help me out

 

[KevinNM]

As in give you better skills for teaching students, more and deeper understanding of the science and medicine, or more physical ability?

I can't really help with the first two, but every university I've been to has a weight room with barbells, a swimming pool and a track that you can use for pretty much free as a student.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba 2]

Not sure if I'm nailing the right answer but if you really enjoy diving and would like to integrate it with your career some likely majors would be marine biology, aquatic ecology, maritime archaeology, or environmental studies. Personally, I am a high school science teacher as a career and my experience as a diver enhances that greatly as my first hand knowledge of the content is higher.

 

[tomfcrist]

Agree with the above.. You basically have multiple options if you want to obtain a related degree.

- Marine biology
- oceanography
- applied physics
- hyperbaric medicine
- adult education
- archeology

As you can see the list can go on for a while. There are a lot of related fields.

Are you Montgomery GI or post 9/11? That may play a large part in how you go about deciding.

 

[Bob DBF]

Dive Rite in Scuba has the ticket, get a diving related major and make sure the school has a SCUBA diving program. One major I didn't notice above was Hospitality Management.



Bob

 

[tbone1004]

no indication to where you are located, but NC State has one of the best diving programs in the country as far as quality of divers coming out, slightly biased but results speak for themselves *the divers can pass GUE fundies almost immediately after coming out of open water*. Eastern Carolina has a massive diving program that does quite a bit of archaeology but they look like recreational divers, so you'll get a lot more diving exposure and experience with that program but you won't be as good of a diver if that makes sense. University of Florida has a good one, and I'm sure there are others on the coast on this side that are pretty good, West Coast I'm not familiar with, but there or obviously good schools out there for it. If you are an OWSI already, then the harsh reality is many of these types of programs will break you of anything you have learned already and fix it because a normal OWSI has no place in a university environment, you've been taught how to teach PADI cookie cutter classes to "normal people" and teaching college students is radically different, as is the type of diving they are doing. These divers are usually prepping for work with NOAA AAUS etc as part of masters or doctoral theses so 99.9% of what you have been taught is irrelevent, inhale exhale repeat as necessary, don't touch the wildlife, don't hold your breath, that's about all that transfers.

Like was said above, you have different options as far as degrees, but if you want to work at a university, masters degree minimum. You have medicine route going hyperbaric, very few places this is taught, Duke Univ. is one of the few and still the go to in this country, not a lot of job options though and very little hyperbaric medicine is dive related *less than 5% at Duke*. Underwater Archaeology is one of the primary degrees that will keep you in the water, but again difficult to find work. You didn't mention where you are or where you want to go or what your long term goals are for a career and both of those are very important for recommending something like this

 

[SubAquatix]

I am looking for any advice on college or other types of schooling that would benefit me as an OWSI. I would like to take advantage of my GI Bill but am unsure what I could use it for that would benefit me in the diving world. Thanks to all who can help me out

You didn't say where you are and believe me, that can make a difference. Here in NC, I have multiple VA centers, each with counselors who may, or may not, get diving. We have five different guys getting training through us and the VA is paying for it all. Directions include Rebreather Instructors, Commercial divers and a couple of science divers looking to augment there College Science programs. other things that may help with guidance are, what was your prior MOS and how flexible is your current "at home" requirement?

Oceaneering Corp, for example, love to hire vets, depending on prior skills, and a diving background could be helpful, but you are nearly guaranteed to be out to sea several months a year. If you just want to get away, there are a number of salvage teams always looking for divers. The work is hard, but you'll be diving several hours a day and would be able to pick up your ABS and Capt's papers, quite likely, within a year.

My point it that, while a lot of college talk has been had, there are alternatives if that isn't what you are looking for and, with VA and GI Bill stuff, and good counselor is worth their weight in gold.

 

[Rich Keller]

no indication to where you are located, but NC State has one of the best diving programs in the country as far as quality of divers coming out, slightly biased but results speak for themselves *the divers can pass GUE fundies almost immediately after coming out of open water*. Eastern Carolina has a massive diving program that does quite a bit of archaeology but they look like recreational divers, so you'll get a lot more diving exposure and experience with that program but you won't be as good of a diver if that makes sense.

Look into commercial diving schools if the GI bill will cover them. I would not go to a four year college to learn diving only come out with far less skills then you could get in 6 months from a commercial diving school.

 

[covediver]

you might want to check out Santa Barbara City College marine technology program. several good commercial diving schools as well. Also, Florida Keys Community College offers a couple of different programs
Florida Keys Community College | Associate in Applied Science

 

[Kevrumbo]

The Scientific Diving Program at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego is one of the oldest, largest, and most active science support programs of its kind in the United States. The program trains and supports more than 150 scientists, students, technicians, and volunteers in the use of underwater techniques and technology necessary to safely conduct their research in underwater environments. . .

Scripps Oceanography is a founding member of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences and remains an organizational member in good standing. Adherence to AAUS standards facilitates collaboration between member institutions as qualifications and authorization are recognized through a process of reciprocity.

https://scripps.ucsd.edu/scidive/about