TheWetArchaeologist, new and in need of advice

[TheWetArchaeologist]

Hey guys I'm very new to scuba but I already know I love it and that I want to do it for a living. I am a senior in college in the Anthropology Major. I'm planing to be a archaeologist specializing in marine sites. This summer I got into a marine archaeology field school run in Bermuda. Its going to be my first time diving in the ocean and my first time on a submerged site. It will be hopefully the first of many.
Right now I'm looking for some advice about equipment. I am thinking about getting a spring suit like a body glove 3/2 or something similar for the Bermuda trip. The rest of my equipment I plan on renting as I am basically broke after paying for the tickets and tuition for the school. I am looking to buy a simple diving watch or a very cheap computer. Whatever I get if it's a watch or computer it must be reliable, any suggestions guys? Any advice you guys can give a beginning diver/archaeologist would be much appreciated.

 

[Ste Wart]

Honest advice. Get double the amount of dives before you start trying to being a Maritime Archaeologist. You need to be in a position where your SCUBA skills are second nature to you so you can concentrate on survey. With less than 25 dives you are not ready.

Here in the UK you have to be a minimum of Dive Master to work within the industry, however you can be advanced and help on volunteer projects; but still they will requires a higher number of dives than you currently have.

May sound like a bit of a downer but this is the reality.

When it comes to kit, be prepared to realise that this is not fun diving. I dive a Hogarthian set-up and for survey work it ends up a being a pain, not enough D-rings for a start. A simple Jacket BCD and work horse reg will serve you well as most sites will be less than 10m 30ft.

 

[TheWetArchaeologist]

Thanks Ste Wart. This is the kind of advice I need right now. There is no professor on my campus that has experience in Marine Archaeology so knowing what is expected of me before I get out of college is the kind of advice I need right now. With the field school I'm going to and the AOW training I'm doing, by the end of the summer I should have at least 20+ more dives. I am also planing to get my rescue diver certification and become a dive instructor ASAP. I am planning to get as many dives under my belt as I can afford and as often as I can fit in my schedule. Thanks for the advice it gives me a goal to aim for I thought work experience and a scientific diver certification would be all I needed. Now I know what I have to accomplish if I want to succeed in Marine Archaeology.

 

[Ste Wart]

I guess your best bet is to look at studying Maritime at either Texas A&M or Southampton (UK) for post grad.

 

[boulderjohn]

There are other choices for further education than the ones you mention. You can get scientific diving certification. In addition, you can look for training that is more technical or "tech/rec" in nature. The reason for that is that if you do follow your current career path, you will need diving skills that are not normally associated with the path you mention. There are many, many instructors who do not have the ability to hold a hover in horizontal trim, back kick, helicopter turn, and do the other skills that will be helpful to you.

I just finished the first phase of training a scientist who is planning to do the sort of thing you are thinking about. He will be examining the bottoms of lakes for signs of prehistoric human habitation that preceded the relatively recent formation of the lakes. To do this, he needs to be able to hover over a grid square indefinitely while examining the area without stirring up the soft silt beneath him. He will need to reposition himself frequently without messing up that environment.

None of those skills are included in training all the way through the instructor level, and many instructors cannot do them. My student's training instead included several "tech/rec" distinctive specialties that are hard to come by. One is called TecReational Diver, a PADI course only offered by a few instructors. (To qualify to teach it, the instructor must also be a tech instructor.) It teaches the skills mentioned above. The other is another PADI distinctive specialty only offered by a few instructors called Dive Planning. It is a very thorough look at what is needed to plan dives without the need for supervision in a wide variety of locations and conditions.

Other agencies offer similar programs. For example, you will no doubt have people suggest GUE fundamentals. That is a fine course as well.

 

[TheWetArchaeologist]

Will I need a graduate degree to find work or could I find work with out it and be a shovel bum for a while? I like the idea of working on a couple of different sites over a few years before finding some where that I want to specialize in. What would you suggest?

 

[FIST]

I just finished up my Anthro degree last May and started diving at the same time so I know how you feel lol. ECU has a good underwater archaeology program but I think it is listed in their maritime studies department. You may want to email the professors there and get their advice.

good luck.

 

[diversteve]

You might look at getting an AAUS certification also. IDK if it would help in your career path but it might open up more job opportunities in related fields.
American Academy of Underwater Sciences - American Academy of Underwater Sciences

 

[covediver]

I agree with diversteve. get your scientific diver certification that complies with the american academy of underwater sciences standards. most research universities that have any type of marine biology or aquatic sciences will offer it, but it is not always a "for credit" course. Does the field school will have you doing underwater work offer that certification as an extra? There are jobs in marine archaeology. I was a maritime historian for the national park service and until very recently wrote sections for environmental impact statements that addressed potential effects to historic and prehistoric archaeology sites from various projects and did the consultation with state historic preservation offices to validate the findings. Not a lot of it has taken me underwater lately, but I spent a fair amount of time in the water, it was part of my job, although not a major part. ECU has a great program. The job is becoming more professional. At one time in the Federal government, archaeology was given to the staff social scientist or to the terrestrial archy types. Now, NOAA, NPS, and BOEM all have professional marine archaeologists on staff. Generalists like me are a rapidly disappearing breed. So don't believe the people who tell you there are no jobs because the jobs are there, you just need to hustle to get them.

 

[TheWetArchaeologist]

Thanks for all the advice this site is awesome. Just to let you know part of the field school gets me AAUS scientific certification. I am doing the online courses right now, along with CPR, First aid, and Emergency O2 courses. When we get to Bermuda I'll take the final test and while down there I will do the 12 dives to get my full AAUS certification. I hope to keep on top of it and renew it every year. I will definitely look into some of PADI's tech/rec courses. Keep the advice coming.