Information on commercial diving schools nearby, if there are any?

[trfollis]

I live in Missouri and I am wondering if there is a commercial dive school anywhere near by (within a few states away or closer if possible). If anyone knows of any state funded or private funded schools or the best place to get information, please let me know. i have read the sticky and did not find too much. Thank you to everyone in advance.

 

[FlipFl0p]

Have you considered travelling further afield? For the money you are spending on the course it's worth finding a school with a good reputation even if it means spending a little more on travel and lodge. I trained in Scotland and there was a guy from Texas, somebody from Turkey and somebody from Spain. All had travelled as they knew it was a good school.

 

[trfollis]

Thanks for the info. As silly as it sounds, it had never occured to me to look in another country. I do have a family to think about but for the time frame required for the school, we could swing it more than likely.

 

[Ocean REEF]

: Louisiana Technical College - Region 3 :

You will find that most schools are pretty expensive. I found out about this place when i arrived in Louisiana. It is a 3rd of the cost (so I hear). Morgan city is a so so place but its worth it i suppose. I personally went to the College of Oceaneering.

 

[FlipFl0p]

Well I'm actually from England which is why I ended up in Scotland so I'm not very familiar with the situation in the States. I did do quite a lot of research online before choosing a school though and it seemed that the same ones were coming up time and time again for good reputation.

All the guys that had travelled from around the world to attend the school I was at said they were glad they had by the time the course got into full flow.

 

[trfollis]

I have no problem with the time involved and institution reputation is very important to me but i have been coming accross schools that offer commercial programs with financial aid INCLUDING pell grants. Not sure if anyone can confirm this or if these schools are not on the level since they were not some of the ones i had come accross time and time again.

 

[I Hudson]

DIT in Seattle, WA. That new one in Jacksonville, Florida.

 

[DiverMedicSagray]

Keep in mind that there are (basically) two governing bodies that affect American divers. If you go with an international school, you're probably looking at an IMCA (International Marine Contractors Association) cert, whereas you'll need an ADC (Association of Diving Contractors) in the U.S.

Look for school that not only get you your ADC ticket, but are also ACDE (Association of Commercial Diving Educators) accredited. They'll have legit financial aide available, and run a good program.

Other things to consider:

Does the school dive in "real" water, or just in tanks?

Does the school go beyond the bare-bones minimums, and get you a specialized field cedential (for example, a Diver Medic cert through the National Board of Diving and Hyperbaric Medical Technology, or relevant welding certs)?

...Lots to choose from, but there's only a handful of schools out there that really knock it out of the park on all the important fronts...

Good luck, Amigo...

 

[garyd54220]

Try this:
Minnesota Commercial Diver Training Center - Brainerd, MN

Gary