Zvi,
It all comes down to your expectations, and how much you really want to be a Diver.
At the moment, the Offshore diving industry is bumping off the bottom of the worst downturn....., well, ever.....
Now, obviously if your goal is to work offshore worldwide, then this is obviously a big problem, as there are a massive amount of Offshore Divers with experience, waiting to find a job (and my personal opinion is that work will never again get as busy as it was 5-6 years ago so there are some guys who have done their last dive, and just don’t know it yet...), also, if you are working in a region that doesn’t regulate pay rates, you will be working for very low rates...
This also traditionally means that inshore civil engineering companies are suddenly inundated with offshore divers’ cv’s who have to have large amounts of certification to work, coupled with a lifestyle they can’t afford, so they steal some work off the inshore guys....and push rates down there, too...
Ultimately, if someone is dedicated and driven, they will usually find a way into work somewhere, somehow, but compared to Rope Access, Diving is VERY expensive..I’m sure there’s a commercial diving school in Israel that will get you working in construction and ship husbandry for not too much cash, but if you want to work in the main diving regions worldwide, then you have to go for an IMCA certificate.now, IMCA don’t have diving courses, they accept certain countries certification as ‘acceptable’. Check out IMCA’s website to find the full list, but generally speaking, the UK’s HSE certs, INPP’s certs (Marseille) South African certs Norwegian certs (NYD) and I believe one Canadian school are the best bet for getting a diving ticket that will be accepted in most areas of the world. (Personally, I think the Norwegian NYD school is a pretty good deal- the cert is relatively cheap, as it is subsidised by the Government there, although the living expenses in Norway for the duration of the course can be tough unless you ‘slum it’, plus to get an Offshore Air ticket, you also get some training in TUP procedures, which isn’t done anywhere else).
That’s the beginning of the payments, though. (The following is if you want offshore as an air diver in the main ‘oil’ areas like the Middle East (I’m guessing your passport would make it tricky to work in Saudi or Iran for example..) West Africa, the Far East or Europe. I’m sure you could find a job building piers in India or ship husbandry in Cape Town with less certs..) you have an annual medical to shell out for, and an offshore survival cert, then a First Aid at work course, although normally you would be expected to have an IMCA DMT cert, then to get more work you need your CSWIP Inspection courses 3.1u at least, 3.2u desirable..there’s Rigging certs, Bolt tensioning certs.....the list really goes on, even before you think about a Saturation Diving cert...
So that’s a lot of money...if you can afford to throw 20-30k away on courses with no guarantee that you’ll ever get anything back in return, and you are willing to spend all your time looking for work and learning on the job, then go for it..
You can have a good life working inshore, in construction, inspection and demolition, shipping husbandry, Aquaculture etc. But it won’t make you as much money (if that’s what drives you).
Offshore Rope Access can take you around the world on interesting, varied jobs for the price of the IRATA course, first aid, offshore survival, and maybe rigging, inspection, or welding certs- an awful lot less outlay for decent returns...
Don’t go into this with dreams of deep sea rock stars- it’s a job, same as any other. Some are great, some are hell on Earth. Do some research on the internet about the work we do, before you jump. I’ve been a Commercial diver for 25 years now, and on balance I’m glad I stuck at it, but you are waiting on a phone call with no guarantee that it will ever ring, you’ll always be Offshore when you need to be home, and there’s always something to moan about...! I tried Rope Access for 3 years, and was treated civilly by all (divers are usually seen as thieving pirates offshore..) and did some varied, well paid jobs.....just a shame I found out I hated heights...!
