Considering a career change

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Messages
3
Reaction score
1
Location
Vancouver Island, Canada
# of dives
50 - 99
Hi ladies,
This is my first post here. After years of creeping the forums, I officially decided to become a member.
I have been doing a lot of research lately in regard to a career change. I currently work a desk job for the government and spend all my days researching and daydreaming dive destinations around the world. I am AOW certified with around 50 dives. I have been looking at doing the commercial dive/restricted surface supply with Divesafe in Campbell River, Vancouver Island. I know its a risk, leaving a cushy job, with a pension, but sometimes you gotta risk it for the (soggy) biscuit. I am craving more adventure, and I have been thinking about it for years, and lately its been consuming me. I guess I am just looking for some advice, pros, cons, experiences, and motivation. Thanks in advance.
 
What manual labor skills are you proficient with? Welding, mechanical repairs, construction?
Does your desk job have anything to do with petrochemical engineering, marine engineering, construction, civil, nuclear, structural, mechanical engineering, NDT and inspection?

Keep in mind that you won't see a lot of dream destinations as a commercial diver. It will be a lot of dark cold water with metal or concrete structures you're tasked with building, maintaining, or inspecting. They will want you to be proficient in the work you'll do down there; diving is just how you get there. Commercial diving pays reasonably well to very well and the upper end is quite desirable.

If your desk job has anything to do with marine biology or archeology, though, you're in relative luck - there is much less demand for commercial/scientific divers with these kind of skills, but the jobs are much more likely to take you somewhere you'd like to be, and generally be less hard labor, less week-long deco, more variety and more research.
 
You can ask the mods to move it (report your own post). Not sure which will get you more relevant advice.
 
Not much work just now, and a real pain for women to break into in the best of times
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

Back
Top Bottom