Follow a Single Mom's Journey to Becoming a Commercial Diver

[DaleC]

Just reviewed her blog entries and see that she started reviewing her OW manual March 8th. As of April 13th she hasn't finished it yet...

At least her schooling is "pay as you go" which actually makes me feel better (not that what I feel matters). Seeing someone in her position assume a large student debt for a career sight unseen did disturb me. May be the schools aren't going to burden her the way I thought they would. At least this way she is not going too far into debt and can "break even" should she find it not to her liking down the road.

 

[SurDo2]

Good luck lady... Your gonna' need it.

 

[Slonda828]

I bet her baby wishes Mommy spent that much effort making sure he/she didn't grow up without a father. :depressed:

This is clearly not appropriate. I would say something insulting, by obviously you do not possess the intellectual capacity to understand simple things.

 

[marinediva]

Hi Dale
I did read her posts and although we read the same posts, I interpert them differently.
But you get that. One persons adventure is anothers crisis,

 

[OnlineScuba]

Seems that Rosie has come full circle with her quest to become a commercial diver. I suspect that she has taken the advice of ScubaBoard members as well as her own common sense to make this decision. She has a big heart and ambition but I know that she will be just fine. Please leave a comment for her on our blog: http://www.onlinescuba.com/blog/?cat=71

Thanks for your support!!

 

[illinidiver]

I am glad she sat down and thought this through, this is not a job for everyone, in fact it isn't a job for the vast majority of people. Inland and offshore are both tough fields.

As a commercial diver I have worked with one female diver, I was working inland at the time, which is home far more often than offshore, and we were still gone 12 hours or more a day, and every couple months there would be 2-3 week long out of town trips. You can not have kids and do this with out another parent or dedicated caretaker, a babysitter will not cut it. You will get called in on X-mas, on birthdays, and Thanksgiving, you will get sent out for a 3 day jobs, 9 hours away, that turns into a 3 month job when you get there.

As for the female diver I worked with, she spent just as much time in the water as we did, and was very capable in most areas, but she also bordered on being a body builder, she was very strong and built, but with all this she could still barely carry a 300' four part umbilical. There were quite a few jobs, like valve replacements where she could go in and do the cleaning, and prep, but she did not have the physical strength to actually turn bolts, or push and wiggle the new 400lbs valve into place as it was lowered by the crane. No one really complained though, because she would volunteer for some of the less pleasant jobs. Well except body recovery and sewage work, she wouldn't do that.

And i stress it is not a field for someone who is easily offended, there is cussing, a lot of it, people get angry and throw things, if you mess up you will be chewed out, in front of everyone. You will see everyone in your dive crew naked or down to their underwear at some point and they will see you.