School info needed

[Roy C]

Hello,

I have a 19yr old son that is interested in going to a commericial diving school. We live here in the middle of NC and the closest one is the International Diving Institute in Charleston, SC. I noticed it was mentioned in one of the other threads. Can anyone tell me some about this school as far as it's reputation?

 

[Darol]

Commercial Diving Schools Directory


Checkout, offshorediver web site, tons of info.

 

[Roy C]

Darol,
Thanks for the info. We did find that website and it gave me what looks like the schools on the east coast. What I was wondering is how good is the reputation of International Diving Institute? I'm wondering if it's a good school or not.

 

[Darol]

I checked out there web site, it appears to be a fairly new school. As far as it's reputation, I can't say, I have never worked with, or hired divers who went there.
It appears to be a newer school, with some excellent equipment. If cost is a factor,
I would recommend checking out Louisiana Tech College, some of the best bang for your buck in Comm Dive Training.

LTC Young Memorial's Commercial Diving Program is one of the only programs of its kind in Louisiana and in the United States. It has trained 750 students and they come as far as: Spain, Costa Rica, Canada, South Africa, Australia, France, Great Britain, Egypt, Romania, the Russian Republic, Colombia, and Trinidad. Presently, Young Memorial graduates are working as Commercial Divers around the world.
The Accrediting Commission of the Council on Occupational Education (COE) accredits each individual campus of the Louisiana Technical College.

Still the best, the U.S. Navy.

Remember your not leaving these schools and working as a diver, you will be a tender.

 

[Darol]

Get all the facts, there are a lot of faded dreams and broken hearts in the business.
School costs, Total cost, amount of real work, and travel are a large part.
Good luck and I hope I've been of some help.

 

[48mpg]

^^

that is the best darn suggestion/advice you can get before shelling out cash for dive school.

about schools, I cant tell you about that one in particular but, your son should really find out what kind of work he wants to do and where he wants to do it and then find out what certifications are needed for that type of work. then go find a school that offers those types of certifications. not all schools give you the same certs on graduation day.

also think about training environment. are you learning in a tank full of clear water with no current or in live water? how much actual bottom time are you going to be getting?

 

[muddiver]

The premier school for commercial diving in the United State is Santa Barbara City College MDT. Because it is a state community college, like Young's Memorial in Louisiana, it is also one of the cheaper schools to goto. Also, they offer a full two-year degree which none of the other schools offer. SBCC covers more than any other school and include courses in saturation diving, remotely operated vehicles as well as all the usual commercial diver training. A lot of the graduates will become Life Support Technicians on saturation diving systems which is a job that requires more technical knowledge than you run-of-the-mill diver needs to have.

If you just want to get your kid out in the work force as soon as possible whith the least amount of cost and time, than LTC Young Memorial's Commercial Diving Program is the way to go. All the other commercial diving schools are just charging way too much money for a certificate that will not necessarily get you a job.

All those certificates that they will tell you that are issued at the end of the program (welder, NDT level X,Y,Z, EMT, etc...) are really not that important in commercial diving when you start out. Your kid will be the "new guy" and will have to do all the sh**y work. There will not be any welding, or inspection, or EMT activity for the first couple of years. If the company needs a welder and wants him to be a welder they will provide the training and make it so. Until than he is just an apprentice construction worker on one of the most dangerous work sites in the industry.

 

[mselenaous]

Roy, Great advice you've been given here. I'm not a commercial diver. I recommend you drive down to check out the school in action and ask lots of questions (including some of the questions mentioned above) face-to-face. Then, you'll have a better feel for whether that training institute is the right match for your son's learning style & his goals. Ask the school if they help with job placement opportunities after completion. The better the school, the more demand there is for their grads.

Commerical Dive Academy is just a few hours further south in Jacksonville. I had the opportunity to tour this facility recently. Lots going on there and worth checking them out. Here is their info: Start your career in Underwater Welding and Commercial Diving today - Commercial Diving Academy

just my 2psi. Good luck with this. Do have your son share his experiences on Scubaboard.

 

[Roy C]

Everyone,
Thank you very much for your input. It has been very helpful. I'm afraid I have a 19yr old young man on my hands that really doesn't know what he wants to do. He is absolute that he doesn't want to go to college however. We had him signed up to take welding at a local community college when a janitorial company called and hired him. I've tried many times to get it across to him that he needs some type of skill so that he can market himself as employable. He wanted the Army but can't join due to hypothyrodism. He did get certified as a recreational diver by PADI while he was in high school however.

Again, thank you all very much. You've been a big help.

 

[Couv]

Hi Roy & son,

Call me a statistic-I got out of the business after only 2 years. That was way back in 1978 so for advice on schools (I went to Ocean Corp in Houston) and the market, I'll leave that to the guys currently involved. I've seen plenty of good advice in this thread already in those regards. However, consider the following before deciding on a career and spending big bucks on school-especially if you're married, in a serious relationship, or have kids.

You'll be spending A LOT OF TIME away from them. If you're not spending a lot of time away, then most likely you'll be hungry and wondering how you're going to pay the bills. Never mind if you KNOW you can be a good Commercial Diver. You may not be able/or want to hack offshore life for long periods of time. Having been there/done that I suggest to anyone considering a career in the commercial diving to first get a job working offshore as a cook, roustabout, etc. and live a bit of the life first. THEN see if that sort of life is for you.

Good luck to your son and the person footing the school bill.

Edit: Better ask in the Medical Section http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/diving-medicine/ the opinion of the experts how hypothyroidism will affect his ability to work in that career field. Just because a school accepts him as a student does not necessarily mean he will be able to pass a commercial diving physical for a company.