Comment

Comment by Tristan John Hodgson on March 20, 2011 at 4:06pm

So how are all the fellow scot divers fairing then?

Comment by Tristan John Hodgson on August 16, 2010 at 2:46pm

Best of luck on the course then m8!!

Comment by Michael Brennan on August 13, 2010 at 1:41pm

Yeah I forgot to say that the reason I'm doing it before the start of next year is incase of that fecking tax rise!!! Fish farms will do me, I don't mind just anything to get started eh? I'm going up to TUC next week to have look around and ask questions so I'll ask them about that Simon. My manager has said that he would hold my job for me while I'm doing the course so it's good that I'll have my old job while still looking to get my first diving job even if it is as you say Simon a couple months into next year.

Comment by Tristan John Hodgson on August 13, 2010 at 3:21am

There is always Fish Farms :), But I will go with you, it is quite difficult to find some proper work at the moment.
But I do hear they are needing some divers in Sweden on some projects, I think its something to do with Gas pipelines. Might want to look into some Swedish Companies if your looking for work at the moment.

Also for you guys that have your NDT and such, Offshore wind farms in the UK and Germany are about to kick off big time so get your applications to the companies in charge of the development in those areas.

Dive Safe all!

Comment by Seadweller on August 13, 2010 at 3:11am

I work for a major in the Gulf. Out of 200+ divers on the books, we only have between 8-16 working... These are all experienced divers...works tight a lot of them are updating there skills by now doing sat courses etc... My advice forget diving!

Comment by Simon on August 12, 2010 at 4:10pm

Ok, basically the recession hit and the price of oil dropped through the floor which meant the oil companies scaled back all the inspection, repair and maintenance work offshore. This meant a lot of the divers with regular offshore slots moved to working inshore as they have literally been there and done it before. The knock on effect is that the new (baby) divers can't get any work as they have little or no experience and have little or no chance of getting a foot in the door. Admittedly the windfarm work has taken up some of these divers but this is only a very small percentage of the actual divers available for work in the UK. The work is seasonal so when the winter months hit established divers stay where they are. Your course starting October would finish just before christmas when work is in very short supply, the first course of the year would finish around March which would be a better time to be looking for work.

Ask the school how many from the last course are working or how many from the last years courses are still working, they will say all or most of them. Statistics from the doctors doing medicals claim only 50% of new divers renew the medical after the first year and maybe 50% of those the year after, so from a course of 12 only 3 will be left. The other 9 will still be in debt and will have given up to find other work. Not what you wanted to hear but I'd rather you knew the facts before you ended up in debt with no work and not with a head full of crap the school has told you about riches beyond your wildest dreams and how you will walk out of school on a friday afternoon and be offshore on monday morning making £450 a day with SClub7.

I'm good Stew, still waiting for that beer when you finish playing windy miller.

Comment by Michael Brennan on August 12, 2010 at 12:21pm

Not what I wanted to hear but cheers for the honesty Simon :) I am also gonna try the Navy for Mine Clearence Diver (2nd time round as I failed the RT test doh!) but theres a 2 year waiting list so thought I could fill that gap gaining experience as a commercial diver. Any special reason the industry is flooded or is it generally this time of year? Yeah that is true Stew but just to get a first job I wouldn't say no to anything lol, beats working in Superdrug haha.

Comment by stew on August 12, 2010 at 9:31am

long time no speak simon, i hope your keeping well, wise words BTW, just a shame its the truth.
couldnt think of a worse time to finish dive school michael, right before xmas when the industry is at its slowest!
as for what job should you go for, i recomend the one that pays the most ;-)

Comment by Simon on August 12, 2010 at 4:05am

The best tip I can give you is to phone up the school and cancel your course. The industry is already flooded with divers looking for work. If you still want to do it try and get on the 1st course next year.

Comment by Michael Brennan on August 11, 2010 at 12:20pm

Hey guys, I'm gonna be doing my Standard Career Course at The Underwater Centre in October. Was wondering if you have any helpfull tips on getting started as a diver an what jobs I should go for what with having no commercial diving experience what so ever.

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