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Any graduates of the Diver's Institute of Technology in Seattle out there?
I'd like to hear from folks that have completed/graduated the Diver's Institute of Technology in Seattle.
Specially if you have attended within the last 5 years.
My son has been looking at this school, and we have been trying to find current info about it.
We've been looking at different diving forums, and it seems that not many graduates are actually working in the field--usually about 5 per class. So what happens to the rest of the people that attend DIT and other cdiver schools? Are they working as divers or tenders, or is the career field saturated?
If you have diving jobs, are you able to stay employed for long stretches of time, or do you have to constantly hustle for the next gig?
What do you do about health insurance--get it through an employer, or is it hard to procure due to the inherent danger of the job?
Did the job placement actually help you find employment, or do they just give you a sample resume and point you towards the door?
Are you satisfied with your training, or do you regret forking out the dollars for the school?
Did the school actually teach you work skills that you can use underwater, or did you have to learn more once you got on your job site?
We asked the school if there was a place to interact with graduates but were told they couldn't provide any info due to "privacy issues". We were also told one can expect to earn about 7-8k per month as a graduate. Not sure if this is as a tender since other info suggests about $15 per hour as a tender.
Thanks for any input. I know there are threads that discuss some of these issues, but I couldn't find anything recent.
Linda
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Britt Coates on
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It's difficult top say. The curriculum is in place but we are just in the beginnings of talk with the institution that will back the certification. Might take a couple of months but we arew pushing forward with it.
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Permalink Reply by Robert J Orth on
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Will the emt class accept the gi bill for funding? Also, how does the partnership with the saturation diving school outside the U.S. work?
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I'm not sure if it will or not. We set up all of our cla**** with the intent on making them GI Bill friendly but since the program isn't in place yet I can't say for sure. My understanding is that the DMT class is workable with the GI Bill but I'm a diver and a supervisor but not one of the admissions specialists.
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Hello Linda (and other members),
I am aware that your question is dated but if I may add some information perhaps it can help you in the future (or anyone else looking for information about schools).
I am a graduate of DIT in Seattle. I was class 108-06. After graduation, about 2 days after, I was hired by a company in the Gulf of Mexico. I worked there for a year and then decided to work in the Bering Sea of Alaska (Dutch Harbor). I worked there for 3 years. I then took a job in Texas where I worked for a short time (the company was very unsafe which resulted in a diver death). After that I went back to Alaska for a year then I took some time off before heading to Mexico where I worked for about 1 year. I then decided to become a scuba instructor in Mexico and take it easy for awhile. I have since decided to return to the industry. So I contacted DIT to see about renewing all my Certificates and attend the DMT course as well (since I am an EMT). One of the best things about DIT is that they are always ready to help. You see, as a DIT graduate you get "Lifetime retraining" at no cost (except the fee's for the Cert.'s). So after having been out of Commercial Diving for years the total cost to get all my Certificates back and current would be about 600 dollars. That is awesome!
In no way am I here to speak poorly of any Dive school out there right now. All I can do is tell you my experiences in the industry. Many schools are very good at training a student, but I feel, after my time in the industry that DIT just does it better. In my time as a Commercial Diver I have worked with graduates from various other schools. Not one person I met had the same level of training as I did coming out of school. I was often times put into a leadership role because of the level of training I received from DIT which gave me a better understanding of the job at hand. Many graduates from other schools are only taught one type of diving, at DIT you are taught all types of diving. Some of the graduates from other schools complained that after graduating their schools didn't really keep open communication with students. Many of them wished they had gone to DIT because of the advanced level of training DIT offers as well as the connections the school maintains. Many schools train in confined water tanks, DIT is open water all the time, which gives you the most realistic training possible. Not to mention the experience the instructors at DIT have. Most are former Military divers from the Navy, others are very experienced Commercial divers from all over.
As far as working in the industry...there is plenty of work out there. You will start as a tender because, well, you wont have any industry experience. Fear not, there are plenty of chances to get wet and do some diving. DIT really does everything it can to get all of their graduates placed into jobs and their careers started. They will also contact you often as time goes by to ensure you are still working. DIT wants you to make this a career, not just a job you do for a few years. Now yes some folks will graduate and work for a few years then leave the industry. That is not a reflection on DIT, that is simply life, a million things could be the cause of leaving. Its not for everyone.
Needless to say I enjoyed my time at DIT and I am sure I will continue to enjoy the benefits from being a Graduate of DIT. I hope this helps you Linda (or really anyone who reads this in the future). I hope your son chose or will choose DIT and of course I hope he does great in the industry. I look forward to working alongside him someday! Thank you for your time.
-Jason L.
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Jason, how long did it take you to get on a regular schedule with a company? I just exited the military and was looking very hard at DIT and this industry but I wasn't sure if I wanted another job that would take me away from home on an irregular schedule. What's a typical schedule like?
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Robert,
The first few years offshore you will have a crazy schedule. You could be out at sea for a few days or months and then at home for a few days or weeks. It all comes down to the size of the project. After about 3 years though, maybe more if you are a slow learner, you can start getting a better schedule. Inland is different, most of the time you work M-F 0800-1700, sometimes a bit more if the project calls for it. Offshore you will have to relocate to the south (LA. or TX.) and Inland, you would have to check your local area or check out areas you may be interested in living in. Still, there are plenty of guys with families and they make it work. I wish I could say its easy but I cant, its worse than Military deployments sometimes (not as long but way more erratic). Of course after about 5-7 years experience (maybe 10) you can go to work at a dive school (like DIT) and then life is grand. Its a lot of fun, diving, and I highly recommend it! Hope this helped
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Jason,
Thanks for your reply, I appreciate your insights.
Linda
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No problem Linda.
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Im considering being a DIT diver and after reading this form I feel more comfortable with taking that direction. I want to be a diver because it's my dream. However, I'm about to have a second child and I was wondering what would be my chances of me finding a job that wouldn't keep me away for too long.
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