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Need a little beginner advice.
I am SO glad I found this forum. Really it's hard to find anything other than technical info or diving schools flashing their certs and "lifelong job placement" scams everywhere if you don't know what you're doing. I've been pumped to break into the industry for months now and my training at CDA was all but set in stone.
After flipping through these forums I see it's not the booming industry the schools have made it out to be. I was under the impression I'd be hired before I was out of school. HA!
My main question is about the Young Memorial school in LA. I've read that it's best to get in and get out as quickly and as cheap as possible as employers only care about your certs and not where you graduated from. How well will this course prepare and certify me in comparison to some of the more "reputable" diving schools? Will I be lacking any necessary certs, skills or knowledge? I realize that it's a government funded school, but the price difference is extreme enough that I just have to question it.
Also I've noticed some of the seasoned fellas around here are recommending a secondary skill set to fall back on whilst getting started and/or during the slow season. I'm debating on sticking around home for a while longer and getting a welding certification to get me through the dead times. I'm excited about learning to weld in general, but curious to know if anyone has another skilled trade in mind that would be more ideal to correlate with the diving industry or one that would help with advancement down the road.
Thanks in advance guys. The info I've read in these forums has most likely proved itself invaluable already.
Views: 127
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Fred C. Johnson on
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Pal the truth is divers are underwater mechanics, you do not get paid to blow bubbles or Bob.
Santa Barbara City College Marine Technology would be the way to go for the diver training.
YES YES and YES go to welding school and get certifications, the more the better.
Employers in the industry hire only hands that have job skills. The skilled diver that is welding today and setting sand bags the next is working. the diver that only knows how to lug a sandbag will sit on the beach and watch the world go by. The more you know the more you work, Learn, Learn and Learn more its money in your pocket down the road. No Knowledge and your just down the road so to speak.
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Permalink Reply by Will on
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Hey Ryan.
As Fred said having a skill is really handy. Everytime I personally worked for a new company I always get asked either "Do you have any trades" or "what did you work in before diving"
They wanna know what you know and it might be the deciding factor between you being the diver or the tender on a certain dive. Because the best guy for the job is gonna do the job.
You dont have to go in as a welder though, its not the be all end all, im a underwater welder crap that its made out to be. Any mechanical trade is just as valuable so things like : Mechanic, (anytype from automotive-heavyduty) Millwright, Machinist, pipefitter, welder, ironworkers even, crane operator (rigging) the list goes on and on.
Remeber as well that its not just what you know but how well you know it, the thing with Welding is it is one of those trades that you have to really practice at to get good, no ammount of reading up on it is gonna help you, you gotta just start buring rod. So what can happen is your on a dive job and the sup says "right then, who here can weld" 2 of you put up your hands, you do a weld test and even though you went to school and have the papers the other guy who has just been welding in his shop at home for the lest 10 years for a hobby is better then you and hes the guy now welding on the dive job. Schooling isnt enough to be a proficient welder, you gotta spend some time in the industry really learning your hand and getting good at the out of position stuff. I dont wanna put you off of it, but just know that about welding,
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Permalink Reply by colby lowe on
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Unless you know that you want to work the rest of your life, and accept the fact your just gonna be a blue collar worker till you die, go find another line of work. Dont b.s. yourself with dreams of making it big in the diving world. If you have a passion for everything underwater and want to be at sea/away alot, then think about it. The truth is, there is no big payoff in diving, your just another middle class worker with a twist. In this line of work, until you reach Supervisor status, its not so much what you know, as it is what you know how to do, like the other guys said the more skills the better.
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Can't believe that a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) hasn't been started for people considering starting a career in the industry.
By the way, the only "reputation" factor is that you attend an ADCE-accredited dive school (Young's Memorial is one; I am a graduate.)
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Permalink Reply by A.. Parnell on
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Will,Colby & Dave your above posts are right on the nose and well stated. Excellent work you guys I could not have said it better myself.
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Hey man, I'm finishing up dive school in jersey right now and one thing I can tell u is that everyones a welder. At least 60 percent of my class has some type of welding experience. The metal arc welding well be doing topside and underwater is welding in it's most basic form, I'm no commercial diver yet, but if you want a second trade I would probaly look into steam fitting, it seams like there's a s*** ton of pipe underwater, so it's a trade u could use in both places, I've been an auto mechanic for 8 years and I feel like it's also given me a leg up on the stuff I'm learning here. Good luck
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