Imagine scouring the ocean floor, searching for buried treasure from centuries long past. Or swimming amongst the creatures of the sea, blending in as if you were one of their own. Or would you prefer examining a watery crime scene, looking for clues underwater? These are just some of the exciting activities you can perform with a career in scuba diving.
Scuba diving as a career involves a great deal of skill, however it can produce great rewards. Jobs can be fun and lucrative and can take you all over the globe. The following is a detailed list of some of the careers that can involve scuba diving.
Commercial Diver
Far out in the ocean, great oil rigs and other sea bound equipment require divers to build and maintain massive structures. To become a commercial diver, you must complete a program at a school such as Ocean Corporation, Commercial Diving Academy or Divers Academy International. It can cost approximately $20,000 to get your certification, however it is quickly earned back. A commercial diver can make a great deal of money, starting at $40,000 to $60,000 a year and rising to six figures. With over 4000 oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico alone, there is plenty of work available.
An oil rig is not the only location for a commercial diver. They can possess a wide variety of duties, including performing underwater duties such as painting, welding, surveying and cutting, drilling and blasting through rock, installing, inspecting, repairing and removing platform construction, installing and maintaining sewage and water lines, giving care when there is an illness or accident among divers and construction, repair, operation and maintenance of life-support systems.
Other duties of a commercial diver includes seismic surveying, surface geological appraisal, site surveys, diving bells operation, grouting, repairing and maintaining wellheads, maintaining flotation devices, remotely operating vehicles operation, trenching and more.
The work of a commercial diver can be intensive, involving heavy labor and long hours. There are two general categories of such divers: offshore divers and inland/coastal divers. Offshore divers have more international positions as well as longer stretches of work. They may be away for up to six weeks. Inland or coastal divers work in a more local setting.
Underwater Photographer/Videographer
Who hasn’t gazed at the beautiful images from under the sea, looking in awe at the luminous and vibrant creatures who call the
underwater paradise their home. These images are taken by underwater photographers, who then sell their pictures to be utilized in nature magazines, textbooks, commercial art and other outlets. It all began in 1856, when William Thompson attached a camera to a pole to take underwater pictures. Obviously, things have evolved quite a bit since then, and scuba diving is an integral part of underwater photography.
There are several reasons why an underwater photographer must be a skilled scuba diver. Because color is duller under the water, an underwater diver must get very close to his or her subjects. If a scuba diver is not calm, the fish are much more likely to be startled and scatter before the pictures can be taken. Also, it is important for the diver to know what they are doing to avoid possible dangers. An underwater photographer must be skilled in the special techniques for taking underwater pictures such as using special housings and dealing with the difficultly of flash under water. It is a difficult job, but the results can be both beautiful and lucrative.
An underwater videographer is another career, which requires scuba diving. From low-budget educational films to major motion pictures, many films utilize video taken under the sea. A videographer takes video while freelancing or working directly for a television or motion picture film.
Military
One of the oldest scuba diving professions is a diver for the military. Multiple branches of the military offer such a position. As an army diver, you can perform important duties such as searching for underwater obstacles in rivers, beaches and harbors, patrolling underwater at the anchor below a craft, salvaging equipment that has sunk, repairing damaged watercraft hulls, cleaning and examining propellers and hulls, working in underwater construction and more.
“We Dive the World Over” is the motto of navy divers. Special bonuses are available to these elite divers, who perform a variety of functions such as salvage, construction, search and rescue, demolition and reconnaissance.
Scuba Diving Instructor
An obvious scuba diving profession is one who teaches others to scuba dive. Scuba diving is a fun activity enjoyed by tourists all over the world. You could work for a cruise line, taking diving novices on simple underwater tours or work for a resort or for yourself. You could teach full diving courses by working at a diving school such as Divers Academy International. You can do whatyou enjoy and earn a living. Obviously, in order to teach others you will need to be a skilled and experienced diver yourself.
Marine Biologist
The best way to learn about something is to get up close and personal. That’s why marine biologists, geologists and other scientists who have an interest in the world’s oceans will often take to the waters themselves. There is no substitute for observing these creatures in their natural environments, and many marine biologists do so through scuba diving. As a marine biologist, you may work for an organization, a university or other such research facility. Many marine biologists makes close to the $60,000 range, and some can even top $100,000.
Searching for treasure is not just in the storybooks. Throughout history many ships have sunk, and treasure with it. Treasure hunters scour the world’s oceans and waterways, searching for whatever they can salvage.
Rescue/Recovery/Police Diver
A scuba diver can be a true hero and save someone’s life. Diving emergencies can and do happen. When there is a medical emergency under the surface, a rescue diver might search for the diver, provide him or her with oxygen if necessary and transport him or her to a safe location.
A diver might also recover items under the water. If a car becomes submersed or a watercraft sinks, divers will go under to help bring the items out of the ocean. Additionally, they might search to recover other items lost at sea.
Crime scenes are not reserved for land, and waterways are a convenient location to hide evidence of a crime. Police divers search for evidence and other items related to a crime.
Scuba diving is not merely a recreational activity. With proper training and experience, you can turn your journeys into the sea into an exciting and lucrative position.
