Chris tries out an antique commerical diving suit
DIVE 2011 is coming up this month at the Birmingham NEC, so we thought we’d have a look at why many leisure divers take the step to go from sport diving to commercial. Chris Chell tells us about how he did it:
‘Before training to be a commercial diver I worked in fabrication and as a welder for a heavy engineering firm and the British armed forces. At the time I was a keen SCUBA diver and mixing my hobby with my previous employment seemed to lead to commercial diving.
‘At the Birmingham Dive Show I got the chance to speak to Ali MacLeod, Air Diving Manager at the Centre, after which I was sure that The Underwater Centre was where I wanted to complete my commercial diving training. With my background in construction I chose to do the Construction Career Package, which gave additional training on welding and burning in a subsea environment. I found the instructors to be very professional and all very helpful. No questions were left unanswered.
Blanking the bow thruster on a Royal Navy minesweeper
‘I’m currently working as an inshore supervisor and diver for the shipping industry. The equipment used by commercial divers in shipping is very specialised so when you first start there is still an element of on the job training; however the Construction Career Package gives you the tools knowledge and experience needed to get the job in the first place. My first job was blanking the bow thruster on a Royal Navy minesweeper at night – nobody said it was going to be easy!
‘For me, the best aspect of being a commercial diver is the travel. I’ve replaced stern seals in the Bahamas and removed cofferdams in Doha, to name just a couple of the places I’ve working in. The hours can be hard, but there’s nothing better than the feeling you get after a hard job done well.’
What you need to get started
Commercial diver emerging from the Centre's wet bell
To work as a commercial diver you have to have the HSE diving certifications. HSE SCUBA and Surface Supplied allow you to work inshore (also known as civils diving) and HSE Surface Supplied Top Up (diving using a wet bell) allows you to work offshore, where there is a considerable increase in pay. This is the certification and experience that will also allow you to take your career further with the HSE Closed Bell certification, allowing you to work as a saturation diver anywhere in the world.
Sport diving qualifications generally don’t allow you to take any shortcuts with the HSE training, however any experience you have under the water will help you to get ahead, as being comfortable under the water is half the experience for anyone working subsea. After a while you will eventually forget that you’re under the water, breathing through a helmet from the surface, and just focus on the environment around you and the job in hand.
If you’re thinking of taking the step of going from leisure diving to commercial, Chris has this to say, ‘ There’s definitely a niche for most people, if you’re willing to put in the hours, both to find the job and see it through. You have to be willing to call round dive companies and badger their desk staff; once your foot is in the door don’t get complacent, there are other companies out there and you don’t get any points for tying yourself to one company. Just keep at it.’
We’ll be at stand 854 at DIVE 2011, 22nd – 23rd October, Birmingham NEC, so come and talk to us about your career.
Are you thinking of taking the step from sport diving to commercial? Do you have any questions for Chris? Leave us a comment and let us know.