Diver Career Description
Divers, whether in a civilian or a military capacity, are persons who work underwater in protective clothing with gas supply hose.
They are capable of accomplishing a wide range of tasks, ranging from construction, repair and maintenance of pipelines, ships, harbours, dams and other facilities, to the recovery of bodies, murder weapons or waging war underwater.
What am I going to do in this occupation?
Many people practice diving only as a
hobby/sport for the purpose of spear fishing, underwater photographing, shell collection as well as a creation of wreck surveys.
In South Africa, apart from sport diving, there are careers in commercial, military and scientific diving.
Commercial/Industrial diving
These are divers who are involved with the exploration of raw materials and food sources on the sea bottom. The population of South Mrica keeps growing and as animal, plant and mineral sources are exhausted, the natural resources of the sea have to be used in order to solve the problem. These divers also develop methods to prevent water pollution.
Commercial diving involves the construction, repair and maintenance of pipelines, ships, harbours, dams and other underwater equipment. The specialised tasks of the industrial diver under water are amongst others, welding and drilling work, surveying and working with explosives, machine monitoring and the surveying and salvaging of ships. Divers are trained in underwater mining techniques for the purpose of diamond mining as well as surveys on ship hulls, etc.
A commercial diving course can be done through any of the commercial diver training schools in the country. They offer courses for diver, diving supervisor, life support technician or emergency medical assistant. The diving courses vary e.g. Class 11l Commercial Air Diver to Class IV Scientific Diver to Aquatic Farmer Diver.
Scientific diving
Scientific diving is scientific research underwater in the fields of archeology, mineralogy and biology. Diving is only part of the scientist's work in research. This type of diving involves the examination of rock reef formations in order to determine how old they are, the removal of valuable sunken goods of historical importance and the classification of minerals on the surface of the sea. They also do research on plants, seaweed, fish and other sea-animals for biological and other purposes.
Military diving
The underwater warfare- and sabotage techniques that are used world-wide, have caused every navy to rely on highly trained divers in order to combat these activities.
Young men of the SA Navy are trained as clearance divers for the Combat Operators Branch, to locate and render safe mines, placed on ships or on the sea bottom down to depths of 54 meters.
Divers serve on mine hunting ships and diving ships along the South African coasts. Navy operational diving teams are requested, from time to time, to help other government departments with general maintenance and repairs, as well as to act as back-up crews during disaster and salvage operations on sea.
Police divers also assist with the recovery of bodies or murder weapons from dams and rivers.
Working underwater is not only difficult and strenuous, but also potentially dangerous. Natural risks, strong sea currents and breakers as well as dirty, sandy water are all dangers to which divers are exposed. Diving illnesses such as the decompression illness, carbon dioxide poisoning, air supply obstruction and oxygen poisoning must always be borne in mind.
Because of the nature of the underwater world, divers must be physically fit and mentally well adjusted. Divers have to have a special diving medical examination every year.
Requirements
What kind of personality do I need? Candidates must not suffer from any physical disorder or have any sight-, speech-, or hearing problems. Physical fitness is very important, as well as no previous heart-, lung-, ear- or brain problems. Divers also have -to be fairly good swimmers. They also may not suffer from a fear of being in closed in (claustrophobia) or a fear of heights (acrophobia) and they should be very responsible.
Where can I work?
You can work at various commercial diving companies as well as at the Navy and the Police Service.
Can I work for myself in this occupation?
You can start your own diving school and train other divers or you can start a commercial diving company. It is also possible to dive on a contract basis for companies in need of a diver's services.
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