Hello Dennis,
On 16 Apr 97  13:50:54 Dennis Seavey wrote to Scott Owens...
 DS> I think I ran across a message that you sent someone else 
 DS> concerning the commercial diving business and the common route 
 DS> most people take while progressing up the ranks.  I think you 
 DS> also addressed the common salary amounts to expect.  I have a 
 DS> number of students who are interested in this information but I 
 DS> can't seem to find the original.  If you, are anyone else reading
 DS> this, can provide information about the real world commercial 
 DS> diving industry, ie iwthout the hype common the the schools and 
 DS> training facilities, I, and my students, would greatly appreciate
 DS> it. 
 DS> Be wet and well.
 Dennis, the person that you would want to contact that would give
 you and your students the full blown "Without Hype" details of being
 a commercial diver is Roger Thacker. He is the Commercial Diving
 instructor at:
 Louisana Technical College (Young Memorial Campase)
 the phone number is 504-380-2440.
 He will let you know right from jump street what the deal is.
 Young Memorial is a state subsidized school so there will be no
 big rush to get any one to sign up. The cost is about $280.00 for the
 whole course. Which alot better than going to Ocean Corp, or Oceaneering
 which will run about $13,000.
 As for the salarly. Well that depends on the company that you work for
 and the type of diving that you get into.
 You can either be a gulf diver (like me)
 or you can be an inland diver.
 the pay is close to the same until you get deeper than 50ft. Thats when a
 gulf diver makes his money.
 Starting pay for a Tender (apprentice diver) is about $5.00 an hour
 in the shop, and $7.00-7.25 off shore. Off shore all days are 12 hour
 days so for the first 8 hours a tender gets paid $7.00 and the last
 4 hours he makes $10.50 an hour. So a tender makes about $98.00 a day.
 Break out time for tenders to make divers are any where from 8 months
 to 2 years.
 Class III divers start out at about $11.00 an hour. But then again
 it depends on which company you are working at and how much experience
 you have. A broad range of experience means that you can pretty much
 dictate what you want your salary to be.
 Alot of companies will pay what is called equipment rental. Which is
 about $20.00 above what your day rate is. (A day rate is what a diver
 gets paid in a 12 hour period before he gets into the water)
 Plus you get paid extra for certain actions done under water.
 Example:Burning is an extra $10.00 a day.
 Depth pay is what you make for how deep you go after 50 feet.
      0-50  feet is free
     50-100 feet = $  .75  per foot     50 feet = $ 37.50
    100-150 feet = $ 1.50  per foot     50 feet = $ 75.00
    150-200 feet = $ 2.25  per foot     50 feet = $ 112.50
    200-250 feet = $ 3.00  per foot     50 feet = $ 150.00
 Penetration pay is roughly the same. (Penetration is entering a pipeline
 or some other confined space.)
 So when you start adding up what you made for the day it could
 look like this:
          Day rate:  $154.00
  Equipment rental:   $20.00
       Burning pay:   $10.00
         Depth pay:  $180.00
                    --------- 
         Per day     $364.00
 I know that it sounds like an awful lot of money, and it is in some
 instances. But you are going to have to tell your students that
 this line of work is seasonal. Meaning when it gets close to tax time
 alot of the oil companies stop diving operations to figure out their
 taxes. So If they still want to get into it tell them to sock so away
 for the occasional dry spell.
 Diving jobs can last anywhere from 3 days to 60 days.
 There are a few disreputal companies out there so warn your students
 to stay away from:
 Proffessional Divers of New Orleans, in Belle Chase
 Superior Divers also in Belle Chase
 Torch out of Houma LA.
 My recommendation is have them start out in a small company, save
 there money and buy their commcerial diving equipment while as a
 tender. Break out as a diver and work as a diver in the small company
 for a year and then freelance out to the larger companies. That way
 you will always have an option to go to work.
 I hope that this helps. But remind your students that commercial diving
 is not the big glamerous jobs that they see in the movies. It's real
 hard work. But fun work.
Regards,
-=Scott=-
... At a nude wedding, everyone can tell who the best man is!!!
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