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#175
 Volunteer Diving?
Easytoremember - 9/02/2011 2:15 PM
Category: General
Replies: 8
Not quite sure where to put this, so general it is. Alright! So I love everything about scuba, who doesn’t? But, I want to do everything in my power to find a way to work in it. I really don’t care what I have to do to get to that point, but that’s my goal.

Alright, so I have my Openwater Certificate. Good first step I think, but now how to go further on a very modest budget? I obviously want to accrue experience in every possible way, conservation projects, helping teach diving, anything.

I was hoping you wonderful folks here might be able to help me find my way to a career in scuba. Any and all ideas are appreciated and I hope some day I can help all of you with as much or even more helpful information.

Thanks!
#3936
seawolfdiving - 9/02/2011 6:14 PM
What area of diving are you interested in working in...? Recreational, Research, Commercial, Public Safety...?
#175
Subscribed
Easytoremember - 9/02/2011 6:17 PM
anything =)
#3936
seawolfdiving - 9/02/2011 10:35 PM
You might start by hooking up and helping out at your Local Dive Shop (LDS). 
#338
divemedic035 - 9/04/2011 7:07 AM
depending on the type of "work" you want to do there are many ways to enter into the industry, there are PADI schools where you can go to become a Instructor and they will help you with placement on cruise ships or resorts and in some cases landbased diveshops.

The same holds true for the commercial dive industry, currently there are many job openings most require that you start as a tender and work your way up. The offshore oil and gas industries are booming right now.

 Public Safety diving is a little more difficult to get into you typically need to be associated with a PD or FD as a full time diver, some vouleenteer depts accept divers for local search and rescue teams, however they are becoming less and less as the years go by.

First suggestion I would offer would be to take as many certification specialties as you can get

Second would be log at least 250 dives in various environments all while your trying to figure out just what type of dive profession you really want to enter into.

Good Luck to you
#14730
tardmaster - 9/04/2011 8:10 PM


Hey there,


there are plenty of paying gigs out there. The pay isnt much though. If you truely want to dive for the experience, then I’m assuming that you are really not expecting to make much money anyway. you might want to look into your local aquarium. I’m on staff , as a volunteer diver at the Georgia Aquarium. I dont get paid at all, b ut the experice is priceless. I get to dive with 4 whale sharks, 4 mantas one day and then beluga whales the next.


 


Good luck to ya.
#20460
LatitudeAdjustment - 9/05/2011 11:47 AM
 If you have a job with lots of vacation time you might want to consider a working vacation crewing on a liveaboard.
#175
Subscribed
Easytoremember - 9/05/2011 4:50 PM
I’d love to do a live abroad, trouble is I don’t have much income. I’m just trying to find some way to get more experience and dives without spending too much money. Since most of my income is devoured by student loans and the simple costs of living.

I think there was some confusion about that in earlier posts. =) Thanks so far everyone.
#20460
LatitudeAdjustment - 9/05/2011 7:15 PM


From Easytoremember: I’d love to do a live abroad, trouble is I don’t have much income. I’m just trying to find some way to get more experience and dives without spending too much money. Since most of my income is devoured by student loans and the simple costs of living.

I think there was some confusion about that in earlier posts. =) Thanks so far everyone.



It doesn’t cost anything to crew on a liveaboard but you don’t get paid much either, just a % of the tips. I knew some who just did it for the free dives.