Colorado Technical University

Any commercial Divers here??? I need your input.?

Hey, whats up everyone? Am thinking about going to the Divers Academy International (DAI) in New Jersey (u.s.a). This career path has been of interest to me for a while now. I need some things answered before I can make a decision, and asking the (DAI) is not going to give me accurate info, because it's biased, of course they will tell me good things, because if I attend, they make 20k of my a$$. 1.) Has anyone on this site attended the (DAI)? If so, do they provide a quality, recognized education that prospective employers will trust? And also, they claim that they have a 95% placement rate for getting new graduates a job (although not guaranteed which is what worries me) does anyone know if this is accurate? This is one of my main concerns. I went to a month long training program for working on an oil rig (sept.-oct. '08) that also claimed a 90-95% placement rate, and I'm still not working. So I don't want to spend 25k on an education that gets me nothing but more debt. And as this website points out, a majority of jobs available are involved in oil production which is low right now....which leads me to my next question. 2.) Are there jobs available? Specifically for someone that would have no working experience, just the education? 3.) I have been on about 5 job board websites browsing through jobs trying to get an idea of how much $$$ I can make, and so far, only about 5% of the listed jobs tell how much they pay. most of that 5% are the really high paying jobs requiring 5-10 years of experience, so what about someone fresh outta school? What about someone with 1-3 years experience? 4.) Besides the actual type of work this job requires, one the most appealing things to me, is the jobs located throughout the world. I love to travel, and would like to work outside the U.S. as much as here, if not more. (DAI) claims most if not all the certs. You receive upon graduating are internationally recognized, is this accurate? Do any/all US certs. crossover to international employment? And is getting work outside of the US for an American easy? hard? possible? 5.) I smoke cigs, and don't plan on stopping. Will this cause any problems with the pressures associated with diving and going into hyperbaric chambers? Any currently working people that smoke, have problems? I am still really interested in becoming a commercial diver, but I'm not going to spend 25k on an education if there is no work available. I am down to the wire, and need to make a decision soon. If anyone can give me there input on these questions I have, especially on the reputation and validity of the Divers Academy International I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks in advanced.

Public Comments

1. I can't answer #1 as I have no pals that attended that school. #2: Yes, there are jobs. You won't be working as a diver that first year though. You'll be a tender. That's pretty well industry norm. Your schooling just gave you the basics. You'd kill yourself if let loose in a real world environment. #3: See my answer in #2. Tenders make between 15 bucks an hour to 25 max. It all depends on where you are and what you're doing. #4: The ANSI will open a lot of doors but isn't the only card you'll want. It's all geographically dependent. The ANSI cert you'll earn on that course is good for the USA, sure. It'll mean squat to a Dutch company working the North Sea though. An IMCA though will mean something. The good news is that if you require say DBCB or HSE for a job you can use your existing training and simply add some to acquire it. If you think you've stopped learning and spending money on courses the second you graduate...you need to rethink this. If you want to remain marketable you need to be near the top of the profession in the geographic and technical area you wish to work. The standards for any given geographic area are almost always in flux. It's not any dive agency or individual company that comes up with them rather it's a consensus amongst them in a country. The actual overseer is almost always a sovereign government body such as whatever department in a country's government that takes care of workplace legislation and safety. All governments differ in different nations. #5: I smoke, have since I was 15. I'm 45 now and just about to retire from active diving. Deep working dives are pretty well history but it's not the smoking, it just age. There aren't many working divers past 45-48 and most certainly no one will hire a newbie at that age. Even 40 is pushing it. As for smoking and actually working as a diver, it's not a deal breaker as long as you maintain an active lifestyle and are otherwise healthy. You may find yourself giving it up. There's not much of an opportunity usually,to spark one up as a rule.
2. There is a new website that has been started that will answer some of your questions. www.industrialdiver.com