The Dive Industry is more than you might imagine



The mental image that most people have of diving is the one portrayed in numerous television wildlife documentaries and glamorous vacation programmes... groups of recreational divers drifting effortlessly through warm, azure waters surrounded by a veritable aquarium of rainbow-coloured fish. If only all diving was like that...

Of course it would be marvelous if it were like that but as those who have been diving for any length of time will tell you, there are clear days, not so clear days and sometimes totally zero visibility (or 0 vis)days, as it is often referred to.

Believe it or not - Diving in near zero vis can be a rewarding experience and only serves to further build experience and skill.

The dive industry is not only concerned with the recreational aspects though, as it supports a wide range of career possibilities.

There are many different types of working diver, each requiring varied skills and abilities and it may surprise you as to just how many there are.

These include:
  • Offshore diving in support of the oil and gas industries.
  • Inland and inshore diving, for example, in support of civil engineering or fish farming.
  • Scientific and archaeological diving in support of research and education.
  • Media diving - working as presenters, stunt performers, photographers or sound and lighting technicians.
  • Recreational diving - involving the instruction and guiding of recreational divers.
  • Police and military diving.

  • to name but a few.


There are mainly three levels of commercial diver training:

  1. The 'entry' level certification trains a diver to use SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus), where the diver carries an air supply in cylinders.
  2. The next level of training is known as Surface Supplied Diving, where the diver receives an air supply via umbilical hose from the surface.
  3. The highest level of training is called Closed Bell Diving. These divers breathe mixed gases in order to dive deeper than 50 metres. They often live for weeks at a time in a compression chamber.
The financial rewards for divers can be significant, but so are the risks - diving is a potentially hazardous occupation - after all.

Effective training will, however, reduce risks through the application of safe working practices whilst at the same time ensuring you're diving experience is a rewarding and enjoyable one.