Diver - specialist
Work underwater in the sea, rivers and lakes – you'll fix oil rigs, contribute to civil engineering projects or do scientific research.
About the job
What it's like
Diver specialists are trained to work underwater in the sea, rivers and lakes. You'll do all sorts of jobs from checking and fixing things such as pipelines and bridges, to helping with scientific research or even searching for lost objects!
It's an exciting job but it's a physically demanding activity. At times, it'll be challenging. You'll follow strict health and safety procedures and respond calmly if things go wrong.
Many underwater tasks can now be carried out by remote-operated vehicles (ROVs) but ROVs have not replaced the need for skilled divers.
Your tasks might include:
inspecting and fixing underwater structures such as docks, bridges and pipes
building things underwater, such as parts of bridges or pipelines
supporting work on offshore oil rigs or wind farms
collecting samples of marine life or study underwater environments in a scientific industry
looking for lost items or helping rescue operations
operating diving gear and sometimes even small underwater robots
You'll specialise in one of four types of diving:
SCUBA (Self-contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) where you’ll use an air tank and flippers, usually a form of recreational, media or police diving
Restricted Surface Supplied, using an air line to the surface, usually a form of inshore/inland diving
Surface Supplied where you’ll use a hot water suit, air line and open diving bells – offshore diving
Closed Bell or Saturation Diving using a diving bell and mixed gas for deep sea diving, often a form of surveying, marine archaeology or scientific diving
Hours
The amount of time divers are allowed to spend underwater is strictly controlled, but hours can still be long and intense.
As an inshore diver, you'll work around 10 to 12 hours a day.
In some offshore jobs, you may live for up to 28 days in an undersea pressure chamber.
Environment
Not all your time is spent underwater, as you'll also plan the dive and prepare equipment.
Diving can be both physically and mentally challenging.
Underwater conditions, especially at inland sites, can vary – offering unique experiences such as cooler temperatures, limited visability and diverse environments
You'll wear protective clothing and use a breathing apparatus appropriate to the water depth and type of dive.
Travel
Travel can vary in this role depending on the job and who you're working for. An exciting aspect of this role is being able to explore a wide range of places:
local and regional travel: to inland dive sites, local dive centers or coastal areas for dive operations or training
international travel: to exotic or remote dive destinations, research projects or underwater filming locations around the world
work-related travel: travel for dive training, commerical diving projects, expeditions or support roles at various dive sites or industrial locations
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- taking responsibility
- self esteem
- risk taking
- developing a plan
- attention to detail
- observation
- problem solving
- cooperating
- resilience
- adaptability
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Human Biology
PE (Physical education)
To become a diver specialist, you'll need to identify your area of interest: recreational or commercial diving.
Recreational diving
You'll need an entry-level certification (PADI Open Water Diver or BSAC equivalent). After you get your Open Water certification, you can progress through advanced study and speciality courses. Look for PADI or BSAC dive centers in Scotland for training.
Commercial diving
Though there are no set qualifications for entry to this career, you must gain a qualification recognised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
To work as a commercial diver, you'll need the right skills and qualifications for your industry. You'll also have to learn how to dive.
Many commercial divers gain academic or technical qualifications relevant to their chosen industry first:
some offshore divers might need a degree in surveying or engineering
construction divers might need qualifications in welding or non-destructive testing
most scientific divers have a degree in oceanography or marine biology
Emergency services or armed forces divers must already be serving in the force.
You might find it useful to have experience of recreational SCUBA diving before training as a commercial diver, but this isn't essential.
You'll need to be physically fit and able to swim
You'll need to pass a thorough medical examination by an Approved Medical Examiner of Divers (AMED) – this certificate needs to be renewed annually and includes a fitness test
There's an upper age limit of 32 years old if you want to dive in the Royal Navy.
To work offshore, you'll need to pass an offshore survival course such as the Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training Certificate (BOSIET).
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