Following a Chemical Engineering degree at Newcastle University, I qualified as an HSE Commercial Diver. In the past year, I have been involved with a few large projects based in Aberdeen, working on the construction of a breakwater off Aberdeen Harbour as well as removal of large boulders and repairs to the harbour wall integrity. I have also worked in Rochester but have spent the majority of my time up in Shetland, working between the Aquaculture Industry and Inshore Marine Construction. The Aquaculture Industry involves the construction and maintenance of salmon farm cages, conduction inspections and repairs as well as the removal of dead salmon.

To qualify as a commercial diver, I needed to complete a 9-week Commercial Diver Training Course, which qualified me to dive inshore in many countries around the world. After a year or two of diving (over 200 dives) I will be qualified to dive offshore, having completed a helicopter emergency procedure course. Diving is a highly competitive profession and so any additional courses, or experience will stand you in good stead.

Commercial diving is an unorthodox career, and the route from leaving Tonbridge to going to university and diving may not be obvious, but it all started through joining the SCUBA club on Friday nights at Tonbridge, ran by Dr Steve Chalk. At first it was all recreational and I went on the dive trips every year with the School, going to Egypt twice, Malta and Indonesia. Through Tonbridge I achieved my Master Scuba Diver with PADI and became an assistant instructor with BSAC. I also completed an extended essay on the physics of Saturation Diving, which opened my eyes to the professional world. Saturation Diving is my absolute goal. It is a very lucrative career with the added bonus of only working for 4 to 6 months of the year. Without these extracurricular opportunities I would probably never have heard about commercial diving, let alone considered it as a career.

Whilst diving is a tough profession to break into due to the competitiveness of the industry and the fact that jobs aren’t advertised, I would highly recommend it to someone who is interested in an alternative career. It can be a tough industry to work in, needs a lot of commitment, and requires being proactive with networking. The opportunity for world travel is great, and every job is different. I will be in shallow clear water with great visibility one day and then have zero visibility at great depths the next. I have enjoyed meeting and working with many people from all different backgrounds. The majority of divers are self-employed, and we work on a range of projects through multiple companies.

The job can be quite dangerous and there is a large grey area as to what is acceptable practice and what isn’t. The best divers I have come across are vocal when there is something wrong and are constantly on the ball with checking and servicing the gear they use. A career in diving can be tough. It takes time, hard work and perseverance and you will get cold and wet now and again! Having said that, it can be a lot of fun, lucrative and I really enjoy being under the water.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my first year in the industry and it has allowed me to develop various skillsets that are necessary to progress my diving career. The next steps will be moving into the offshore world, working on oil rigs, most likely off Africa or Asia.

Andrew Morgan
(WW 12-17)