4 Surprising Job Opportunities for Professional Divers

If you love diving and would love to earn a living underwater, you may have more opportunities for a career than you realize. Most people assume that divers only work to salvage shipwrecks or other such exotic work, but there are actually opportunities for divers even in a big city. Before you give up on your career idea, note a few surprising job opportunities that are open for professional divers.

1. Search and rescue

In an area where there are any types of large lakes or bodies of water, there are usually search and rescue teams that require professional divers. When someone has gone missing or there has been an accident on the water, divers are needed to explore the depths of the water, looking for survivors and assisting any who are stranded.

2. Survey, repair, welding

Bridges, dams, oil rigs, and any structure that is partially submerged will need eventual surveying, to check for damage or for additional construction. These may also need repair, and underwater welders also need to be certified divers. If you have a love of construction or engineering, you might consider studying this along with diving so that you can work as an underwater surveyor or welder.

This can also extend to boat and large vessel repairs. Cruise ships and other such large vessels often cannot be raised out of the water in order to have their hulls cleaned and repaired, so specialized divers may be hired to perform inspections and then any work that needs to be done. Large portable water tanks may also require divers to clean the inside of the tanks, if they cannot be emptied completely before work begins.

3. Criminal investigation

When police agencies need to examine a crime scene that may extend to any type of lake, canal, or body of water, they call on specialized divers who are trained in criminal investigation and evidence recovery. These ones may go through the same police training as their peers, but then receive specialized training in how to photograph and then recover evidence that has been submerged for any length of time. 

4. Geology inspection

Divers may receive training to assist with research on coral reefs, marine life, and anything else under the water. They may need to take samples of underwater vegetation or even get in a shark cage to take pictures.

No matter your reasons for being underwater, you have many opportunities when you're a professional diver and work with a diving services company. Get more ideas from resources like Southern Commercial Divers.