Scuba Jobs

Question
Hi my name is Rebekah and I am 20 years old. I have a hard time with school but love the sea. What kind of jobs are available for master divers with out having to go get a degree. I don't mean to sound lazy I've always wanted to become a Marine Biologist but it just not within my grasp. I do always take advantage of any oceanography courses though :) But back to my original question: What kind of jobs are available to master divers?

Answer
Hi Rebekah,

I'm sorry for the delay in getting back to you but I didn't check my email over the weekend.  You've posed an interesting question and it seems like you've already given it a lot of thought.

As you probably already know, being a marine biologist requires a college degree.  There are lots of other careers available to you that don't require a college degree and that's what you'd like me to discuss.

The degree opens many career doors much quicker than without the degree but that doesn't mean that you can't do it.  Perseverance, ability and a good attitude will also get the job done.  The rest of my discussion concerns careers that DO NOT require a college degree but will require the attributes I just mentioned.

Diver training is a possibility.  As a divemaster, you will be a trained assistant and can help in many areas of diver training, generally under the supervision of a licensed Scuba Instructor.  So why not pursue a career as a Scuba Instructor?  Once you've achieved your Divemaster rating, you can then move up to Scuba Instructor.  These ratings require lots of courses both in the classroom and in the water.  It takes time but you can do it if you persevere.


Working in Marine Biology doesn't always require a degree.  There are lots of technical jobs available and you will probably be supervised by a Marine Biologist.  There are animal trainers and technicians in all of the major marine centers like SeaWorld and the Miami Seaquarium.  Being able to dive would certainly be an advantage in this field.

People are always needed in the various marine mammal rescue operations which exist along all of our seacoasts.  These are the people who attend to injured dolphins, whales, sea turtles, seals and otters.  That career can be very exciting and rewarding.  Once again, being able to dive would enable you to perform some rescue operations that non-divers could not do.

I read yesterday that even the National Guard has positions for divers to work on their various underwater projects.  I don't know anything about it but it might be worth exploring.

Divers also perform many underwater salvage operations like looking for things that have been lost at sea or in rivers and lakes.  Most salvage operations are not on old shipwrecks!!

Most police departments have a dive team that is responsible for solving crimes that involve objects (or people) who may have been lost underwater.  Many fire departments, especially in coastal cities, also have dive teams for the same reason.

Another possibility is in diving equipment sales.  All of the equipment that I sell in my dive shop is purchased from companies with sales representatives that come to my shop.  In order to successfully sell dive equipment, most of these reps are all experienced divers.

All of the diving resorts around the world have divemasters and instructors to assist their diving guests both in training and in leading dives.  Just imagine where this career path can take you!!  You have to be a very good diver and that takes lots of practice but, with ability, perseverance and a good attitude, I'm sure you could do it!!

Rebecah, this should give you some ideas about a diving career that does not involve a college degree.  As you can see, lots of these careers can be very exciting and rewarding.

Best wishes for a successful career!!

Sincerely,
Mike Giles
Mike's Dive Center
mikescuba.com