Scuba Diving as a Career Choice

It's your dream job, spending your days diving the warm waters of the Caribbean, surrounded by schools of exotic marine life and with vibrant shades of coral clambering over the seabed. Which one of us wouldn’t want a job where you get paid for doing something you both love? (And something which all tourists have to pay for?) But what career options are there for a diver that would like to make his passion his career?

One of the first options you may think of is as a recreational diving instructor. With this kind of position you spend your time teaching others the basics of safe diving. You may find a job at a resort or you may become certified as an instructor to teach the disabled and work at dive shop that provides this opportunity. But the chances are that with this kind of position, you are going to need something else to supplement your income as there are not too may full time openings for this work. As the interest in the sport grows however it is likely that more opportunities will arise. It is also the kind of position that can be found worldwide and so lends itself to travel and the exploring of new destinations!

Another option would be to become a professional diver. Professional Divers work in the open ocean on pipelines or oil rigs, diving for a salvage company to salvage wrecks from the ocean floor, or could work inland on bridge construction or ship maintenance. Other diving opportunities to consider can be found in the Armed Forces and with the local police force, both of which entail you to enrol with them and later choose diving as your specialty. Either way, you will have a solid career that pays well.

Becoming a marine biologist or an underwater photographer also require that you are a certified scuba diver. But to utilize your diving skills as a marine biologist you also have to obtain a degree in that subject. Just imagine the excitement and satisfaction of discovering some new kind of marine life. Or capturing a shot of a sea creature or flora that has never been seen before. Either of these two careers will be very rewarding.

Of course you can always become a treasure hunter and scour the waters of the world for sunken artefacts from bygone times. But unless you are wealthy this is an option that you would need to supplement with a well paying business on the side. (Unless you are funded by another company.) Marine archaeology is a growing area, as more and more countries come to the realization that much of our history is buried under the ocean. Something to consider: In the last few hundred years, how many shipwrecks have there been and how many invaluable cargoes lost?

Whichever route you decide to take, scuba diving for a living is an exciting career path. If you can bring additional skills to the table, such as a second language, management skills, mechanical skills with boats etc; then your employability increases tenfold. To further you chances even more, get as much diving experience as possible - is always a good thing to have (and an excellent excuse to go diving!)

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