If you are a recreational diver, and that you’ve fallen in love with the sport, then you might be thinking of becoming a professional diver. Sure you can become an instructor and teach scuba diving to other people, but it would be a lot more fulfilling if you try professional deep sea diving or what is commonly referred to as commercial diving. Commercial diving is not just about knowing how to dive in very deep waters, but it will also require you to become familiar with special tools that are used in commercial diving. Also, there are a lot of specialty courses in deep sea diving which means that there will be a lot of career opportunities in this field. Commercial diving is very different from recreational diving. Here, you will be able to use your skills on diving to do all sorts of things underwater. For example, if the hull of a boat needs to be cleaned, commercial divers are usually hired. They are cheaper than dry docking a ship and they also tend to get the job done. Another great career in commercial diving is by becoming an underwater welder specialist. Commercial divers with this kind of specialization are very much in demand, especially companies that requires underwater construction, such as offshore oil rig platforms. Also, salvaging operation projects need welders to cut through metal. Shipping companies are also in need of such commercial divers with welding specialization. They will need them to make repairs on the ship, such as the propeller and the hull. Another specialty that is highly in demand is the rigging specialist. You have to remember that commercial diving is not just about diving but it’s also about knowing how to work the key components in the industry. A rigging specialist is responsible for crane operations and also for advanced rigging procedures. Although most people see rigging on topside, you have to remember that there are also riggings underwater that needs to be done by commercial divers. By taking the rigging specialty course, you will be able to learn about the techniques on rigging topside as well as underwater. Also, underwater burning specialists are very much in demand in the world of commercial diving. Here, you will be required for underwater burning and cutting. Commercial diving schools offer this kind of specialty course to their students and they will teach you all about equipment setup and repair, the techniques for cutting and burning underwater, as well as the use of exothermic and tubular rods. Of course, anywhere where commercial diving exists, accidents are very much possible. Although diving accidents are rare, it is still important to have dive medical technicians as part of the crew. Dive medical technicians are knowledgeable about the effects of prolonged deep dives, such as decompression sickness, extreme fatigue, and also nitrogen narcosis. Dive medical technicians specialize in diving related incidents and ailments. They will know what to do in case you experience decompression sickness and they have the skills to operate hyperbaric chambers. You also need to consider that commercial divers are required to work underwater everyday. In fact, they often stay under water for up to 30 days and can even dive up to 1,200 feet. Also, they are called upon on emergencies, such as broken underwater pipelines and will be required to work under extreme weather conditions. And, because they often work with heavy equipments, it is inevitable that injuries may occur. With dive medical technicians, you can be sure that dives will be a lot safer and more prepared. As you can see, there are so many careers in the world of deep sea diving or commercial diving. By choosing the field that appeals to you most, you can be sure that you will have a fulfilling career in the world of commercial diving.

So you’ve been thinking about going scuba diving, but you don’t know anything about scuba diving. Fear not because I’ll help you out with some great basic information on scuba diving. The first question we have to ask ourselves is; what is scuba diving. According to Websters Dictionary scuba diving is defined as one who swims underwater with the aid of scuba gear. The word scuba is actually an acronym for Self Contained underwater Breathing Apparatus. So basically if you don’t have an alien device giving you air you aren’t scuba diving.  Now that you have a vague idea of what scuba diving is and your ready to take your first plunge, maybe we should discuss the different types of dives there are. There is snorkeling, free-dives and deep dives. Free-dives technically isn’t a form of scuba diving it is recommended to do before actually scuba diving. A free dive is any of various aquatic activities that share the practice of breath-hold under water. Free diving is great practice for breathing exercises and fin practice. Snorkeling is the practice of swimming through a body of water with the use of a snorkel. A snorkel is basically a breathing tube that goes from your mouth and sticks out of the water so you can intake air. Snorkeling is the best practice for scuba diving. You get to observe underwater life in a natural setting but because of the restrictions with the length of the tube your not going to get very deep. That brings us to deep dives or basically scuba diving. Scuba diving itself is composed of six types of dives. Those are: open water diving, night diving, rescue diving, cave diving, wreck and finally drift diving. Open water diving being the most basic and most common of dives types. Its called open water diving because if a problem were to arise one could reach the atmosphere with obstacle to breathe air. Unlike cave and wreck diving. Your not a scuba diver until you get your first level of certification which states that that you are certified to dive in open water (in contrast to the controlled environment of a swimming pool).  Rescue diving is exactly what it is, rescue diving. Not anyone can just be a rescue diver, rescue diving qualifications are extremely hard to get. as a rescue diver you must learn :Transports – including “piggyback swimming” and surface transport Surface Rescues – including first aid while floating in open water Depth rescues – helping and retrieving a victim from depth Strategies for boat and shore diving emergency situations Standard First Aid – like CPR, wound dressing, immobility techniques Aquatic First Aid – similar to lifeguard skills For those who want to take their diving skills to higher levels and work as a scuba instructor, dive master or guide, the rescue diving certification is recommended. Night dives are for those who want to see an even more variety of sea creatures. As with any habitat above or under the sea not all animals are awake during the day. some fish like to roam at night. You should definitely take a course before attempting a night dive. You should also dive during the day where you will be diving at night to get a familiarity with that area and terrain. During a night dive you should always have an light torch or flashlight. (plus a back up) Cave diving is nothing like open water diving. albeit the simple fact that your not in the open. Open water scuba divers are accustomed to not being completely surrounded and with the freedom to move and swim wherever they choose. Cave diving is different; you will often be following a predefined course through narrow crevasses into great “rooms”.  Due to the being in a cave there is no natural light source so while cave diving you would extra scuba diving equipment. You will need an underwater torch or underwater light. Once you are past the entrance you will not be able to see without it. The darkness is absolute. The only light you will get is the light you bring with you. As part of your training, you should know how to secure the strap to your wrist or Buoyancy compensating device (BCD) to ensure that it will not be lost if it is dropped. As exhilarating as it is to be diving in a cave there are few things more frightening than being disoriented deep within a cave, with no light. Scuba divers always dive with a buddy, but in cave diving a buddy with a light can save your life if your light burns out, gets broken or is inadvertently dropped and lost. Wreck diving has the same concept as in cave diving with its penetrative movements, however cave diving is something totally different upon itself. Special training is needed to be a wreck diver. All enclosed underwater spaces have potential danger, but wrecks especially so, since the structures can often be brittle, imbalanced or unstable, with poor visibility.  This brings us to drift diving. Drift diving is a great way to relax, it is also an great way to preserve your tank and stay submerged for longer periods of time. In drift diving the diver descends into water with a known current and after obtaining neutral buoyancy lets the current carry him along. When drift diving it is required that you have a boat to drop you off, but to also follow you because once you begin drifting you will be carried quickly away from your drop-off point – often much more quickly than you realize or expect. It is important to consider the direction of tidal streams as well as their strength to avoid divers being swept into dangerous areas such as shipping lanes. It is also important to plan for the danger of separation, either underwater or at the surface. Each diver should carry an appropriate signaling device and compass. Now that you know the basics on the types of dives and scuba dives you can get ready to strap on your scuba diving gear and scuba diving equipment. Remember scuba diving can be fun and exhilarating however it is also dangerous. When diving you should always have a buddy. Also you should check your scuba diving gear and scuba diving equipment before jumping in. Have fun.

A scuba diving computer can be a divers best friend. It will allow you to stay down longer than if you were diving off of tables. There are many types and/or styles of dive computers you can choose from. Which one is best is really personal preference and is suited to the way you dive. The following are some of the choices you will have when purchasing your dive computer.Console Dive ComputerA console dive computer is attached to the rest of the equipment via a hose. The console dive computers typically come with a pressure gauge. The readouts are typically larger than on a wrist dive computer so they can also be easier on the eyes. There are also options for a scuba dive computer to be mounted on your hose (this is the type we currently use) or clip onto your BC. Choose whichever is more comfortable for you and fits into your price range. Wrist Dive ComputerThe wrist dive computer is very popular. These types of computers look like large watches and are worn on the wrist. They will tell you all you need to know at a glance. Some wrist dive computers are also able to be mounted in a console. Sometimes the faces may be a bit small for all the information the computer can display, so make sure you will be able to read it underwater. Unless they are air integrated and wireless (see below) wrist dive computers usually do not come with a pressure gauge. One small disadvantage here is that these can be pretty easy to misplace/lose. Air Integrated Dive ComputerAir integrated dive computers are becoming more commonplace. An air integrated computer measures the tank pressure and then calculates how much more time you have left at the current rate of air consumpetion. The air integrated dive computer will tell you how much time you can spend at any exertion level. An air integrated computer replaces the need for a submersible pressure gauge (SPG). One downside of an air integrated computer is that if it fails, you lose information on how much air you have left in your tank. Dive over.Nitrox Dive ComputerWith nitrox diving becoming more and more common, so are computers that are nitrox compatible. Even if you aren’t diving with nitrox now, if you are even thinking of diving with nitrox in the future, it is probably worth it to purchase a nitrox dive computer. This will save you the expense of buying a whole new computer in the future. However, if don’t think you will ever dive with nitrox, then there is no reason to pay for this feature. A standard air computer is probably $100+ less than its nitrox counterpart.Hoseless Dive ComputerThe hoseless dive computer consists of the receiver (typically worn on the wrist or mounted on the BC) and a transmitor. The transmitor attaches to the high pressure port of the regulator first stage and then sends your air information, wirelessly, to the receiver. The receiver looks the same as normal dive computers. This setup cuts down on the number of hoses you need. There are now even hoseless dive computers that can accept signal from multiple transmitors – so you can even keep an eye on your buddies air consumption. Of course, this capability is really for the more advanced technical divers who may use different tanks on one dive. And, of course, we are talking some pretty high price tags here.So just think about how you dive and what capabilities you need. The right dive computer for one person can be completely wrong for another person. Choose one that you are comfortable with and one that is right for you wallet.