New to Commercial Diving? Read This First Starting your diving career? Here's what you need to know. The Reality Check: Year 1 income: £30-37K gross (NOT the £50K+ schools advertise) Expect 4-8 months unemployed after qualifying You'll need savings to survive between jobs It's physically demanding and mentally challenging You'll be away from home for weeks/months at a time Still interested? Good. Here's the path: STEP 1: Prerequisites HSE medical (£160 + GP fees) Basic recreational diving qualification First aid + O2 administration Build up to 20+ dives minimum STEP 2: Training School Budget £16-20K all-in (course, accommodation, living costs) 10 weeks for HSE Air Diver Read reviews, visit schools, talk to graduates CDT and PDA are the main UK schools Use our Training Budget Calculator (Classroom tab) STEP 3: Job Hunting Start networking DURING training Join LinkedIn, update daily Contact dive companies directly Expect 50+ applications for your first job Be willing to relocate STEP 4: First Job Accept anything to get experience Your first year is about learning, not earning Keep your kit ready to deploy 24/7 Never turn down work in year 1 Common Questions - Answered: Q: Which diving school should I choose? A: Search this community + read the Training & Courses category Q: How much will I earn? A: Use the Salary Calculator (Classroom tab) - real numbers, not fantasy Q: Can I do this part-time? A: No. It's rotational (28 days on / 28 days off) but you can't choose when Q: What if I'm 30+ / have a family / have a mortgage? A: Read the honest discussions in Career Advice category first Drop your questions below and the community will help

This is your go-to place for offshore diving opportunities. What gets posted here: ✅ Commercial diving positions (air, surface supply, sat) ✅ ROV jobs relevant to divers ✅ Rope access / NDT positions ✅ Trainee diver opportunities ✅ Contract and permanent roles How it works: I post jobs I find weekly (LinkedIn, company sites, contacts) Members can share opportunities they've seen Always include: Company name, location, role type, how to apply Pro tip: Check this board daily. Offshore jobs move FAST - best positions are filled within 48 hours of posting. Want to share a job? Include: Position title Company name Location / region Key requirements Link or contact info Whether you know anyone there (insider knowledge helps) Not all jobs listed here are endorsements - do your own research on companies before applying. Good hunting 🎯

Title: 👋 Welcome to Beyond the Surface - Start Here! Welcome to the community! I'm Stu, and I've spent 20+ years working offshore across commercial diving, ROV ops, rope access, and NDT. I built this space to give aspiring divers the honest truth about the industry - no diving school marketing BS. Quick Navigation: 📊 Free Tools (Classroom tab): Salary Calculator - See what you'll ACTUALLY earn Training Budget Calculator - Real costs, not school brochures Offshore Packing Checklist - Don't forget anything Physics Calculators - Dalton's, Boyle's, Buoyancy, Gas Management 💼 Jobs Board - Active diving positions posted weekly 🎓 Training & Courses - School recommendations, what to avoid 🛠 Equipment & Gear - Kit discussions from people who actually use it 📈 Career Advice - Salary negotiations, CVs, interviews 🆕 New Divers - Start here if you're brand new to the industry Community Rules: 1. Be respectful - we're all here to help each other 2. No diving school spam or affiliate links 3. Share honest experiences - the good and the bad 4. Search before posting - someone might have already asked 5. Use the right category for your posts Drop a comment below introducing yourself: Where you're based Where you are in your diving journey What you're hoping to get from this community Welcome aboard 🌊 💼