Episode 3 of Beyond the Surface 🎙️ "The Truth About Money: What Commercial Divers ACTUALLY Earn" Tired of seeing inflated salary claims and vague day rates online? I break down the REAL numbers: ✅ Actual day rates (Inshore divers to sat divers offshore) ✅ What rotations mean for annual income ✅ Tax reality (HMRC loves divers, no seamans tax here) ✅ Hidden costs nobody warns you about ✅ Why high day rates ≠ wealth After 20+ years in the industry - from air diver to client rep - I'm sharing the financial reality of commercial diving in the UK and North Sea. If you're considering this career or advising someone who is, this episode will save them years of unrealistic expectations.

What happens when a "posh twat" rocks up on a dive support vessel full of Geordies? This week I'm talking about accents, nicknames, and what it actually takes to earn your place on an offshore crew. Spoiler: it's not about how you talk, it's about whether you'll pull your weight when it's cold, wet, and miserable. If you're worried about fitting in offshore, listen to this first. https://open.spotify.com/episode/0EBtci2LqhQAkgyzjjRK9l?si=xrukOSt9TtGruGN49IIa_w

After 28 days isolated offshore, divers hit port with money in their pockets and weeks of pent-up energy. Dive schools teach you decompression tables - they don't teach you how to handle THAT. This episode, I'm sharing two stories from my younger days: Trinidad, 4am: Two locals convinced me and my deck foreman to get in their cars and tour the "real" Port of Spain. Dodgy bars, spray-painted unconscious people at gas stations, a sketchy market surrounded by locals. We genuinely thought we'd be robbed or killed. The twist ending? Listen to find out! Aberdeen: A blood-soaked cabin, a knee split open, Big Paddy asleep with a lit cigarette and half a loaf of bread on his chest. And the client rep who caught us twice in one month. Spoiler: I got fired and went surfing instead. These stories are entertaining. But they're also lessons about reputation, consequences, and how small this industry really is. Now I'm the client rep dealing with guys like I used to be. The diving world is tiny. One night can follow you for 10 years. Be smarter than I was. https://open.spotify.com/episode/4KJ2qSiK5wWNro2XU0h2RE?si=OdM06PUuTASzKGyATFGaiA

From military discharge (honourable 😂 ) to commercial diver - via some seriously questionable decisions Episode 2 of Beyond the Surface 🌊 is out now. After leaving the army with no plan, I spent years bouncing between jobs - Tesco's, quarries, even a stint as a podium dancer (don't ask). Then I discovered diving in Oman and thought I'd found my path. Spoiler: I hadn't. Not yet. This episode covers: Diving to 70 meters on a single tank with no backup (extremely stupid) Working commercial jobs with zero training and dodgy equipment Getting swept through pitch-black underwater tunnels My disastrous first week offshore where I destroyed a flange, forgot to open my bailout, and trapped myself with my own umbilical The old hands told me "everyone makes mistakes." Theodore Roosevelt said "the man who makes no mistakes will never make anything." They were right. Three weeks later, I was part of the crew. If you're starting out in offshore, feeling lost after leaving the forces, or just want to hear about the reality behind the career - this one's for you. Links in comments. #offshore #commercialdiving #careertransition #veterans #oilandgas #podcast #realstories #offshorelife #militarytransition

The diving accident that changed my life After 20+ years in offshore work, I’ve finally shared the story I’ve been putting off for years. In my first podcast episode, I talk about the accident that nearly ended my diving career. The moment when everything I thought I knew about myself was tested underwater. But this isn’t just about the accident. It’s about what came after – the mental battles, the career pivots, and the lessons that shaped how I approach offshore work today. Too often in our industry, we don’t talk about the real stuff. The setbacks, the doubts, the moments that make or break us. I’m changing that with “Beyond the Surface.” Whether you’re considering offshore work, already in the industry, or just curious about what it’s really like out there – this episode pulls back the curtain on the journey nobody talks about. The response so far has been incredible. People are saying it’s the honest perspective they’ve been waiting for. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or check the links in the comments. What’s the moment that changed your career trajectory? I’d love to hear your story. #offshore #diving #careerdevelopment #mentalhealth #oilandgas #podcast #resilience #commercialdiving #offshorelife #careerjourney