Saturation Diver Salary How Much Do Saturation Divers Make?
A saturation diving career offers the most advanced opportunities for commercial divers. Saturation diving can be considered the most demanding type of commercial diving. Divers who specialize in saturation diving must undergo specialized training because they live under pressure for days at a time under strenuous conditions. Consider the details of saturation diving before pursuing a career in this field. Most prospects find saturation diving salary to be very appealing, but the job’s daily demands can be very challenging.
What is saturation diving?
Saturation diving is one of those terms that sounds like something out of science fiction. But it’s actually a very real method used by commercial divers around the world.
In an offshore or inland commercial diving job, the diver returns from the dive to the surface to normalize pressure. This means that the diver goes back down into the water and spends some time there, usually several hours. When he gets back up to the surface, he is no longer breathing compressed air, but rather breathing ambient sea water. This allows him to spend less time coming up to the surface for decompression.
This process requires a lot of equipment, including a specialized suit called a saturation suit. The diver wears a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA), which provides oxygen to his body and removes carbon dioxide exhaled by the diver. A hose connects the SCUBA to the saturation suit, which contains a small pressurized chamber where the diver breathes while he is underwater.
The chamber is filled with inert gas such as nitrogen, helium or argon. These gases do not react chemically with the human body and therefore allow the diver to breathe safely without having to worry about toxic chemicals reacting with his lungs. Once inside the chamber, the diver is completely isolated from the surrounding environment. He cannot see anything, hear anything or feel anything. All he knows is that he is safe and comfortable.
Once the diver reaches the bottom, he enters another chamber, which is attached to the saturation suit. Here, the diver is lowered into the water again to perform the actual work. After the dive, the diver returns to his chamber, where he stays until he is ready to come back up to the surface.
When he does come up, the diver must wait a few minutes before he opens the hatch to let the pressure equalize. Then he takes off his saturation suit and puts on a dry suit, which is similar to a wetsuit. Finally, he reattaches the SCUBA to his wet suit and swims back to the surface. Saturation Diver Salary How Much Do Saturation Divers Make?
What is required to become a saturation diver?
To become a saturation diver, one needs to be a professional commercial diver and have extensive experience working underwater. There are only two or three saturation diving training centers around the world, and most people don’t know about it because it’s such a niche industry. But if you want to pursue a career in saturation diving and dive operations, here are some things you’ll need to do.
First, you’ll need to obtain a professional commercial diving certification from an accredited program. These courses usually take several months to complete, and include both classroom work and practical dives. You’ll learn how to use scuba equipment, perform decompression procedures, conduct emergency drills, and much more.
Next, you’ll need to gain years of professional diving experience. This could mean anything from being part of a team that works on deep water oil rigs, to serving as a technical advisor for a film crew shooting under water. If you’re looking to specialize in saturation diving, you might even consider getting certified as a saturation diver.
Finally, you’ll need to find a saturation diving training center near you. Most of these programs aren’t offered online, though there are a few exceptions. For example, Divers Supply offers a comprehensive saturation diving training program that includes everything you need to start diving. Saturation Diver Salary How Much Do Saturation Divers Make?
Saturation diving salary breakdown
When it comes to making money in the water, there are plenty of ways to earn cash. Some people choose to work as commercial diver contractors while others decide to become professional scuba instructors. Still others take advantage of the opportunities offered by recreational diving. But what about those who dive for fun and profit?
The average saturation diver makes anywhere from $20,000-$40,000 annually. This figure includes both base pay and depth pay. Base pay is usually paid monthly, while depth pay is paid out based on how deep the diver goes during the course of his/her shift. For example, a diver might receive $10 per hour for working 12 feet down, while someone else might receive $15 per hour for working 20 feet down.
As mentioned above, saturation diving requires a lot of training. Most divers spend around five years learning the skills necessary to become a competent diver. During this period, they typically learn basic underwater navigation, decompression theory, and medical procedures. They also undergo extensive physical training, including swimming, running, lifting, and jumping. And finally, they must pass rigorous certification tests.
Once certified, a diver can begin earning income. Many divers start off working as commercial divers, which means they work with companies like oil rig operators, shipbuilders, and construction crews. Commercial divers often make between $30,000 and $50,000 annually. However, many divers prefer to work as saturation divers instead.
Salary statistics for saturation divers
If you’ve been thinking about becoming a saturation diver, then you should know that there are very few jobs available. The number of saturation divers has actually declined over the past decade or so. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 1,500 saturation divers were employed in 2010. That’s compared to 5,400 saturation divers in 2000.
Divers Institute of Technology & Saturation Diving
DIT is a unique saturation diving school located in New Jersey. We are dedicated to providing quality education and experience to our students. Our curriculum covers everything from basic theory to advanced applications. Students graduate with a broad understanding of the field and the ability to perform safely and effectively.
We offer both classroom instruction and hands-on training in the pool. We provide extensive coursework including theoretical lectures, practical labs, and written assignments. In addition to classroom instruction, we offer a wide variety of courses such as scuba certification, commercial diver training, saturation diving, and much more.
Our instructors are highly qualified professionals with many years of experience working in the industry. They are trained to teach and mentor students and ensure that each student receives the best possible instruction.
Students interested in learning more about DIT and our saturation diving programs can apply online here.