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Commercial Divers

Work below surface of water, using surface-supplied air or scuba equipment to inspect, repair, remove, or install equipment and structures. May use a variety of power and hand tools, such as drills, sledgehammers, torches, and welding equipment. May conduct tests or experiments, rig explosives, or photograph structures or marine life.
  • Summary

  • Details

  • Work Activities

    • Install, inspect, clean, or repair piping or valves.
    • Install, inspect, clean, or repair piping or valves.
    • Install, inspect, clean, or repair piping or valves.
    • Drill holes in rock and rig explosives for underwater demolitions.
    • Supervise or train other divers, including hobby divers.
    • Repair ships, bridge foundations, or other structures below the water line, using caulk, bolts, and hand tools.
    • Inspect and test docks, ships, buoyage systems, plant intakes or outflows, or underwater pipelines, cables, or sewers, using closed circuit television, still photography, and testing equipment.
    • Recover objects by placing rigging around sunken objects, hooking rigging to crane lines, and operating winches, derricks, or cranes to raise objects.
    • Take appropriate safety precautions, such as monitoring dive lengths and depths and registering with authorities before diving expeditions begin.
    • Salvage wrecked ships or their cargo, using pneumatic power velocity and hydraulic tools and explosive charges, when necessary.
    • Set or guide placement of pilings or sandbags to provide support for structures, such as docks, bridges, cofferdams, or platforms.
    • Check and maintain diving equipment, such as helmets, masks, air tanks, harnesses, or gauges.
    • Operate underwater video, sonar, recording, or related equipment to investigate underwater structures or marine life.
    • Inspect the condition of underwater steel or wood structures.
    • Descend into water with the aid of diver helpers, using scuba gear or diving suits.
    • Take test samples or photographs to assess the condition of vessels or structures.
    • Obtain information about diving tasks and environmental conditions.
    • Perform offshore oil or gas exploration or extraction duties, such as conducting underwater surveys or repairing and maintaining drilling rigs or platforms.
    • Check and maintain diving equipment, such as helmets, masks, air tanks, harnesses, or gauges.
    • Supervise or train other divers, including hobby divers.
    • Inspect and test docks, ships, buoyage systems, plant intakes or outflows, or underwater pipelines, cables, or sewers, using closed circuit television, still photography, and testing equipment.
    • Recover objects by placing rigging around sunken objects, hooking rigging to crane lines, and operating winches, derricks, or cranes to raise objects.
    • Carry out non-destructive testing, such as tests for cracks on the legs of oil rigs at sea.
    • Perform offshore oil or gas exploration or extraction duties, such as conducting underwater surveys or repairing and maintaining drilling rigs or platforms.
    • Perform activities related to underwater search and rescue, salvage, recovery, or cleanup operations.
    • Cut and weld steel, using underwater welding equipment, jigs, and supports.
    • Install pilings or footings for piers or bridges.
    • Remove obstructions from strainers or marine railway or launching ways, using pneumatic or power hand tools.
    • Remove rubbish or pollution from the sea.
    • Communicate with workers on the surface while underwater, using signal lines or telephones.

    Skills

    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    Abilities

    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    Knowledge

    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    Education

    Education
    Postsecondary certificate
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    1 to 12 months on-the-job training

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    117210/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    56.35/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    120
    Yearly Projected Openings
    10

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Dependability
    • Attention to Detail
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Persistence
    • Adaptability/Flexibility
    • Integrity

    Tools

    • Adjustable wrenches
    • Anemometers
    • Barometers
    • Blow torch
    • Bouyancy compensators
    • Box end wrenches
    • Chain saw
    • Circuit breakers
    • Clock timers
    • Closed circuit television CCTV system
    • Concrete or cement testing instruments
    • Corrosion testers
    • Demolition hammers
    • Depth gauges
    • Detonators
    • Diving air pump
    • Diving boot
    • Diving instruments or accessories
    • Dredge pumps
    • Drysuits
    • Electrode holder
    • Flashlight
    • Gas mixer
    • Geological compasses
    • Hammer drills
    • Hoists
    • Hose reel
    • Hydraulic shears
    • Impact wrenches
    • Jib crane
    • Magnetic particle examination equipment
    • Masks or fins or snorkels
    • Measuring jigs
    • Metal detectors
    • Multi gas monitors
    • Oxygen gas analyzers
    • Pick or place robots
    • Pneumatic hammer
    • Power chippers
    • Power drills
    • Power grinders
    • Power saws
    • Pressure gauge
    • Pry bars
    • Pullers
    • Reciprocating saw
    • Scuba regulators
    • Scuba tanks
    • Shielded metal arc welding or stick welding machine
    • Single gas monitors
    • Sinker drills
    • Sledge hammer
    • Sonars
    • Specialty wrenches
    • Submersible pumps
    • Thickness measuring devices
    • Torque wrenches
    • Ultrasonic examination equipment
    • Underwater cameras
    • Underwater communication system
    • Utility knives
    • Water hoses
    • Water samplers
    • Welding regulator oxygen
    • Wetsuits
    • Winches
    • Wire or cable cutter

    Technology

    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Internet browser software