Do your dump now, or leave the pot...

[A. Berk]

Fii Dave,

Its difficult to say just how long our 'purple patch' will last. I have been working in the far East for years and still am and here and India and the Mid-East have loads of construction work planned over the next four or five years.

With regard to pay rates which everyone keeps throwing at me - I personally have had a real good living out of the oil business. There are people in 9 to 5's that earn more than divers thats true, so if you work in the city on 200k then why think about diving - unless its for the 'adventure' - and I have seen that.. I have also seen guys come through this game (good divers) just to make some quick dosh to finance becoming a barrister, airline pilot, vet and diamond merchant. If this thread was about earning the most in the least time I'd advise playing three seasons as first team striker for either Barca or Real Madrid. If you have doubts about handling the press - you might think about offshore diving (on a lower rate).

[nigelH]

Originally Posted by A. Berk

With regard to pay rates which everyone keeps throwing at me - I personally have had a real good living out of the oil business.

I think the problem is that some of us spend more on doing a days diving than you are offering. Even though this is the 'Commercial Diving' sub forum YD is largely an amateur divers hang out so most of your readers look at the pay rates and wonder how they could finance their hobbies on that sort of money.

I'm glad you're enjoying your diving. I hope you fill your spaces and get the job done. My job has got a lot less fun over the last few years but it's too late to change now.

[Mark Chase]

[quote]

Originally Posted by A. Berk

Nark,

You say the USN has just surpassed Comex's record by a whopping (???) 10m. I am impressed, but can you tell me how many hours our navy heroes spent at that depth and what heavy work they completed?

A dive to that depth is a saturation dive and the duration is governed totally by scrubber duration so I don't see the relevance of the question. The navy were testing out submarine rescue equipment so i would imagine a similar work load to the Comex dives.

PS, Wouldn't it be funny if I was one of those Comex guys who just came 2nd?

· Hydra 4 - Depth : 180 / 210 / 240 / 300 metres
(1983) - Divers : M. Cross - M. Giraud - G. Guerrier
J. Le Mire - J. Norman - L. Schneider
· Hydra 5 - Depth : 450 metres
(1985) - Divers : S. Icart - Y. Langouet - P. Macchi
J.G. Marcel Auda - P. Raude
L. Schneider
· Hydra 6 - Depth : 500 / 520 metres
(1985) - Divers : Th. Arnold - J.P. Bory - M. Diaz
P. Gaide - S. Icart - P. Raude
L. Schneider - P. Vergier
· Hydra 7 - Depth : 260 metres
(1986) - Divers : P. Choirat - A. de Nechaud de Féral
J. Henrion - R. Peilho
· Hydra 8 - Depth : 500 / 520 / 534 metres
(1988) (Operation at sea - world record)
- Divers : Th. Arnold - S. Icart - J.G. Marcel Auda
R. Peilho - P. Raude - L. Schneider

Which one of these are you then?

The dives were 20 years ago so it would make you rather old for a commercial diver wouldn't it? Don't they have to retire from deep diving at 45?

As for pissing on your boat or being Micheil Shumacker or what ever. I think you confusing me with someone who is impressed by your rufty tufty dead hard opinion of your self.

I have suggested there is no need to be so aggressive and rude and you just turn your aggression and rudeness on me???

I take it a high IQ is not a prerequisite of the job then?

Mark Chase

[A. Berk]

Mark,

I'll quit the 'aggressive' stuff OK?

Comex was actually the company I went to after leaving the Navy - sadly they no longer exist as a company - they had a passion for diving which no other company (except maybe Oceaneering) had. I was a navy diver at the age of 17 and working in the North Sea as a saturation diver by 26. I am 53 now and diving superintendent on a purpose-built DSV (diving support vessel) and at that age I am probably the 'average' for a saturation diver in the North Sea - I have guys work for me that are three or four years older. I do still dive myself - what is now called 'tech' diving but it's nothing more than what we were doing (mixed-gas scuba with multiple cylinders) more than 20 years ago - Like Carlos Santana said; "nothing is new under the sun".

With that sort of crap on my CV (plus of course:- PADI OWSI) I can safely say that I know what I'm talking about when the subject is deep offshore diving projects and I am on a recruitment drive because the industry is short of personnel and I know there are a lot of scuba-trained people out there who have scratched their chins and thought; 'what if?' If anyone had asked me about a career in commercial diving three years ago I'd have said 'forget it' - and I did - and saved a lot of guys a lot of money. Well now it's different, hurricane Katrina did more damage than anyone ever thought possible, oil per barrel has rocketed and where are the divers?

I get people telling me they wouldn't get out of bed for the starting pay as an air diver - if the aim of this site is to boast about yearly income- fine - go ahead and impress us all with your six-figure salaries. I have been on scuba trips with multi-millionaires who could buy the boat along with the travel company, do you think I would try to entice them to come and work for me? Nah.

I'm also getting shedloads of PM's from people who are genuinly keen and I'm genuinly answering them - which is taking-up shed-loads of my extremely valuable (to me and my family) leave time, all too soon I'll be back offshore.

Make no mistake - it's a life that isn't for all - and Mark, I can tell it isn't for you, but for those that are in it/good at it/love it/breathe it - there's nothing better. But if it was easy everyone would be doing it. It aint easy... it's a f**kin' challenge - end of rant.

Safe diving to you,

A. Berk

[Mark Chase]

Thanks for the reply, good luck with the recruting.

Your right its not for me, I dont even want to teach, never have. Deep wreck diving is my jolly and the only work I want to do is lifting the bell. Any how at 42 i am too old.

ATB

Mark Chase

[A. Berk]

42???, the way things are right now.... maybe (big Maybe) not - though the dyslexia won't help - 'recruting'???

[Finless]

Originally Posted by A. Berk

42???, the way things are right now.... maybe (big Maybe) not.

How about 49?

[A. Berk]

Awww Finless... where does the age debate stop? Lets put it this way; If you came to me at that age with 15 years of heavy construction diving behind you I'd take you on, but learning this game really happens when you get offshore - not in the schools, they don't have the time or the facilities to teach everything we do - and you'll be learning a job that is physically hard work even when you know the tricks of the trade.

So, I'm not sure if I've actually answered you... but then I'm not sure about the answer either - grey area - but tending towards black in your case.

Safe diving

A. Berk

[Finless]

Originally Posted by A. Berk

Awww Finless... where does the age debate stop? Lets put it this way; If you came to me at that age with 15 years of heavy construction diving behind you I'd take you on, but learning this game really happens when you get offshore - not in the schools, they don't have the time or the facilities to teach everything we do - and you'll be learning a job that is physically hard work even when you know the tricks of the trade.

So, I'm not sure if I've actually answered you...

Oh yes you have.

but then I'm not sure about the answer either - grey area

I have no grey areas! Not even a grey pube ...... yet.

- but tending towards black in your case.

Back to plan A then ...... find a pot of pirate's treasure (must include doubloons). shag a mermaid (not only gratifying but will answer that question that has puzzled most male divers) AND then take over your diving company!!! Too old eh!!!!! We'll see!!!!!!! Why, I'll have you know that I can still 'pee till empty' in about ....... 20 squeezes .... not too shabby eh!!!!

Safe diving

A. Berk

Well, I prefer SAFE RETURNS.

[Henry Falco]

Mr Berk,

I have been read you post from begin to the end; i also am from the COMEX regime and I think I no what person you are (Aberdeen 1977?) - so let me say thank you for the kind advertisement - our film was made to do what youare saying but I hope that we put the case better - not to make offend to you.

Regard

H. F.

PS- i will send to you a pm and we can find what is who................