|
Commercial
Diving - Frequently Asked Questions
There are many
questions which are frequently asked about the Commercial Diving Program.
We have tried to answer some of these questions below. If you have any
other questions you can
e-mail us at:
Roger Thacker:
rthacker@ltc.edu
...or call us at
985.380.2436 x 223, during business regular hours (7:30 am until 3:30 pm Central
Time).
Q: Where is
Morgan City, Louisiana?
A:
Morgan City is located at the mouth of the
Atchafalya River just miles from the Gulf of Mexico.
(Click here for maps).
Q: How long
is the Commercial Diving program?
A: Approximately seven months, 702 clock hours,
33 credit hours. Days may be extended to achieve the 702 hour
total over two terms. Any remedial classes, as required due to the
entrance exam test scores, are an in addition to the 702 hour total.
Q: How many
hours per day are required?
A: During the first term, school is in session six hours a day five days a week. Classes start at
8:00 AM and last until 2:30 PM with a thirty minute lunch from 11:00 until
11:30. During the second term, classes are eight hours a day, four
days a week (Monday through Thursday).
Days may be extended to achieve the
702 hour total over two
terms.
Q: What is
the approximate cost of full tuition and school expenses?
A:
Approximate expenses
are:
State-of- Louisiana Residents, approximately $2,713
Out-of-State Residents, approximately $3,379
Q: Do I have to have a high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma
(GED)?
A: Yes. All
qualifying enrollees must have a valid high school diploma or a GED to
enter the Commercial Diving Program. Proof of diploma is required
before registration.
Q: Why is the school so
inexpensive compared to other commercial dive schools?
A: This is a public technical college supported by tax dollars. Most other
commercial dive schools are private and must make a profit to survive.
Q: What does
the program entail?
A: There is a great deal of book work involved so about half of the time
is spent in the classroom. There is some shop work involved including
building and testing diving umbilical, operating diving compressors, and
operating the decompression chamber. You will also be pressurized in the
chamber several times as you learn chamber operations. We have three steel
diving tanks which we use to dive in while doing projects such as knot
tying, putting together valve assemblies and flanges, welding, burning,
airlifting, and emergency procedures.
Q: Do I have
to know how to weld?
A: No! Welding is a good skill to have regardless of your occupation, but
certainly not required to be a commercial diver. Our present
curriculum includes 60 hours of topside welding and cutting.
Q: Do you
teach underwater welding?
A: We teach an introduction to underwater welding. The emphasis is on the
equipment used, how to set up the equipment, and safety considerations.
The student will make two underwater welding dives welding tee-joints
using ten rods each time.
Q: How much
money will I make?
A: Commercial diving is a very diverse field. There is offshore diving
and inshore diving and various rates of pay for each depending on who you
are working for, what region of the country you are working in, and
exactly what you are doing.
Offshore diving starts you
out as an apprentice called a tender. As of this writing (January 2005)
beginning tenders are making approximately $11.00 per hour. Keep in mind
that while offshore you make a minimum of 84 hours per week. It takes two
years or more to become a full-fledged diver, but there will be diving
along the way to gain experience. As an offshore diver you get paid a
depth pay bonus for dives over 50 feet deep. The annual pay will depend on
how many days you work, how deep the water is, and how many days you dive.
There is also the possibility of doing saturation diving after you gain
enough experience (at least 5 years). Saturation diving is currently
paying between $600 and $650 dollars per day. The average offshore
diving personnel work about 200 days per year.
Inshore diving is done
involving harbors, dams, power plants, pipelines crossing rivers or lakes,
water intakes and outfalls, sewer outfalls, bridge inspection and repair,
and salvage of vessels in lakes or harbor areas. The possibilities are
endless for things which might need to be done in the water. Inshore
diving does not utilize the tender system in the same way that offshore
diving does. You may not be categorized as a tender at all or for a much
shorter period of time than offshore. Inshore divers take turns diving and
tending each other. The pay inshore varies greatly also. Some inland
divers make as little as $12 or $14 per hour. If you are on a prevailing
wage job the rate would probably be more like $25 to $30 per hour and if
you are working through a union you may be making $55 per hour. Inland
divers also sometimes make penetration dives into pipes and get paid
penetration pay for every foot they go into the pipe.
Q: What will
I need to do to prepare for school?
A: Before you can graduate from this program you will have to show proof
of SCUBA certification. We do not teach SCUBA so it would be best to have
this done before you come to school. You will need a wet suit to keep you
warm during your dives at school. The minimum suit requirement will vary
depending on the time of year you are in school, but a 7.5 MM should be
sufficient anytime. You will need an Association of Diving Contractors
physical that will be less than a year old when you graduate. If you
enroll in the program information will be sent to you regarding the
requirements of the physical.
Q: How do I
enroll?
A:
Download the Commercial Diving packet in Acrobat format here,
or call the school office during business hours and request a Commercial
Diving packet, or request a Commercial Diving packet and application
via email. When you receive the packet, fill out the application and
send it in with your tuition. When we receive the application and tuition,
your spot will be reserved in class. You will then be sent another
letter with forms and directions for your physical.
Q: How do I
contact the school?
A: The college is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. weekdays and can be
reached at:
Q: Who can do my physical?
A: The physical can be done by any qualified physician as long as they do
a thorough job. It may pay to shop around as some physicians will charge
much more than others for the same physical.
- Dr. Serio is a physician in
Belle Chase, LA who specializes in diving physicals. If you would like to
contact him his number is (504) 394-3880.
- Dr. Robert Bourgeois,
located here in Morgan City, LA, also performs diving physicals. His
number is (985) 384-3355.
- Dr. Ty Hargroder is a physician located
in Church Point, LA. His contact number is
(337) 684-5232.
- Physicians Certified as
Diving Medical
Examiners.
Q: Where will I
live?
A: The school does not provide housing. Housing can be difficult to find in Morgan City during times when business
is booming. Most people
stay in a local motel (click here for list of area
lodging) temporarily until they can find
an apartment or house. Some of the motels offer monthly rates, but they
are usually expensive and poor quality. The area Chamber of Commerce keeps
a list of available housing. You can contact them at (985) 384-3830. The
local newspaper is the Daily Review. You may contact them by phone at
(985) 384-8370 or online at
Morgan City Daily Review.
|
