Industrial diving is very complicated and requires additional skills, such as mechanical aptitude, familiarity with welding and cutting equipment, knowledge of basic carpentry, an ability to adapt tools and fittings to jobs underwater, and an understanding of hydraulics and compressed air. Industrial divers are more likely to require grade 12 reading and writing skills. Working Conditions Divers have the unique working condition of doing much of their work underwater. In order to make a living, they combine their diving skills with other tasks, such as welding, repairing underwater structures or harvesting marine species. Some workers who do underwater work have formal qualifications and training in another area, such as construction and welding.
Divers work from boats, docks and shorelines and are outside year round when work is available.
They generally don't dive in extreme weather, although some duties, such as search and rescue work, may require diving in less than ideal conditions. Technological change, such as the increased use of remote-operated vehicles, is changing the working conditions and duties of some divers. Many divers have to piece together short periods of work for a number of employers or work on contracts. For example, construction divers rarely have a project that supplies more than 90 consecutive days of work. Working underwater is physically and mentally demanding, and the active career of a diver is often only a few years.