About Our Courses
Commercial, or occupational diving, is, quite simply, someone who works underwater and gets paid for the work they do.
Underwater work varies greatly and can include jobs such as scallop or abalone diving, inspecting oil pipelines or installing wind turbines offshore. It can also include scientists who dive as a part of their work or underwater construction workers who inspect hulls or maintain harbour walls, for example.
Courses run here at The Underwater Centre, Tasmania have been specifically created to train commercial divers, not only in the specific diving regulations required to work underwater, but also, in the important aspects of the work being done once on the dive site, such as wet welding or using pneumatic tools, which is what you will be paid to do.
There is continual demand for commercial divers, and ROV pilots, in the offshore oil and gas industry, as well as the more recent demand for such workers in the renewables sector, for the installation and maintenance of wind farms. This demand is creating a knock on effect for the inshore/ civils diving industry. Divers, who have gained experience working inshore, are now being enticed offshore by the increase in opportunities and higher earning potential.
ADAS Commercial Diving Certification
The courses we offer are certified by the Australian Divers Accreditation Scheme (ADAS) and include Parts 1, 2 and 3 which qualify you to work as a commercial diver, whether shellfish diving, maintaining fish farms or working offshore. Depending on where you want your diving career to take you, depends on what level of training you attain.
ADAS Part 1
Achieving the ADAS Part 1 certificate will allow you, as a commercial diver, to work ‘inshore’ – to a maximum depth of 30m using self-contained breathing apparatus (SCUBA). Our course will also you provide you with experience in the use of certain hand tools, as well as how to conduct certain underwater inspection work.
Work undertaken with the ADAS Part 1 certificate includes scientific, archeological, shellfish and abalone diving (although certain Australian states have different certification levels for abalone divers), certain fish farm and police diving work, or basic engineering inspection.
ADAS Part 2
This is the next step for a qualified Part 1 diver. As a Part 2 diver, you will be qualified in the use of surface supplied equipment and is ideal for underwater construction workers.
The course includes learning how to use underwater welding and cutting equipment, pneumatic and hydraulic tools, salvage equipment, airlift and water-dredging equipment and construction tools.
ADAS Part 3
The Part 3 certificate will take your career to the next level – in earning and travel potential – and allow you to work ‘offshore’.
As a Part 3 diver, you will be well qualified for all of the above mentioned work inshore, as well as offshore work, including diving from a wet bell using a hot water suit to a maximum depth of 50m. To work offshore in the oil and gas industry, you must have this certificate.
During this course, you will continue to train in our realistic diving environment, based here in Beauty Point, meaning you will have first-hand experience of the work you will be doing once qualified to go offshore.
ADAS Part 4
This is the most advanced qualification a commercial diver can attain, and can only be completed once you have at least 12 months commercial diving experience to specific depths. The Part 4 certification teaches you to dive from a closed bell using oxygen and helium breathing mixtures (mixed gas) or saturation techniques to maximum depths of 300m.
We are the only training body in the Southern Hemisphere to offer the ADAS Closed Bell, or mixed gas, diver training. Along with our sister school in Fort William, our mixed gas training was established by Diver Training Manager Alf Leadbitter whose extensive commercial diving experience and knowledge ensures our courses provide you with the exact training you will need before starting work.
For more information about the courses and packages we offer, contact us on +61 3 6383 4844 or email info@underwatercentretas.com.au
