# Does the Army have divers?



## N-A (29 Jul 2004)

I am a certified Master Scuba Diver Trainer looking for a career in the military. I know the US army has divers but I can't find any info in regards to the Canadian Army.


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## MJP (29 Jul 2004)

The engineers have divers as part of their organization.  But this is not a trade, just a task/job within an engineer regiment.  The navy on the other hand has Clearance divers, and they are a trade/MOC onto themselves.


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## Ex-Dragoon (29 Jul 2004)

Although you have to remuster into the clearance diver trade, its not a direct entry. The navy also has ships team divers which can be any trade but its a secondary duty.


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## logau (29 Jul 2004)

*Horrors!   > * We do have divers and as a matter of fact I just updated the Army Diver Site last night

*See http://www.donlowconcrete.com/CDAC* and be sure and click onto Ex Salty Sapper


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## PTE Gruending (29 Jul 2004)

Awesome site Lagou, keep up the good work! It's nice to see information on some of the lesser known trades in the Forces.... hell even primary MOC's have very little in terms of writeups on the DND page.
Thanks


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## N-A (29 Jul 2004)

logau said:
			
		

> *Horrors!   > * We do have divers and as a matter of fact I just updated the Army Diver Site last night
> 
> *See http://www.donlowconcrete.com/CDAC* and be sure and click onto Ex Salty Sapper



Nice site indeed.

Is being a diver your main job or is it just something you do on the side?


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## logau (29 Jul 2004)

I used to work with these guys so we set it up for fun and profit.

My reserve unit won 4 trips to the UK with the unit site I made at http://www.donlowconcrete/44

Enjoy!   :


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## winchable (29 Jul 2004)

...does the beaver really need a SCUBA tank??  ;D


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## Armymedic (29 Jul 2004)

As mentioned above, Cbt diver is a sub specialty of the Cbt Engineers (moc 043).
At 2 CER in Petawawa, the diver wanna be's undergo a grueling diver prelim course just to prove to the unit that they are fit and able to undergo the Cbt diver course at the FDU and also in Gagetown.

Also, Cbt divers work in thier sections and troops like everyone else until they are tasked by the CER CO to complete a dive task. The Dive team is then assemble and completes thier tasks. Then they return back to the sapper work with thier troops.


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## McG (3 Aug 2004)

Here is another link for some talk of what they do: Combat Divers



			
				Ex-Dragoon said:
			
		

> Although you have to remuster into the clearance diver trade, its not a direct entry. The navy also has ships team divers which can be any trade but its a secondary duty.


I know one Engineer that is a Ship's Diver.  He cannot do combat diver task though as he does not hold that qualification.


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## Freight_Train (3 Aug 2004)

There is a link for a combat diver article on the Army News site.   http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/LF/english/6_1.asp?FlashEnabled=1&


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## Ex-Dragoon (3 Aug 2004)

McG said:
			
		

> Here is another link for some talk of what they do: Combat Divers
> 
> I know one Engineer that is a Ship's Diver.   He cannot do combat diver task though as he does not hold that qualification.



Is he a combat engineer or an engineer from a ship?


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## Lexi (3 Aug 2004)

If you ever have the chance to check out the Canadian War Museum, they usually have exhibits set up. If I remember correctly... last year they had a Combat Diving display set up. Pretty cool stuff.

I, too, have been looking into the diver thing.
I'm an avid swimmer and I think Combat Diving would be TOTALLY sweet.

Cheers,
Lex


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## Armymedic (3 Aug 2004)

Let me correct you on the last post, 

diving as part of your job is sweet,

What combat divers do, can be at times anything but sweet...For example, do you like being really cold and really wet and extremely tired and still have to be 100% alert because you are the standby diver onboard the support boat for a cbt dive task?

If you know the cbt divers, they will all tell you some parts of thier job truely and deeply sucks.


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## McG (4 Aug 2004)

Ex-Dragoon said:
			
		

> McG said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


He got onto the course while posted to a Naval Construction Troop.


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## canuck101 (1 Dec 2004)

i have a question about combat divers what service is it.  I found combat engineer on the army site but could not find the combat diver on the navy site could someone explain that to me and where i could find out more about this.  I am interested in joining and i am a certified diver.


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## McG (1 Dec 2004)

Combat Divers are Army divers.  They are all Cbt Engrs.

The Navy has Ship's Divers and Clearance Divers.  Anybody can be a ships diver.  Clearance Diver is a remuster occupation and applicants must already be qualified Cbt dive or Ship's diver.


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## canuck101 (1 Dec 2004)

Thanks for clearing that up for me cool.  Sounds like the job i want to do i like being wet and cold and underwater.


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## NavyGrunt (1 Dec 2004)

your Civi diver experience wont count for jack though. Military diving is a different beast altogether....


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## foerestedwarrior (1 Dec 2004)

clearance diving yes, it is the military commercial divers. You will use hot water suits, surface supplied air, hard hats, and stuff like that. Combat divers, use rebreathers, so they are much more scuba than anything. Combat divers, are engineers, but under water.


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## NavyGrunt (1 Dec 2004)

Actually the clearance divers use all types of equipment and are involved actively in the research of newrebreathers. You are well outside of your realm of knowledge. I suggest you can it. Military diving has almost nothing to do with civi diving and it has been proven over and over again that those with a civi diving background have a hard time adjusting to military diving SOP's....


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## McG (1 Dec 2004)

Combat Divers use air tanks.  Many would like to use rebreathers.


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## Bruce Monkhouse (1 Dec 2004)

Allright I have to ask.....whats a rebreather? :-[


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## foerestedwarrior (1 Dec 2004)

To start with, everything i posted, came from what i have read in The maple leaf, and they said that DRDC and the EDU, developed rebreathers for COMBAT DIVERS. That is not saying that clearance divers cant, or dont use them. Arron, who are you to tell me not to post something?? You have no idea about my background, or knowlege in the least. Everything I have ever found out about clearance divers is that they do mostly things that are the equivelent of civi commercial divers, sorta kinda. 

If you want to question me on this, ok. My boss, a PO1, who by trade is a hull tech. He was assigned to the clearance divers unit for 3 years. He has told me alot about them becasue I have expressed a great deal of interest in it, because I am in the proccess of going regs, and trying to get into it.


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## NavyGrunt (1 Dec 2004)

foerestedwarrior said:
			
		

> Arron, who are you to tell me not to post something?? You have no idea about my background, or knowlege in the least. Everything I have ever found out about clearance divers is that they do mostly things that are the equivelent of civi commercial divers, sorta kinda.



Well when you are posting up half truths as the gospel.....


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## NavyGrunt (1 Dec 2004)

A rebreather is a type of breathing system that is "closed"(however there are "semi-closed" as well). It just means that when you breath out it kinda recirculates the breath because you only use a little of the oxygen when you breath in....this increases the length of the dives.This is obviously a very VERY basic explanation of the system.


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## Inch (1 Dec 2004)

Bruce, in addition to AW's post, a closed system produces little to no bubbles. It makes it more covert since a mass of bubbles doesn't rise to the surface everytime the diver exhales. Here's a better explanation:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/question632.htm

Cheers


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## McG (2 Dec 2004)

Rebreathers are also significantly quieter underwater (good if there are enemy divers or underwater listening devices) and they are smaller than tanks.  They would actually be a very good tool for Combat Divers, but they are not in the regiments.


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## NavyGrunt (2 Dec 2004)

McG Did you do the combat diver course/selection? I have a friend who didnt make it through- he's quite bitter. I was on a Dive Resue team with him Civi side- he was a strong individual. Seems like a tough course- unless it was his attitde that washed him out, he wouldnt say.


Edited because I screwed up


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## McG (2 Dec 2004)

I've never considered going Navy.  I'm happy where I'm at.


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## NavyGrunt (2 Dec 2004)

Sorry McG I mean t combat diver. He did the Combat diver selection...


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## McG (2 Dec 2004)

Haven't taken that route either, but I work with several that have.


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## NavyGrunt (2 Dec 2004)

Heres a Q about your trade- When you say you "didnt take that route"...what would be the alternative? Like instead of branching into "combat diver" you alternatively choose to branch into.....??


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## SprCForr (4 Dec 2004)

...things like heavy equipment, EOD, Water Supply, jumping, rappelling, Soils Analysis, Bridging and on and on and on...


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## Spr.Earl (4 Dec 2004)

MCG said:
			
		

> Rebreathers are also significantly quieter underwater (good if there are enemy divers or underwater listening devices) and they are smaller than tanks.   They would actually be a very good tool for Combat Divers, but they are not in the regiments.


Also are very stream lined ergo less drag while under but take a lot more maintenance than the Aqua Lung.


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