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Clearance diver

While some info posted here is true, some isn't. You do not have to join the Navy to become a CD. You do not have to be in the Navy to get onto a Ship's Team Diver's course.  Does it help? Yes. On my STD course there were 4 "out of Navy" candidates, how did they get there, they simply requested the course.  I know CD's who were given places on a prelim as Commercial Divers and even one from the combat arms who didn't hold a caba certificate. Talking to a truly INFORMED recruiter may give you more insight on how to become a CD without going through several years of wasting yours and that trades time.
 
Lard of the Dance said:
While some info posted here is true, some isn't. You do not have to join the Navy to become a CD. You do not have to be in the Navy to get onto a Ship's Team Diver's course.  Does it help? Yes. On my STD course there were 4 "out of Navy" candidates, how did they get there, they simply requested the course.  I know CD's who were given places on a prelim as Commercial Divers and even one from the combat arms who didn't hold a caba certificate. Talking to a truly INFORMED recruiter may give you more insight on how to become a CD without going through several years of wasting yours and that trades time.

Well..not exactly all candidates that have attempted the CD PRELIM are qualified and in-date CF divers.  You are right that they do not have to be in the Navy, but they have to a qualified CF Diver - either a STD, Cbt Diver, SAR Tech, PID or JTF2 Diver.  The Clearance Diver Trade is not recruiting off the street. 

The Commercial Divers that have done the PRELIM were also qualified Reserve Navy PID's (Port Inspection Divers), and the the Cbt Arms pers you mentioned must have had a CF Diving qual and in date, in order to be allowed on the PRELIM. 

Cheers J.

(Edited for grammer)
 
Hello everyone.

First, cdiver is for commercial diver and not clearance diver but, maybe we can change that in the near future. So with my experience and qualification as a comm diver and scuba instructor including rebreathers and tech dive would it make it easier for me to get a shot for clearance diver?

What if I start as a PID? I have been told by a friend who is PID, the navy need divers.

I did contact a recruiter to become a PID but since the high season for inland commercial diver start in June till December, I kind of like to be available for the season which make it hard to do the BRT.

Thank you
Support our troops
 
Although you current experience may make them easier, you still have to complete the Prelim and the trade course before you become a clearance diver. In order to become a clearance diver you must first be a member of another trade, it is not a direct entry trade, but is what is referred to as a continuing occupatinal transfer. You can qualify thru the reg or res force, but you must hold a valid diving qualification thru the military before you can apply for a remuster. If you have any other questions you can pm me, I will help as much as I can.
Feet
 
Hey all,

    Just wondering if someone can give me an idea of what exactly this 2 week prelim consists of. I would imagine it is similar to selection and would involve a lot of PT, but what else? As far as running and swimming, I am quite fit and have no problem scoring high on the coopers test. What sort of mental aspect is there to the job? Ive heard that immersion in cold water and long periods of little sleep are to be expected... what else? How often are the selection periods?

As for naval trades, as an infanteer since the late 90's, a lot of the navy trades look pretty much the same to me. Either sitting in front of a computer type thing, or working on fixing stuff. What sort of trade would heighten an individuals opportunity to gain entry into a ships diver position? I understand that motivation and route of appoach are vital, but from what I have heard, some trades are more responsive to those wishing to apply for certain jobs.
 
Any trade onboard ship is open to be a ship's diver. it depends on if your department wants to let you go to be one or to take the training is the big factor.
 
Ex-Dragoon said:
Any trade onboard ship is open to be a ship's diver. it depends on if your department wants to let you go to be one or to take the training is the big factor.

That much I knew. I was asking which departments are more likely to allow pers to apply.
 
Depends on your ship and depends on the department, there is no set rule.
 
Lest we forget the dreaded officer route? It is perhaps the fastest way of becoming one of the Clearance Diver Fold. I joined the mob in 87 as a MARS officer. Did the Ships Team Diver Course in 89 and before I needed my first requal course as Dive O on HMCS Annapolis, I was loaded on the CLDO course in 92 after having done the prelim in 91. From there on I served as a CLDO (Clearance Diving Officer) until I retired in Sep 08. Either way you do it, there is a lot of luck and timing issues to contend with. As the senior policy guy in CMS staff for Directorate of Maritime Poloicy and operational Readiness (DMPOR) from 2002 to 2005, I was in on many of the issues discussed above. Equally so when I was the MARPACHQ senior diver from 2005 until I retired. One of the things we were discussing was a direct entry route off the street. Still a pipe dream I believe but may happen yet. The preference was always OT from hard sea trades since navy diving is technically a hard sea trade itself. Because CD is a robber trade, it was always our strength that we had a wide variety of sea going occupations feeding the trade making for a very diverse and capable bunch of specialists. Early on it was harder to bring combat arms folks into the occupation since they aren't big ship savy - i.e line handling, navigation, terminology, watch and station bills, general seamanship etc. Have a read of the naval diving operational concept of operations that I wrote while on staff in CMS - it is the terms of reference document for all forms of naval diving (excludes combat diving). It was the basis of the occupational analysis that occurred at that time - without it, it never would have happened. It can be found on the library page of the Canadian Naval Divers Association web page at http://navydiver.ca
That documet tells you exactly what a CD does - needs an update soon but is still the most current one out there.
Strength in Depth!
Navydiver sends
 
Good day all, I am looking for information about clearance diver. I've been in the navy for 6 years now as an Marine Electrician QL5 (Etech). I am thinking about re-muster to clearance diver but I dont know alot about it. I should be going on my Ship diver course in September so i can get a first look at it from the inside. What I am looking for in here is feedback from actual clearance diver. I keep hearing good things about it but what are the bad things about it? How does a normal years look like? Operation, deployment or generally just training?

Thank you
 
waterboy937 said:
Good day all, I am looking for information about clearance diver.

Hope this helps:
http://www.google.com/search?sclient=psy&hl=en&source=hp&q=site%3Aarmy.ca+&btnG=Search#sclient=psy&hl=en&source=hp&q=site:army.ca+clearance+diver&pbx=1&oq=site:army.ca+clearance+diver&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=60933l64916l1l65374l10l9l0l0l0l3l506l2425l0.3.2.2.1.1l9&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=44eb8ccc40613db6&biw=1360&bih=594
 
While I'm not a clearance diver, I'm the diving medicine PA that directly supports one of the FDU's.  Your QL5 course is roughly a year long, if you make it through the 10 day prelim.  The next year or so will be spent consolidating what you've learned, getting more advanced EOD courses, doing diving jobs to support current Fleet ops, could end up training Ship's Team Diver courses, etc.  They have been deploying abroad on multinational exercises and live deployments in support of land or maritime EOD and Fleet diving ops.  Once you're EOD trained, you'll eventually become involved in dealing with maritime and land EOD as a regional task wherever you're posted.  There are also exchange/secondment positions with the RN and RNZN.  You'll also be responsible to help operate the recompression chambers where you're posted, as well as inpsect and maintain diving equipment, both your own unit's and those of other Fleet assets.  You also can go on TD to the Experimental Dive Unit in Toronto to participate in diving research as a lab rat.  I suppose one of the worst comments I hear from folks here is that once they're done their 5's, they aren't diving as frequently as they'd like, which is something that's being very closely looked at.

Hope that helps.

MM



 
Thanks for all the info guys, one last thing. i dont know if you guys know this. Are they looking for people these days? hows the manning look like?
 
They run a prelim usually twice a year for the one 5's course that starts in Sept.  The course starting in Sept is full, and they're screening guys off the last prelim for next year.  Having said that, they're usually always looking, as the average 5's course only graduates 8-12 students - this one graduating in a few weeks has only about 6 left.

MM
 
The Trade start to be full, There is few flocks have complete there prelim few months ago and they are going on course in setember 2012. I have seen pepole doing two prelim because they did not score height enough on the first one.  Anyway they always looking for pepole.  I hope my English is not to bad.  And  medicineman give you a good description.
 
Our group just went through FDU(A) for a tour. Here's what the Clearance Divers in Halifax are up to:

http://www.happydiver.space/?p=310
 
I see the two threads were merged.

Everyone was impressed with the Unit and the tour. Other than SAR Techs, I would say Clearance Diver is quite the kick-a$$ trade.
 
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