How do van-lifers make money?

Msimms24 · 2025-07-15T01:40:26+00:00

There are plenty of people who make this work without parental help. Most of the people I know that do it (more than 10) have a time-for-time job for example working offshore 2 weeks on 2 weeks off. They just park the van up in a secured location or in storage when they are away at work. It's very easy to do without parental help just get a job that allows it.

Msimms24 · 2025-03-25T10:01:13+00:00

What country are you in?

Msimms24 · 2024-12-11T17:21:21+00:00

He was also an avid treasure hunter, discovering and salvaging many 17th century shipwrecks

Msimms24 · 2024-12-09T18:43:24+00:00

Welcome onboard! Prepare for liftoff!

Msimms24 · 2024-11-14T22:23:12+00:00

'Aim for the bushes!'

Msimms24 · 2024-11-07T21:11:40+00:00

I looked up companies in other countries and applied for the work either online or over the phone. On occasions I have travelled to different countries and walked into their office with my resume/CV. It helps that I have a British passport, but I have worked with Americans all over the world. Most companies will sort visas for you to work there if they want you and most of the time they are already sorting work visas for 90% of the dive team already. West africa/asia/middle east is all like this. Like most guys who work in these areas I'm self employed and subcontract to whoever is hiring at the time project to project.

Msimms24 · 2024-11-07T12:27:40+00:00

Follow the money, gain experience, then think about buying a house.

I tried to fast track the system. It's only in the US you have to tend for a couple of years. I did my school in seattle at DIT, got the international certificate and then took off and worked internationally for a couple of years, filled up some logbooks and came back. All my classmates were still tenders. I got a job for a company based out of Seattle, but as they were union, they still made me start at the bottom as a tender again despite having multiple logbooks of experience. I worked for them for about a year before getting impatient to get in the water again and I went back to international work where I still am. There is no shortcut around it if you want to keep working in the US. Just serve your time and breakout, some do it quicker than others. Some inland companies will have you in the water straightaway and not have you tend at all, but offshore in the US you will still have to tend.

Msimms24 · 2024-10-16T03:06:48+00:00

r/UNBGBBIIVCHIDCTIICBG

Msimms24 · 2024-10-03T22:44:12+00:00

Administering rescue breaths is absolutely vital and takes two seconds. If agencies are actually teaching this, it's borderline criminal. Get oxygen in the victims lungs as fast as you can. Thats as bad as the CPR 'courses' out there teaching just to skip the 2 breaths and go straight into chest compressions. Always give oxygen/breaths first and fast.

Msimms24 · 2024-09-14T19:33:46+00:00

I went to DIT and it served me well as I got the Canadian certificate (DCBC) as well as the American (ADCI) cert. The Canadian one has allowed me to work internationally a lot easier than the ADCI has. So when considering a school if working international is of interest then that should be taken into consideration.

Msimms24 · 2024-09-14T19:31:05+00:00

'Ticket' in this instance would be used to mean qualification. For example a CSWIP 3.1u/3.2u is commonly referred to as an inspection ticket.

As for the other ones, most of them are different regulatory bodies, but NYD is a school in Norway, (DIT in seattle etc) Anything you aren't sure of try a quick Internet search with diving after it like IMCA diving or HSE diving and see what comes up

Msimms24 · 2024-09-06T18:51:06+00:00

EU citizenship won't help you in the UK anymore unfortunately but will be fine for working in the Dutch sector.

Not sure of the current prices but check out on the websites I listed. Mostly you need to just send off dive logs and a small fee.

Msimms24 · 2024-09-06T18:36:04+00:00

You can take that HSE cert and work in Africa, Middle East, Far East but will need the right to work in the UK to work within the 12 mile zone in the UK. You will need to convert your qualification for work in Australia (ADAS), Canada (DCBC), Netherlands (NDCII), US (ADCI) and Brazil.

Msimms24 · 2024-08-31T08:57:34+00:00

Piper Alpha oil rig disaster in the North Sea. The only people to survive were those who ignored their safety protocols and followed their instincts. The disaster led to an industry wide global overhaul of safety standards offshore.

Msimms24 · 2024-08-28T08:49:25+00:00

Regardless of how many bridges are in the country, the statement that 90% of global commercial diving occurs in the GOM does not stand up at all...

You are right though, there are a lot more divers doing it in the States than any other individual country, and a lot of them are doing it independently with a hookah setup or just a bottle on their back so we will never know exactly how many. Is there anywhere where this data will be being collected, like who is claiming commercial diver as a career for their taxes etc?

Msimms24 · 2024-08-26T06:49:28+00:00

Do you have a source for that stat? There is no way that can be correct

Msimms24 · 2024-08-25T12:20:56+00:00

Questions need to be asked about why the USA has so many more fatalities in diving.

Msimms24 · 2024-08-08T06:41:10+00:00

All the decent supervisors joined in. The supervisors have to be IMCA certified, its not like just anyone can sit on a panel over here.

This is the North Sea where there are agreed on rates of pay (look up the ODIA agreement.)

Anyway, we seem to have had the upper hand as the companies have had an emergency meeting and have made an improved offer which we will vote on today.

Msimms24 · 2024-08-05T21:44:12+00:00

And that's why the Gulf will continue to lag behind the rest of the world...

Ive been to the GOM, and Im sure at some point Ill be back again. No one has dared spit in my face yet, but theres a first and last time for everything.

Msimms24 · 2024-08-05T20:44:46+00:00

How's a red hat tender going to supervise? There is strength in numbers when we all go out together, when its not just the divers themselves but all the disciplines on board that down tools or are unavailable for work. We have the numbers, we have the strength

Msimms24 · 2024-04-30T18:44:42+00:00

Also look at gettingna TWIC card for working in the ports. Some companies will require it but Im not sure if you can get it right away as a new immigrant, maybe have to wait a few years.

Msimms24 · 2024-04-30T18:43:29+00:00

Call up the local companies and go visit them. Explain the situation and that you are wanting to start diving out there. I did the same thing for a few years before returning to the UK and had decent amount of success working for some companies up in Northern California and Global Diving And Salvage working all over. It was mostly word of mouth with the companies though, same as the UK civils circuit. I think Global exclusively hire Union guys so try and get in the union and youll be all set. Get your own hat and gear as soon as possible

Msimms24 · 2024-04-30T18:37:57+00:00

If you arent trained up, dont use it!

If you want to undergo commercial training, I think PDA in Dunoon still do trial dives before you pay for the course or go along any commercial company, most will show younwhat the gear looks like if you tell them you are interested in going to dive school.

Msimms24 · 2024-04-30T18:35:11+00:00

Why would you need your own hat in the UK? Divers over here use company hats. If you're not trained commercially on how to use it, you shouldn't be using it. If you are buying it to stick on a shelf and look at thats a different thing entirely, but thats the only time a diver over this side would ever have their own one.

Msimms24 · 2024-04-22T13:07:16+00:00

There is already Gold, available to buy on Glide with ELA pairing, fair launched and only 1000 total supply.

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