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Scuba Diving Careers: Hazmat Diving

Scuba Diving Careers: Hazmat Diving

Written by Leisure Pro Staff
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Published on April 9, 2016

We learned all about wreck salvage diving in the previous post, and to wrap up our 4-part Scuba Diving Careers series, today’s post is all about hazmat diving. It’s so over the top that Popular Science once rated it at number one on a list of “the worst jobs ever,” two slots above elephant vasectomist (who knew there was even such a thing?) Sounds glamorous, right?

Hazmat divers take the plunge into everything, from toxic waste dumps to sewer systems to nuclear reactors. They wear special rubber drysuits with attached gloves and boots to protect their skin from exposure to chemicals and waste matter that would make the most hearty landlubber cringe. They often wear full helmets so that they are completely covered. They work inside sewers to clean and repair pipes, or swim underneath mammoth oil ships to fix leaky hulls. It’s akin to working for the CDC, but underwater: One pinhole in their suit could expose them to a horrific stew of toxins.

These hardy and daring folk are vaccinated against every disease possible, and undergo a decontamination process once their dive is complete. It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it, and the pay may offset the risk. Hazmat divers can earn up to $75 per hour for this risky work. A nice chunk of change — if you’re up to the often disgusting task.

Nuclear divers work at power plants around the world. They dive inside the plant, in both nonradioactive and radioactive waters that are used for cooling the reactors. They also dive outside the plant, checking and repairing water intake pipes. Despite the exposure to radioactivity inside the plant, diving near the intake pipes is actually the most dangerous of the three, because divers can get sucked into the pipes. Like all nuclear plant workers, they are monitored for radiation levels, and are sidelined temporarily if their levels get too high.

Training as a commercial diver, with special focus on hazardous materials and methods of cleanup is required for this line of work. Underwater welding and other repair skills, along with knowledge of underwater tools is also needed. This is a risky job that takes a unique breed of diver.

Leisure Pro Staff

Leisure Pro Staff

Marketing Director for LeisurePro