Doug Elsey
Doug Elsey is a professional engineer working in the commercial and military diving industry for over 45 years. He has been a commercial diver/supervisor, submersible pilot, ROV operator, arctic explorer, photographer, cinematographer, lecturer and diving instructor. He was the Area/OPS Manager of the Canadian Great Lakes/East Coast Division of Can-Dive Services Ltd. and was one of the partners in that firm for 25 years. He has served as the Chairman of the CSA Diving Standards subcommittee and is the vice-chair for the main technical committee. He is a past President of the Canadian Association of Diving Contractors and is also the webmaster of UnderwaterINDUSTRY and UnderwaterJOBS websites. He makes great coffee but is a lousy cook.
Commerical diving or suicide?
- By Doug Elsey
- Published 03/18/2008
I applaud those that go underwater - and "do a job". Sometimes the main purpose of the diver is to work underwater - that is what he gets up for in the morning.
However, a recent video on Youtube reminded me that many of us started out in the underwater business as a sport diver and finally made the decision to "do if for a living." (I should have had my head examined then.) When ones main job is NOT diving but is a "side" thing an employer has you do, lines begin to blur along "what is sport?" and "what is commercial?. Commercial diving and underwater work is dangerous and can be fatal. This video shows an enthusiastic fellow "doing his job" - but using sport diving techniques. There is no indication of a standby diver nor even a lifeline. I again applaud his enthusiasm but this video reminds me of the work we have to do in getting folks who insist on doing commercial work using sport techniques without obvious safety measures being taken to abide by the rules of safe diving practice in commercial operations. I have unfortunately attended the funeral of a couple of "enthusiastic" divers in my career. Enthusiasm doesn't make up for good sense and good practice. Commercial diving using established safe diving practices makes for a safe industry. This means coming home at the end of the day to our loved ones or for a beer. By NOT practicing safe dive procedures in commercial diving does us all a disservice - not to mention being one helluva inconvenience at the funeral trying to explain "why" to those left behind.
What do you think? Commercial diving or suicide in the making?
However, a recent video on Youtube reminded me that many of us started out in the underwater business as a sport diver and finally made the decision to "do if for a living." (I should have had my head examined then.) When ones main job is NOT diving but is a "side" thing an employer has you do, lines begin to blur along "what is sport?" and "what is commercial?. Commercial diving and underwater work is dangerous and can be fatal. This video shows an enthusiastic fellow "doing his job" - but using sport diving techniques. There is no indication of a standby diver nor even a lifeline. I again applaud his enthusiasm but this video reminds me of the work we have to do in getting folks who insist on doing commercial work using sport techniques without obvious safety measures being taken to abide by the rules of safe diving practice in commercial operations. I have unfortunately attended the funeral of a couple of "enthusiastic" divers in my career. Enthusiasm doesn't make up for good sense and good practice. Commercial diving using established safe diving practices makes for a safe industry. This means coming home at the end of the day to our loved ones or for a beer. By NOT practicing safe dive procedures in commercial diving does us all a disservice - not to mention being one helluva inconvenience at the funeral trying to explain "why" to those left behind.
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1 Response to "Commerical diving or suicide?" 
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said this on 06 Jun 2008 12:57:13 AM EDT
Doug, you say you should have had your head examined back then, when you became a diver. In the industry everyone knows, if you make a great cup of coffee, then you get stuck with the job. Why did you stop doing something you were good at??
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