A MESSAGE FROM THE ADCI PRESIDENT ■ BILL CROWLEY
Women in Diving A CURIOSITY WHEN I FIRST started in diving, an interesting topic for discussion while on breaks, not as rare as the first decade of the 21st century comes to an end, as I am writing this the company I work for Cal Dive International has a woman in saturation. Also, throughout the offshore fleet, we have female Tenders, Life Support Technicians, a Vessel Captain and a Saturation Technician. I am sure this is the same or similar in other diving companies. I am a proponent of the idea for many reasons, but let me state a personal obvious truth: it is just nice having women on the job. The majority of the women I have met in the commercial diving field were ex-military or post diving school entry level diver/tenders who had been the field for about a year or two. They impressed me with the basic knowledge and attention to details like the meticulously coiled hoses and the ship shape dive stations. They struggle on a daily basis to not only make the grade, but to excel in the commercial diving world. And, the ones (male and female) that are still working in the industry have the same attributes in common: they were focused, determined and competitive. Regardless of gender, all entry level divers/tenders face a difficult first few years in the work force while they learn the craft and hone the required skills. Experience and how an entry level diver/tender conducts him or herself on the deck or dive site is the preamble to when the company paying you decides to put you in the water or handle your own shift. If, like most in this field, you are living the dream and your heart is in it, a lifetime of diving isn’t such a bad thing. “If you are earning your living doing what you love, you will never really work a day in your life.” (Someone who lived it said that.) If your heart is not really into the life and struggle, the motivation is faulty and the dream goes away. I am thankful the diving profession found me and I found diving as a young man. Stay focused, it is worth it. The blowout disaster in the Gulf and the massive media blitz surrounding the unfortunate “Deep Water Horizon“explosion, fire and resulting ‘spill’ have been an eye opener for the industry as well as the general public. We will get through this and the industry will be better for it. The ADCI has been busy sending Safety Notices to help inform and share operational safety advice and information surrounding the blowout and the resulting leaking oil and gas. We are committed to inform, educate and share knowledge throughout the duration of this event. Take the high road, be safe and always do the right thing.
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