The short version.
Commercial diving in Australia is a real trade with a real shortage. The pathway is clearer than people think: a recreational dive ticket, a few prerequisite certificates, an 8-week Combined SCUBA and SSBA to 30m (Part 1 & 2) course, and you're on the job market. You can enrol at any point along the way. You don't need everything sorted to lock in your spot.
Most working divers we know didn't grow up knowing they wanted to do this. They discovered it in their twenties or thirties, sometimes after years in another trade. If you can pass the medical, swim 200 m in 8 minutes, and handle physical work, the door is open.
Below: the full pathway, realistic timings and costs, and what to expect once you're working.
The pathway.
The steps below have to be done before training starts, but you can enrol at any point along the way. Earlier enrolment locks in your preferred intake and gives us time to help you line up the medical, first aid and anything else you still need.
Get your recreational dive ticket
A PADI Open Water Diver qualification (or equivalent) proves you're comfortable underwater on scuba. Most dive shops in Australia run it as a 3–4 day course; expect to pay $400–$700. You don't need this before you enrol, but it has to be done before training starts.
Pass the commercial divers medical
The AS/NZS 2299.1 occupational diving medical, conducted by a SPUMS-listed doctor (Australia and New Zealand Hyperbaric Medicine Group). More thorough than a regular GP medical: lungs, heart, ears, eyes, sometimes chest X-ray. Again: enrol first, sort this in the weeks before training. Allow a few days for the appointment + results.
Get First Aid + CPR + Oxygen Management
A current First Aid certificate (HLTAID011 or equivalent) and a current Oxygen Management certificate (HLTAID015, includes CPR). Most state-based training providers run these as one-day courses. First Aid is 3-year currency; Oxygen Management is 12-month.
Enrol, at any point in the process
You don't need to wait until your prerequisites are done. The earlier you enrol, the more likely you are to secure your preferred intake, and once you're in, we'll help you line up the medical, first aid and any other prerequisites you still need. Roughly 95% of students take the Combined SCUBA and SSBA to 30m course: 8 weeks, the qualification employers actually hire from.
Train: 8 weeks at Burra
Eight weeks back-to-back, full-time at our Burra facility. Walk in with a recreational ticket and the prerequisites above; walk out with both ADAS Part 1 (Occupational SCUBA to 30 m) and ADAS Part 2 (Occupational SSBA to 30 m). Real working conditions in the Mine Pool, the same Kirby Morgan helmets you'll wear on the job.
Land your first commercial diving job
Australia is currently short on commercial divers. The work is across aquaculture, civil construction, jetty maintenance, inspection and scientific diving. During your course we help you prepare: CV, interview practice, and guidance on which contractors are hiring. In Australia and most of the world you'll be in the water diving as soon as you finish the course.
Build hours, then specialise
After 2–5 years onshore, you have options. ADAS Onshore Supervisor (run dive teams, not just dive in them): 100+ logged dives + 75+ bottom hours and you're eligible. ADAS Part 3 (Occupational SSBA to 50 m) opens up deeper inshore and some offshore work. ADAS Part 4 (Closed-bell saturation) is the deep-offshore endpoint: multi-week saturation tours on oil & gas. We deliver the Onshore Supervisor course; for Part 3 and Part 4 you'll train at a school that delivers them.
Cost & timeline.
Realistic all-in figures: what most students actually spend getting their first commercial diving qualification in Australia.
On top of training, budget for around 2 months of accommodation and living costs in Burra. See the accommodation page for current student-friendly options.
What the work actually looks like.
Onshore commercial diving in Australia is split across four main areas. Most working divers move between them over a career depending on what's hiring and where they want to live.
Aquaculture
Salmon, kingfish, oyster and abalone farming. Net inspections, mort recovery, husbandry: mostly Tasmania, SA and southern WA. Steady year-round work, good for new divers.
Civil construction & marine
Bridges, jetties, harbour works, wharves, dam inspections, dredging support. Most contractors hire from Part 2. This is the bulk of the work in capital cities and ports.
Inspection & NDT
Underwater inspection of structures (hulls, piles, weirs), often combined with non-destructive testing tickets. Good for divers who want clean, project-style work.
Scientific & environmental
Marine biology surveys, environmental monitoring, research diving. Often Part 1 SCUBA work: universities, government agencies and consultancies hire here.
Offshore oil & gas, the high-pay, high-rotation work most people associate with commercial diving, requires ADAS Part 3 (Occupational SSBA to 50 m) or Part 4 (Closed-bell saturation). We don't deliver these; see the full ADAS pathway.
FAQs.
Realistically 3–6 months from a standing start. Allow 4–8 weeks to line up the prerequisites (rec ticket, medical, first aid), 8 weeks for the Combined SCUBA and SSBA to 30m (Part 1 & 2) course, then a few weeks of job applications. Most graduates are working within 1–3 months of finishing.
Enquire now, sort the rest as you go.
Combined SCUBA and SSBA to 30m (Part 1 & 2): 8 weeks, the qualification employers actually hire from. Send us an enquiry and we'll help you tick off the prerequisites before training starts.