Port Inspection Diver

As a member of the military, Port Inspection Divers use compressed air breathing apparatus (CABA) to perform various underwater searches, surveys, and inspections, primarily for the purpose of port security.

Port security is one aspect of Maritime Coastal Operations conducted to ensure the maritime security of the nation. Port Inspection Divers often work in conjunction with naval port security teams to provide underwater skill sets in support of the sovereignty and safety of Canada’s numerous ports, harbours, and waterways, and may also be deployed outside Canada for operations or exercises.

Port Inspection Divers have the following responsibilities:

• Underwater searches and harbour/sea bottom surveys
• Inspections of jetties and ships' hulls
• Identification of surface and underwater explosive devices
• Participating in mine countermeasure (MCM) operations
• Performing underwater search and recovery operations
• Recognizing diving or pressure-related illnesses
• Providing assistance to civil authorities when required during domestic operations

Port Inspection Divers must also carry out several tasks in support of diving activities such as driving inflatable boats and specialized dive vehicles, preparing dive sites, maintaining dive-related equipment, and conducting general and diving-related administration, including forward logistics for operations.

Work environment

Port Inspection Divers experience the unique adventures and challenges that come with working in a marine environment. The work is physically and mentally demanding and often involves diving in restricted visibility or confined areas and hazardous situations.

If you choose a career in the Regular Force, upon completion of all required training, you will be assigned to your first base. While there is some flexibility regarding postings (relocations), accommodations can’t always be made, and therefore, you can likely expect to move at some point in your career. However, if you decide to join the Primary Reserve Force, you will do so through a specific Reserve unit. Outside of training, your chosen Reserve unit will be your workplace on a part-time basis, and you will not be obligated to relocate to a different base. As part of the Primary Reserve Force, you typically work one night per week and some weekends as a minimum with possibilities of full-time employment.

The minimum required education to apply for this occupation is the completion of the provincial requirements for Grade 10 or Secondary 4 in Quebec, including Grade 10 Applied Math and any one Physics, Biology, or Chemistry course at Grade 10 level or equivalent.

Qualifications

Candidates must demonstrate above-average teamwork and enjoy learning the principles of human physiology and diving physics. A Port Inspection Diver must be highly dependable, self-motivated, and confident, with a high degree of self-control and emotional stability. Determination, maturity, and responsibility are necessary attributes for diving candidates. Since diving is a physically demanding trade, candidates must be coordinated, manually dexterous, and must always maintain a high level of fitness. Candidates must pass a pressure tolerance test to be eligible to become a Port Inspection Diver.