Penny - Commercial Diver

Yep.. My latest title to my list of jobs!

Who would have thought sitting there with my Careers Advisor in school that Commercial Diver would be on the list!

I completed my Commercial Dive course over a year ago with the idea to use it in support and body double work in films.  This intention faded as quickly as the Australian dollar did the same thing to the American dollar leaving it in the shade as the Australian currency made it too expensive for American production companies here.

I wanted to get out of the Recreational Dive industry here as an Instructor, so Commercial Diving seemed a logical fork in the diving career.

So it was with surprise that I received a call asking if I was free for a week to undertake Commercial Diving work.

Without hesitation I answered 'yay!' (and that wasn't because I was asked to spend the week with a bunch of buoys!).  My 'job' at the moment is a 3 day one (highly flexible on the day front) for minimal wage and for commission, selling advertising space on the local online newspaper.  I also worked an extra 2 'free' days for them last week so there wouldn't be any objections to me taking the week off.

And so I rock up last Saturday night ready for my new job and adventure.... with a bit of trepidation as the weather forecast was 25-30 knot winds and high waves for the week... and the boat didn't look so big too me!


........... Will update this in a few days.. I will leave you with some pics to carry you through.....

The boat awaits 'Viking' or commonly known as 75581QC

Also awaiting 25-30 knot winds and high waves... like being on the set of The Perfect Storm

Standard view from the back deck of the boat - laying the moorings and checking moorings and buoys

Back deck view as the storm subsides..

Just an idea of size.. the hard eye with my soft hand!

The back deck looking like a giant macrame puzzle

Michaelmas Cay - strange irony - was here in 1990 doing a Discover Scuba Diving Experience - how strange that 23 years later I would be back working as a Commercial Diver!

Lizard Island.. the island for the jet set and the famous.. don't know what I was doing there!  Ah yes... cleaning, installing and inspecting their buoys

Coming back into Cairns after the week.. all hands on deck.. or bums on counters as the case may be

Collateral damage - aching, bruised (where I slipped down the stairs),  and my hand literally 'popped' on the last afternoon as I was pulling in a rope of the tender (the boat behind) and it got caught with my hand... soft flesh, inanimate object in small space with a sudden velocity of 20mph of inanimate object.  Literally squeezed the fat out of my hand!  Went to the hospital on the return and they cut off the fat.  So I even got liposuction to my thumb!