Navy Diver

Training & Pay

Navy Diver training is more than a set of routines. It tests your strength. Willpower. Desire. And intelligence. Complete the training, and you’ll rank among the world’s elite underwater adventurers – men and women who can handle the pressure. Every day, Navy Divers forge a reputation that builds on a legacy of achievement and honor. Their exceptional work translates into salary, bonuses and other benefits that are simply icing on the cake.

Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center (NDSTC), Panama City, Florida

Navy diver at Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center

After completion of Recruit Training or acceptance in the Navy Diver program from the Fleet, individuals will go to Naval Training Command, Great Lakes, for the Diver Preparation Course (32 training days, including 20 days of Basic Electrical and Engineering courses). Upon completion of the training, candidates will go to NDSTC, Panama City, FL, for Second Class Dive School, which is 70 training days long. The NDSTC is divided into Fleet and specialized sections. Regardless of their section, all candidates are taught:

Basic gas laws as they relate to diving
Diving medicine
Recompression chamber operations
Dive planning
Diving physics
Salvage operations
Surface-supplied diving systems
Use of all diving apparatus: Open- and Closed-Circuit rigs
Underwater mechanics and tools and underwater cutting and welding

Fleet Training

After completing Second Class Dive School, the member will be assigned to one of the Navy Diving Units to hone the undersea diving and salvage skills required by the United States Navy. A Navy Diver can perform underwater ship repair, salvage, and construction, using either SCUBA equipment or a surface-supplied-air diving system. Training for Diving Medical Officers and Diving Medical Technicians is also part of Fleet training.