Career progression
Main diving pathways
This matrix outlines the main progression routes for air / surface supplied divers and closed bell divers, along with the experience and competence requirements needed to move into professional grading.
🌊 Air / Surface Supplied Path
Air Dive School
Complete commercial dive school and obtain HSE Approved Surface Supplied Diver certification.
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Surface Supplied Diver (D05)
Entry-level qualified commercial diver working on surface supplied equipment.
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Professional Surface Supplied Diver
Requirements:
- 100 surface supplied dives
- 100 hours bottom time
- 70 dives & 70 hours offshore / DP vessel
- IMCA / company competencies
- Minimum 4 tool competencies
🔔 Closed Bell Path
Bell Diver Training
Complete HSE Approved Bell Diver Training course.
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Bell Diver (D04)
Qualified closed bell diver working in saturation or bell bounce diving operations.
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Professional Bell Diver
Requirements:
- 100 surface supplied dives
- 100 closed bell lock-outs
- 400 lock-out hours
- 70 dives & 70 hours offshore / DP vessel
- IMCA / company competencies
- Minimum 4 tool competencies
Detailed requirements
What counts and what is required
Qualifying Dives & Lock-Outs
- Must be performed offshore (outside 12-mile territorial waters) or on a DP vessel
- Must be at work — performing actual job tasks
- Training dives, trials, and test dives do not count
- Standby dives and dry dives do not count for bell divers
- Lock-outs must involve leaving the bell while at work
Work Experience Requirements
- 70 hours must be with an IMCA or ADC UK member company
- Work must be within UK Offshore ACoP (exploration & exploitation works, DP vessels, or outside territorial limits)
- 30 hours can be in any sector with an IMCA / ADC UK company
- Logged bottom times or excursion times only count when at work
IMCA Core Competencies
- Air Divers: Must complete IMCA D003 Table D-44 (Surface Supplied Diver)
- Bell Divers: Must complete IMCA D003 Table D-39 (Bell / Saturation Diver)
- Assessed against relevant skills as per company requirements
- Note: Wet Bell Operations (D05/000/03) not required in the UK as the technique is rarely used
- Note: DP Systems (D05/000/08) only required if the company uses DP vessels
Additional Skills & Tool Competencies
Minimum 4 competencies required from:
Lifting Equipment (cranes, slings, shackles, tirfors, chain hoist)
Oxy-arc / Thermal Cutting Equipment
HP Water Jetting Equipment
Grit Blasting Equipment
Bolt Tensioning Equipment
Hydraulic Tools
Air Lift Bags
Air Lift / Dredging Equipment
Mattress Handling Equipment
Metrology Equipment
Lift Planning & Rigging
Note: Companies may require additional tools or skills not listed above.
⚠️ Important Distinction: Pay grading should not be confused with verification of competence. Pay grading alone does not confirm competence — only the criteria set out in this matrix. Holding a certificate of pay grading does not override ODIA Clause 16.2, where divers are paid for the designation and grade they are engaged on, not the level they are qualified to.
🔴 Critical Notes
- Employers, clients, and regulators require competence to be obtained, demonstrated, assessed, and recorded with evidence
- Diver advancement through ODIA pay grades must be linked to IMCA / company competence systems (Ref: ODIA Clause 11.1)
- Once all criteria are met, the employer signatory provides a certificate of acceptance of revised pay grading
- The certificate must be signed and dated by an authorised person (Operations Manager, Diving Manager, HR Manager, Safety Manager or similar)
- Subsequent employers may contact the issuing company for verification, and requests should be responded to promptly
✅ Certification Process: After meeting all requirements, your employer will issue a certificate of acceptance for the revised pay grade. This certificate can be verified by future employers as part of your professional credentials.