U.S. Navy Diver

Requirements, Training and Rate Information for Navy Diver (ND) Updated: May 2016

Job Description:

Navy Diver’s (ND) conduct and supervise diving operations using all types of underwater breathing apparatus which include open circuit SCUBA, closed and semi­closed mixed gas underwater breathing apparatus, surface supplied air and mixed gas diving systems and equipment and saturation diving systems. Their duties include use of explosive demolitions, small arms proficiency and (command specific) parachute operations.

The NAVY DIVER (ND) rating performs multiple missions depending on the command a member is assigned.

Salvage Operations: Navy Divers perform open ocean, harbor and combat/expeditionary ​ salvage operations. These operations are conducted in water up to 300 feet deep and range from salvaging entire ships and aircraft to recovering debris spread over miles of ocean floor using state of the art mixed­gas diving systems, high­tech ROV equipment and explosives for clearing channels and waterways.

Battle Damage and Ship Repair Operations: Highly ​ complex underwater repairs to surface ships and submarines is a mainstay of the Navy Diver. Ships damaged in battle or requiring maintenance must be fixed to keep the fleet operational. From placing cofferdams for flood prevention during repairs to replacing 80 ton ship propellers, if it's under the waterline, Navy Divers are called to complete the job. Battle Damage and Ship repair operations require the use of state of the art diving equipment, underwater cutting and welding, Non­Destructive testing, digital video equipment, complex rigging operations, hydraulic tool systems and precision demolition materials.

Special Warfare Supporting Operations: A growing area of the ​ Navy Diving field is supporting the underwater operations of the SO and EOD communities. Navy Divers are the recognized experts in all underwater work, divers life support systems and certifications. In this capacity they operate Seal Delivery Vehicle Shelters, launch and recover swimmer delivery vehicles from submarines, perform underwater limpet and bottom mine searches, maintain all certified systems and subsystems for these communities and provide emergency Hyperbaric Chamber support for underwater operations.

Harbor and Port Security: Navy Divers are tasked with performing underwater port/harbor ​ security operations worldwide in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

Submarine Rescue and Saturation: Navy Divers ​ perform saturation diving operations in support of deep ocean recovery and submarine rescue to a depth of 850 feet.

Research and Development: Navy Divers perform ​ research and development of new diving techniques, procedures and equipment. All new equipment and procedures are rigorously tested at the Navy’s Experimental Diving Unit located in Panama City, Florida.

Hyperbaric Chamber Operations: Navy Divers are ​ ​ trained in the recognition, diagnosis and treatment of all diving related illnesses. They provide emergency treatment of diving related illnesses and injuries as well as performing clinical hyperbaric treatments for various non­diving related illnesses and injuries. Navy Divers also provide assistance and training to all military, federal, state, and local civilian law enforcement agencies in diving equipment, operations and procedures.

ND Program Requirements: ­Must be a U.S. citizen eligible for a security clearance ­Must be 30 years of age or less at time of accession ­Must have vision no less than 20/200 in each eye and correctable to 20/25 ­Must have normal color perception ­Must complete pressure test ­Must complete a dive physical (by a Diving Medical Officer) ­ASVAB: AR+VE= 103 and MC= 51 ​

Physical Standards: When you join the Navy and are classified into a Warrior Challenge ​ ​ Program, you shall be aware that these programs involve strenuous conditioning and requires you to successfully pass the Navy Challenge Physical Standards Test (PST) prior to classification into your specific rating.The PST will be successfully completed by Future Sailors in the Warrior Challenge Program every 45 days while in the Delayed Entry Program to remain qualified and a 14­day PST prior to leaving for Basic Training.

Navy Diver/EOD Physical Standards Test ​ Minimum Scores Competitive Scores 500 yard swim:(see Note) 12:30 Min. 09:15 Min. ​ 10 Min. Rest ­ ­ Push­ups (2 min) 50 80­100 2 Min. Rest ­ ­ Sit­ups (2 min) 50 80­100 2 Min. Rest ­ ­ Pull­ups (2 min) 6 10­15 10 Min. Rest ­ ­ 1.5 mile run: 12:30 Min. 09:00 Min. *Note: For the 500­yard swim the sidestroke, breaststroke or a combination shall be used. ​

Computerized Special Operations Resilience Test (C­SORT): The C­SORT is required for ​ applicants seeking enlistment into the Navy Diver (ND) rating. This test takes approximately one hour to complete. The C­SORT and PST must be administered to all ND applicants prior to being classified/contracted. The candidate must meet the basic PST requirements, program requirements and the combined C­SORT/PST band score. If a candidate does not meet all requirements, he/she should be encouraged to improve their PST Score. *Note: The C­SORT cannot be re­taken.* ​ ​

Navy Diver (ND) Training Pipeline:

Basic Training: Future Sailors will be required to attend Recruit Training (Boot Camp) in ​ ​ ​ ​ Great Lakes, Ill. This 7­9 week course will help transform you from a civilian to a Sailor, both mentally and physically. Be prepared to receive a great amount of information and undergo intense physical exercise in a short period of time. Some specific aspects of Recruit Training that you will undergo include:

● Physical training (PT), Physical Readiness Test (PRT) and a Personal Fitness Assessment (PFA) ● Classroom instruction and tests on military bearing, protocol, customs and courtesies ● Chemical, Biological and Radiological Defense (CBRD) Exercises ● Basic Shipboard Seamanship and Firefighting ● Navy Third­Class Swim Test (ask about the Second­Class Test.

*Recruits with a Warrior Challenge Contract will be assigned to an 800 Division to accommodate the increased PT schedule and class up dates.

Diver Preparation Course (7 weeks) at Naval Training ​ Command, Great Lakes, Ill. For training in basic electrical and engineering courses, water adaptability and physical fitness.

Second Class Dive School (15 weeks) at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center ​ ​ (NDSTC) in Panama City, Fla., for training in all of the following:

­Air, mixed­gas, rebreather ­Re­compression chamber operations ​ ­Underwater cutting and welding ­Underwater tools and their use

­Demolition ­ Underwater search and Salvage Advanced Diver Training:

● First Class Dive School ● Advanced Underwater Welding and NDT Inspector ● Saturation Dive Training ● Small Arms Instructor ● Survival, Escape, Resistance and Evade (SERE) School ● Expeditionary Combat Skills Training Duty Type and Location: ​ *Individuals will receive follow­on (36 month) orders to their perspective Duty Stations du​ ring the 14th week of Dive school. New Divers normally receive orders to larger commands with a higher operational tempo. Those commands are as follows:

Command Location Type MDSU­1 Pearl Harbor Hi. Salvage/Sea MDSU­2 Virginia Beach Salvage/Sea Va SDV­1 Pearl Harbor Hi. Specwar/Sea SDV­2 Virginia Beach Specwar/Sea Va EOD ESU­1 San Diego Ca. Specwar/Shore EOD ESU­2 Virginia Beach Specwar/Shore Va NNSY Norfolk Va. Husbandry/Sh ore CDU San Diego Ca. Husbandry/Sh ore

Standard Daily Routine: 0700 Liberty Expires 0700­0900 PT 0900­1100 Plan of the Day 1100­1200 Lunch 1200­1700 Plan of the Day 1630­1700 End of Workday *Plan of the day consists of training, gear upkeep and maintenance, administration or diving operations. Daily activity is also affected by the teams current deployment schedule.

Training Tips: ­RUN(3­6 miles 3­4 times a week on and off road) ​ ​ ­SWIM(500­2000 meters 5 days a week with and without fins) ​ ​

­COMFORTABILITY IN THE WATER IS A MUST!!!! ​ ​ ​ Mask, Fin, Snorkel: 1. Candidate should be able to fill mask with water while wearing it and breathing comfortably through mouth. Practice should include speaking/singing with mask flooded. Additional practice includes doing flutter kicks or push­ups on pool side while mask is flooded with water while counting cadence. 2. Candidate should be comfortable breathing through snorkel on water surface. 3. Candidate should be comfortable filling mask with water while submerged and then forcefully exhaling in order to clear mask. 4. Candidate should be comfortable filling mask and snorkel with water while submerged and then forcefully exhaling in order to clear mask and snorkel without breaking the surface of the water with face and then continuing to breathe comfortably. 5. Candidate should be comfortable swimming with mask and fins while breathing through a snorkel. Practice should consist of swimming at a comfortable pace while intermittently flooding snorkel with water (i.e., submerging 2 to 3 feet),then surfacing, without face breaking the surface of the water, forcefully exhaling water out of the snorkel and then continuing to breathe normally from snorkel. This exercise should be continued for several minutes without signs of panic or inability to continue clearing snorkel. 6. Candidate should be comfortable retrieving mask and snorkel on bottom of pool (12 feet), donning (putting on) mask and snorkel on bottom, clearing mask, ascending to surface, then clearing snorkel via forceful exhale.

Drown Proofing: 1. Candidate should be comfortable floating on surface with hands held together behind back with ankles crossed for 5 minutes (at a minimum). 2. The goal is to rest comfortably on the surface exerting minimal effort. Focus should be placed on utilizing lungs for buoyancy and gently rolling head to side to take breaths when necessary. 3. Practice should consist of fully inflating lungs on the water surface and attempting to relax and float for as long as possible. When necessary, roll back or to the side by utilizing a gentle leg thrust to breach the surface and take a deep breath; relax and wait for the buoyancy of your lungs to return you to the surface. Repeat steps as necessary until at least five minutes have elapsed. Finning: ​ 1. “Bay Swims” are a regular and mandatory aspect of training at NDSTC. Bay swims are a unique and somewhat difficult skill to perfect outside of the Dive School environment. 2. Each candidate must display that they are able to combat a 1 knot current by finishing each surface fin evolution in the allotted time limit. 3. It is in the best interest of the candidate to practice for bay swims (500 yd, 1000 yd, 2000 yd, etc.) by focusing on flutter kicks while training/preparing to arrive for school. 4. The key component to successfully passing Bay Swims is to master proper form utilizing the flutter kick technique: in the prone position, face up, using only the legs kicking with fins for propulsion. Candidate is not allowed to utilize their hands for propulsion and must maintain contact with the emergency flotation vest around their neck. It is especially helpful to practice flutter kicking outside of the water as well, using fins, if available, or some form of weight/resistance.

In­Water Proficiency: ​ 1. One of the more challenging evolutions during SCUBA training will be the In­Water Proficiency (IWP). In this evolution the student will be required to tread water in full SCUBA gear including a weight belt and twin SCUBA cylinders for at least one minute and then orally inflate their horse collar flotation device. 2. This requires strong lower extremity strength and finning technique. 3. It is recommended that prospective students practice treading water with fins while carrying substantial extra weight and then trying blowing up a balloon while remaining on the surface.