Enduring long hours deep beneath the ocean surface is risky and requires having a strong handle on safety procedures.

Decompression sickness is just one of the dangers a deep sea diver might face. Encounters with sharks, while not dangerous, can still be very scary. And acute loneliness inside a small chamber for 28 days can be emotionally straining. Deep sea divers have a lot to prepare for besides the job at hand.

For Jason, the best part of being a commercial diver is the camaraderie with other divers and the challenging work. Every day for a diver is an adventure and divers share those adventures with each other. And, of course, traveling is a big plus.

But if anyone is ready to prepare students for the job, it’s Jason Lott.

Jason is one of the newest instructors at Divers Institute of Technology, with a focus on teaching deep sea diving.

He has an extensive background in deep sea diving all around the world. “I have several years experience with surface decompression and working at deeper depths,” says Jason.

He started in 2005 tending in the Gulf of Mexico. He worked in the Gulf 2 years before being promoted to a full diver. During this time he met divers from overseas and the encounters piqued his interest. So he started pursuing international jobs.

Amazing Depths in International Waters

In 2007, he landed a job working in West Africa installing risers to a platform. While on that job, he connected with Kreuz Subsea.  

He started working with Kreuz and was with them for 6 years. During that time he attended saturation school in Southern France and was a saturation diver for a year. Then he moved to Technip and worked with them as a saturation diver in Malaysia and the Persian Gulf.

“My deepest dive was 462 feet off the coast of Borneo, Malaysia.”

Traveling has definitely been the highlight of his career.

“I have spent 12 years diving and 9 of those years were overseas. Commercial diving has taken me to 22 countries,” says Jason.

Benefits and Difficulties of Diving

For Jason, the best part of being a commercial diver is the camaraderie with other divers and the challenging work. Every day for a diver is an adventure and divers share those adventures with each other. And, of course, traveling is a big plus.

However, these same things pose hardships for divers. Working with different personalities can be difficult when side-by-side with them for weeks, sometimes months at a time. International jobs also also present a struggle as divers navigate completing their job in a different culture with a different language.

But, for Jason, the benefits far outweigh the cons.

Passing on the Wisdom

Jason is excited to share his experiences with future divers. “I want to pass on the knowledge and skills I have learned from my experiences.”

And Jason has a lot of wisdom to share with commercial diving students.

“What I want to pass on to students is to take pride in the job they are doing. Also, always do everything with safety in mind!”