How to Hire a Diver: A Checklist for Boat Owners and Marinas
By DiverHire
To hire a diver, first write down the job: what, where, how deep, how clear the water is and what you want back (photos, video, a short note). Then check your local rules, because in the US, Ontario and the UK paid underwater work is usually regulated as diving at work. Ask every diver the same questions about certificates, insurance, crew and how they will isolate your propeller and shore power, and compare written quotes line by line. There is a copy-able checklist near the end.
For more depth, see our guide to planning, pricing and recording underwater work; for prices, how much boat hull cleaning costs.
Define the job before you call anyone
Vague requests get vague quotes. Our pages on hull cleaning, underwater inspection and salvage and recovery describe the common jobs. Before you contact anyone, write down:
- What: hull and running-gear cleaning, a zinc change, a lost phone or ring, a dock or mooring inspection, a fouled prop.
- Where: marina and slip, your dock, a mooring; salt, brackish or fresh water.
- Depth: a rough figure is fine, such as "about 8 feet at the stern".
- Visibility and current: "usually murky, two or three feet" helps.
- Access: parking, where to stage gear, gate codes, whether the marina must be told.
- Known hazards: neighbours on shore power, intakes, debris, boat traffic.
- Deliverables: before and after photos, a video of the running gear, a note on zinc wear, the recovered item.
- Timing: a date window, not a single hour, because weather and tide move dives.
Add two or three photos of the boat, dock or spot.
Do I need a commercial diver or will a scuba diver do?
Diving rules are written around work. If someone is paid to dive under your boat or at your dock, the job is usually covered, whatever it is called. A recreational card (Open Water, Advanced, Divemaster) is training for recreational diving, and regulators expect more for paid work. Here is what three regulators say. Check the rules where you are.
United States: OSHA 29 CFR 1910 Subpart T
OSHA's commercial diving standard covers "every place of employment" in US waters where diving is done, "in connection with all types of work and employments" (OSHA 1910.401). It has only four exemptions:
- instructional scuba within no-decompression limits
- search, rescue and public-safety diving by or under a government agency
- research governed by federal human-subject rules
- scientific diving run under a diving safety manual and a diving control board
Hull cleaning, zinc changes, inspections and item recovery are not on that list. On scuba, a standby diver must be available whenever a diver is in the water, the working diver must be line-tended from the surface or in continuous visual contact with a buddy, and scuba is limited to 130 feet of seawater (OSHA 1910.424). That means at least two people on site. Every team member must be trained in CPR and first aid, with someone on site in charge (OSHA 1910.410).
A company with employee divers is clearly in scope. If your diver works alone, ask how they meet Subpart T, and check with OSHA or your state plan if in doubt.
Ontario: O. Reg. 629/94 and CSA Z275.2
Ontario's regulation covers all diving operations except federally regulated ones, recreational diving and training, snorkel-only dives and unpaid volunteers in an unforeseen emergency (Ontario.ca, 2022). If you hire a diver to retrieve property, film, or inspect or repair your property, you take on "many of the same responsibilities" as employers:
- file a Notice of Diving Operations with the Ministry at least 24 hours before the dive
- prepare a written operational plan and contingency plan
- lock out or control hazardous water flows, and have mechanisms secured and locked out to the satisfaction of the diver and supervisor (CSA Z275.2, clause 4.5.4)
A competent supervisor must be on site during diving. Divers must meet the CSA Z275.4 competency standard and be medically fit, and recreational divers who want to work commercially must first go through the Diver Certification Board of Canada (DCBC).
The national standard is also being updated. The Canadian Association of Diving Contractors says the upcoming 2026 edition of CSA Z275.2 confirms four people as the default minimum scuba crew: two divers (one as standby), a tender and a supervisor. Three may be considered only at a controlled, uncontaminated site no deeper than 18 m (60 ft), with a documented site risk assessment and a demonstrated, documented way to extract an unconscious diver. It also bans scuba for welding, cutting, intake or pipe entry and most power-tool work (CADC, May 2026). Ontario's pages still cite the 2011 edition; ask which one your diver works to. Other provinces have their own rules. Near Toronto, see diving services in Toronto.
United Kingdom: Diving at Work Regulations 1997
A diver is "a person at work who dives" (reg. 2). Every diving project needs exactly one diving contractor, either the divers' employer or a self-employed diver on the job (reg. 5). Each diver needs an approved qualification valid for the work and a current medical certificate (reg. 12), and HSE keeps the list of approved qualifications (HSE, 2026). HSE's inland and inshore code of practice names docks, harbours, rivers, lakes and reservoirs (HSE L104).
What about a friend who dives?
These rules are about work: OSHA's covers places of employment, Ontario's excludes recreational diving, and the UK's diver is someone "at work". A qualified friend helping for free may fall outside them, but Ontario's only exemption for unpaid volunteers covers unforeseen emergencies, so check your local rules. The shore-power and propeller precautions below apply to any diver. Never ask a non-diver or a snorkeler to go under a boat or feel around a dock for a lost item.
What questions should I ask before hiring a diver?
Ask every diver the same questions so the answers compare.
| Question | A good answer sounds like | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| What certification do you hold, and can I see it? | A named card (ADCI, DCBC, an HSE-approved qualification) that fits the work, with the holder's name and any expiry date, which you can check | Ontario sends recreational divers through DCBC before paid work; the UK needs an approved qualification valid for the task |
| Who else will be on site? | A standby diver or tender topside, and who is in charge | OSHA scuba rules require a standby diver; Ontario requires a supervisor on site |
| What insurance do you carry, and with whom? | A certificate with the insurer and policy number, which you can confirm | DAN World's recreational dive accident cover excludes commercial diving |
| How will you handle shore power and my engines? | Boat unplugged, plus the boats either side; keys out; lockout tags | Electric current in the water can paralyse a swimmer; props must not turn |
| Scuba, hookah or surface-supplied? | A method that fits the job and depth; hookah intake well away from exhaust | Carbon monoxide from exhaust is a known hookah hazard |
| What exactly is in the price? | An itemised quote: trip charge, minimum time, crew, equipment, photos | Hourly rates often exclude crew and mobilisation |
| What will I get afterwards? | Before and after photos or video and a short written note | Proof of the work and a record of condition |
| What if weather or visibility stops the dive? | A clear rule, agreed in advance | Weather days are where disputes start |
| Have you done this exact job before? | Recent examples and a reference you can call | Search skills are not dock-inspection skills |
| What do you need from me or the marina? | Access, power off, marina told, Ontario notice filed | Shows they plan the dive |
How do I check a diver's certification and insurance?
Certifications
- US (ADCI). The Association of Diving Contractors International has an online certificate check (ADCI). Its database is updated weekly and still syncing old records, so if a card is missing, ask the diver to contact ADCI's certificate support before you assume the worst. ADCI is treated as the industry standard but is not required by federal law (commercialdivingcontractors.com).
- Canada (DCBC). Ask to see the card. Ontario's compliance page says a diving supervisor's DCBC card shows the type (SCUBA, surface supply, restricted, unrestricted) and should be available to an inspector (Ontario.ca). Check the name against photo ID and the category against the job. DCBC certificates last five years, or two for new graduates (DCBC), so check the date. If in doubt, contact the DCBC.
- UK (HSE). Ask which qualification the diver holds and check it against HSE's approved list, then ask for the medical certificate date.
A scuba ticket is not a surface-supplied ticket; the card should match the job.
Insurance
Get a certificate of insurance, then confirm it. The procurement checklist on commercialdivingcontractors.com says to call the carrier rather than trust the certificate, and warns that general liability policies often exclude diving. DAN World says plainly that "commercial diving is not covered" by its recreational dive accident cover (DAN World). A diver whose only cover is a recreational dive accident plan may have no cover for paid work.
Propellers and shore power: settle this before anyone gets wet
Shore power. Electric shock drowning happens when current in the water near a powered dock passes through a swimmer. It can paralyse muscles or stop the heart. The Electric Shock Drowning Prevention Association's diving protocol (ESDPA, 2018) recommends that divers:
- make sure the boat is unplugged, not just switched off at the pedestal
- hang a lockout tag on the receptacle and breaker so nobody plugs it back in
- unplug the boats alongside
- keep a buddy on the dock who knows where to cut dock power and can call 911
- leave the water at once and report it if they feel even a slight tingle
As the owner, unplug your cord yourself and switch off any generator or inverter. The protocol also recommends unplugging the boats alongside and across from yours, so ask the marina or your neighbours.
Propellers and machinery. Ontario requires mechanisms to be locked out to the satisfaction of the diver and supervisor. Writing about ships, marine insurer West P&I lists entanglement in propellers and thrusters and suction from intakes among hull-cleaning hazards, and calls for lock-out/tag-out (West P&I, 2023). On a small boat: engines off, keys out, a note on the helm, and no pumps, generator or windlass while the diver is down.
Hookah compressors. Some hull cleaners breathe from a surface compressor through a hose. Of the risks unique to hookah, DAN calls carbon monoxide poisoning from boat exhaust "perhaps the most serious" and says the intake belongs upwind and as far from exhaust as possible (DAN, 2019).
For marina and yacht-club managers
The ESDPA protocol also recommends that the facility:
- know about every dive, with divers checking in and out
- make sure the boat is completely unplugged before diving starts
- consider regular "diving windows" with a dock section's feeder breakers off
- plan for emergencies: know where to cut power, consider cut-off switches at key points such as the head of a dock, keep a non-conductive pole and throwable rings handy, and train with local responders
Red flags when hiring a diver
- Happy to dive while the boat is still plugged in.
- Plans to work alone with nobody on the surface.
- Only a recreational card for structural, welding or construction work.
- Proposes scuba for welding, cutting or intake work.
- No insurance, or won't name the insurer.
- One number with no scope, then extra charges on the day.
- Wants full payment in cash before any work.
- Won't provide before and after photos.
- Runs a hookah compressor next to a running engine.
- In Ontario, suggests skipping the notice or the written plans.
How do I compare diver quotes?
Make sure every quote prices the same job. One Jacksonville, Florida operator charges per foot for hull cleaning, per anode for zincs and per hour per diver for inspections and searches. It bases prices on vessel size, commercial usage, paint age, fouling, distance and conditions, with a USD 50 trip charge on zinc and search jobs and USD 35 per piece of additional equipment (DS Diving, 2026).
An hourly rate is not a total. A port-authority procurement analyst reports US West Coast commercial rates of about USD 75–200 per diver-hour, not counting the supervisor, tenders, equipment and mobilisation (commercialdivingcontractors.com, August 2026). For each quote, check:
- crew size and who is on the surface
- trip charge and minimum time
- equipment surcharges and disposal
- photos, video or a written note
- the weather rule and what a scrubbed day costs
- whether a zinc change includes the zincs
Cheapest is not always best. Doug Elsey, executive director of the Canadian Association of Diving Contractors, put it this way: "A lower-priced bid based on SCUBA may not be an acceptable bid if SCUBA is not appropriate or permitted for the work being performed" (CADC). For hull-cleaning prices by region, see our boat hull cleaning cost guide.
Paperwork: a one-page agreement and before and after photos
A small job needs a page in writing, not a lawyer. An email you both answer "agreed" will do. Include:
- names, phone numbers, and the boat, slip or address
- the scope, in the quote's words
- the date window and weather rule
- the price, what it includes, and how extras get approved
- deliverables: before and after photos and a short note of what was found
- safety duties: who unplugs, who holds the keys, who tells the marina and, in Ontario, who files the notice and plans
- the insurer and policy number
- payment terms
Before photos record the condition of the hull or structure, and after photos prove the work was done. If the images are for a listing, agree usage rights first (our longer guide explains why). For structural or pre-purchase work, look at marine surveying rather than a cleaning visit.
Paying the diver
- Agree when and how you will pay before the dive.
- A deposit is fair when the diver travels far, brings a crew or buys parts. Paying everything up front to a stranger is not.
- Pay promptly once you have the photos and the work matches the agreement.
- Use a method that leaves a record.
- A diver who calls off a dive for weather or safety is doing the job properly. Pay any agreed trip charge and rebook.
The hiring checklist (copy this)
- Write down the job: what, where, depth, visibility, access, hazards, deliverables, dates. Add photos.
- Check your rules: OSHA Subpart T (US), O. Reg. 629/94 and CSA Z275 (Ontario), Diving at Work Regulations 1997 (UK), or your own regulator.
- In Ontario, agree who files the Notice of Diving Operations (24 hours ahead) and the written plans.
- Get at least two quotes from the same job description.
- Ask every diver the questions in the table above.
- Check the certificate's name, category and fit for the job.
- Confirm insurance with the insurer.
- Confirm the crew: who dives, who is on the surface, who is in charge.
- Compare quotes line by line: crew, trip charge, minimums, equipment, deliverables, weather rule.
- Put the agreement in writing, even as an email.
- Tell the marina and ask the boats alongside to unplug.
- On the day: shore power unplugged, generator off, keys out, note on the helm.
- Get before and after photos and a short note.
- Pay as agreed and leave an honest review.
Hiring a diver through DiverHire
DiverHire is a new marketplace in public beta with only a few divers listed so far, so there may not be one near you yet. You can post a job free with the details from the first section, tagged casual or commercial (the diver makes the final call and signs a waiver when bidding). Divers bid, you message them and pick one, and you pay the diver directly: DiverHire takes no fee on jobs and does not do the work. A check-mark badge on a profile means an admin has reviewed the diver's uploaded certificate, not their insurance or skill, so run the checks on this page yourself.
Sources
- OSHA: 29 CFR 1910.401 Scope and application — covers diving in connection with all types of work; the four exemptions (current text, opened 2026)
- OSHA: 29 CFR 1910.424 SCUBA diving — standby diver, line-tended or buddy contact, 130 fsw limit (opened 2026)
- OSHA: 29 CFR 1910.410 Qualifications of dive team — CPR and first aid for all team members; person in charge on site (opened 2026)
- Government of Ontario: Working divers and commercial diving operations — O. Reg. 629/94 scope and exemptions; owner duties (24-hour notice, written plans, lockout per CSA Z275.2 clause 4.5.4); CSA Z275.4 competency; DCBC route (updated 2022)
- Government of Ontario: Achieve compliance, diving operations O. Reg. 629/94 — supervisors' DCBC cards show diving type and should be available to inspectors (updated 2022)
- Canadian Association of Diving Contractors: changes in upcoming CSA Z275.2-26 — four-person default scuba crew, three-person conditions, scuba prohibitions, low-bid quote (May 2026)
- Diver Certification Board of Canada: Certificate renewal — DCBC certificates valid five years, two years for new graduates (opened 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk: Diving at Work Regulations 1997, regulation 2 — a diver is a person at work who dives (1997)
- legislation.gov.uk: Diving at Work Regulations 1997, regulation 5 — one diving contractor per project (1997)
- legislation.gov.uk: Diving at Work Regulations 1997, regulation 12 — approved qualification and medical certificate (1997)
- HSE: Training and qualifications (diving) — professional divers must hold a qualification on HSE's approved list (updated 2026)
- HSE: L104 Commercial diving projects inland/inshore — covers docks, harbours, rivers, lakes, reservoirs (2nd edition, 2014)
- ADCI: Verify certificate — online certificate check; database updated weekly (2026)
- commercialdivingcontractors.com: How to hire a commercial diving contractor, a 14-point vetting checklist — ADCI not federally required; call the insurance carrier; GL often excludes diving; USD 75–200 per diver-hour on the West Coast excluding supervisor, tenders, equipment and mobilisation (2026)
- DAN World: Dive insurance FAQ — commercial diving not covered by recreational dive accident cover (opened 2026)
- Electric Shock Drowning Prevention Association: Protocol for diving on boats at docks using electrical power — ESD can paralyse or stop the heart; unplug and tag out, unplug neighbours, dock buddy, marina check-in, diving windows, emergency plan (September 2018)
- West P&I: Underwater hull cleaning, risks and precautions — propeller, thruster and intake hazards on ships; lock-out/tag-out (2023)
- DAN: Hooked on hookah diving — carbon monoxide from boat exhaust perhaps the most serious hookah-specific risk; compressor intake upwind and away from exhaust (2019)
- DS Diving: Pricing (Jacksonville, FL) — per-foot, per-anode and per-diver-hour pricing; price factors; USD 50 trip charge; USD 35 per additional equipment (2026)
Last updated: September 2026. Prices and rules change; confirm with local providers.