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Underwater career training for Pasco students
In Pasco County, students at the Florida Commercial Diving Institute are training for careers that take them into some of the most extreme environments on Earth — working underwater. FOX 13's Mike Hughes shares the story.
HUDSON, Fla. - What if your classroom wasn’t on land, but deep beneath the surface?
In Pasco County, students at the Florida Commercial Diving Institute are training for careers that take them into some of the most extreme environments on Earth — working underwater.
The backstory:
The Florida Commercial Diving Institute is a vocational school focused on preparing students for careers in commercial diving — a highly specialized industry that supports offshore energy, infrastructure, and marine construction.
"The training we're doing is over the course of 27 weeks, 5 days a week, is the highest level of commercial diving training that's available in the world," Sid Preskitt, the co-founder of the Florida Commercial Diving Institute, said.
From offshore oil rigs to underwater construction, this specialized school is giving students the skills needed to succeed in a field that most people never see.
Dig deeper:
Students don’t just learn how to dive, they learn how to work underwater.
Training includes:
- Underwater welding
- Pipeline installation and repair
- Rigging and heavy lifting
- Dive safety and emergency procedures
The program is designed to give students real-world, hands-on experience so they can transition directly into the workforce.
Big picture view:
The campus sits above a natural body of water that reaches depths of more than 250 feet, allowing students to train in conditions that closely replicate real offshore environments.
At the center of the training site is a submerged offshore oil platform, relocated from Louisiana, giving students a rare opportunity to work on real structures they could encounter on the job.
What they're saying:
School leaders say that level of realism is hard to find, and it’s one of the reasons the institute is considered one of only a few commercial diving schools in the country.
Owner and instructor Sid Preskitt, a veteran commercial diver, brings decades of experience to the program. His background includes deep-water hyperbaric welding and offshore operations, helping shape a curriculum focused on safety, precision, and real-world readiness.
"Going down in the water, we have all of your breathing air supplied from the surface," Preskitt explained. "We always have communication with the diver when he's in the water."
Students said that getting the suit on is an intense feeling, and they know it's time to get serious.
"Once you're in the water, things are completely different," student James Demblewski said. "Everything goes very peaceful in your head, everything you see is blue, you see the bubbles and all you feel is the cold water against the wetsuit you're wearing."
Why you should care:
Commercial divers play a critical role in maintaining infrastructure that most people never think about, from bridges and dams to offshore pipelines and energy platforms.
It’s demanding work, often performed in low visibility, high-pressure environments, but it’s also a career path that offers strong earning potential and unique experiences around the world.
Programs like this are helping fill a growing demand for skilled workers in the underwater trades.
What's next:
The Florida Commercial Diving Institute continues to train new classes of students year-round and offers tours for those interested in exploring a career beneath the surface.
The Source: FOX 13 gathered the information for this story from the Florida Commercial Diving Institute and the Florida Department of Education.