Dive for Riches

Finding a job in this difficult employment market requires special skills. Rather than relying on the labor market to create a position, acquire skills that companies demand. For people who love to swim and scuba dive, the passion can be turned into a nontraditional career. Commercial diving jobs for oil companies can lead to big paychecks and the type of excitement that few people will ever experience at a traditional desk job.

Working for the oil companies means traveling the globe like James Bond. The latest offshore drill needs divers, and the hot spots could be anywhere from the Red Sea to the Gulf of Mexico or off the coast of Alaska. This is not a job for the faint of heart or for someone without 100 percent confidence in their skills. Divers enter into some of the most extreme conditions on the planet. Making a mistake in the extreme darkness and cold could prove deadly.

Entering into this career will require more than a passion for diving and a few diving lessons at a resort. The International Marine Contractors Association provides information on the type of training required to achieve proper certification. Becoming an expert in both surface supplied diving and scuba diving are necessary to embark upon a career in commercial diving.

Not everyone can attend a traditional brick and mortar university. People interested in diving for a career can expand their knowledge base and become more marketable by getting training in fields such as biology or marine biology. For divers interested in launching a career while attending school, there are many different online degrees that can be pursued from anywhere in the world. The evolving world economy means finding a niche in the marketplace. Rather than worrying about finding a job, pursue a passion such as diving and turn a hobby into a career.

Wellness Goals – Preparing for a Triathlon

A triathlon is the ultimate fitness challenge and test of endurance. With training and the right gear, you’ll be prepared for all aspects of your triathlon.

In a triathlon, athletes participate in three different sports (running, cycling, and swimming) back to back with timed stops in between to allow racers to change clothing and store bikes. While the length of these races varies, standard triathlon distances include a 750m swim, 20km bike, and 5km run. Some triathlons allow competitors to race in relays.

Triathlon Training

Triathlons involve a great deal of endurance, so it can take quite a bit of time to prepare your body. Most of the training for a triathlon is used to build-up endurance in all muscle groups, since the sports in a triathlon utilize both upper and lower body strength. Most competitors spend between six months and a year training for their first triathlon.

Triathlon Swimming Gear

To be competitive in a triathlon, the right equipment is essential. A triathlon store will give you a good idea of what you need to compete, which includes a good bike, a good pair of running shoes, and the right swimming gear.

Swimmers have a distinct edge over their competition when they wear a wetsuit rather than swim trunks or bathing suits. Wetsuits have a number of advantages; for one, they make swimmers more aerodynamic in the water.

Additionally, wetsuits reduce friction because they are made of a much smoother and slicker surface than the surface of the skin, called neoprene, allowing you to glide through the water much faster. The neoprene also makes swimmers more buoyant (floating higher) in the water. As a result, you are able to glide through much faster through the water.

If you are preparing for your first triathlon, it should include proper training and the right swimming gear to help you succeed.