"We welcome anyone who simply wants to [join]," said Navy mine diver Hans Saarepere. "There are some limitations — one shouldn't be claustrophobic or afraid of water — but there are no additional requirements, like needing prior diving experience. We need people who are eager to learn and want to do something more interesting than regular conscript service."

Estonia has the highest concentration of naval mines in the Baltic Sea and there are also shipwrecks and other intriguing finds. "Our work varies a lot from year to year, depending on how our exercises are scheduled. We call them exercises, but in reality, it's real work involving actual explosives," Saarepere explained.

That means the job can be packed with adrenaline at times. "The more extreme experiences have involved mines in very difficult locations — under wrecks, deeply embedded, in high-current environments, at great depths or in darkness," he shared. "At the end of the day, we're doing something good for Estonia's seas — we're clearing them and making them safer for shipping lanes and ports," he added.

According to Saarepere, the number of female divers currently stands at zero. "One woman completed the trials, but unfortunately she chose not to continue. Still, we hope that in the future, conscripts — women included — will consider our unit and go on to become divers."

The trials begin in a hyperbaric chamber. Candidates must also complete land-based physical tests and swimming trials. In addition, they must pass an English language test, as much of the training takes place abroad. The application period for navy diver conscript service ends August 1.

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