Starting on land is a waste of time if your goal is the ocean. Land cranes do not prepare you for the constant sway of a ship or the pressure of boat-to-boat transfers. You should go straight into marine-specific schools. Getting your OPITO Stage 1 or API RP 2D certification immediately saves years of irrelevant land work. Rigs operate differently than construction sites, and direct marine training makes you a safer offshore operator faster.