Hello - My son is 12 and a paraplegic.  He has a SCI at T5, that he has only had since last year.  He is very interested in SCUBA diving.  My husband is certified and wants to be able to do this with him.  Do you have any ideas of anyone I can contact about adaptive SCUBA here or when and how do you offer classes that perhaps we can plan a trip to?
-Concerned Mom

Hi and thanks for your inquiry,
Thanks also for your commitment to help your son pursue this dream in the safest way possible.

I am also a paraplegic, T-4. I was hurt while active duty in the United States Navy. I never tried scuba before I was hurt but in the years since I learned to dive I have discovered how beneficial it is on so many levels.

There are several different types of certifying agencies, each with their own style and specialty. Also, each student is different and in some cases no special certification is required. I was one such person whom my local dive shop was willing to spend as much time as it took to learn how best to teach me how to dive. My instructors had no special training and we just did everything in the safest possible way. I progressed at my own speed, which was not as fast as most able bodied persons but as long as I performed all the necessary tasks, I completed the training the same as my able-bodied classmates. That was four years ago.

In the years since, I have met with several training agencies and been diving with lots of folks who teach mobility impaired students. While I am not an instructor myself, I do put together instructor teams and make travel arrangements. I can provide you with lots of information regarding various resources if you can be a little more specific regarding what you are looking for at the moment.

There are many agencies that teach scuba. Some are more experienced with handi-scuba than others. Let me start with the oldest and best established agency, the Handicapped Scuba Association. You can go to their website and find an instructor in your area.

If you would like to search in different areas, you can try going to www.hsascuba.com/scripts/FindMember.php?session_id=0b7f8ee80669297fc07bc65b3bf7a33c&login=0&Table=instructors to conduct a new search.


Since your husband is also a diver, I'm sure your son will really be able to get a lot of practice in the pool even before an instructor can start. For all scuba students, most of the preparation is mental. Being comfortable in the water is really important. Along with that, being able to clear a flooded mask is also an important skill that many students have anxiety with. Practice in the pool is really helpful with this skill and can be done, with proper supervision, with only a mask and snorkel.


I have several inspirational videos available that you may find useful. Videos that illustrate how rewarding scuba is for mobility impaired persons and just how easily we all fit in once we are making our dives. For example, I just returned from diving in Cayman Brac with a group based in Houston called Dive Pirates (wwww.divepirates.org) We had four boats full of people, two wheelchair users on each boat; including two high level quads who have been diving for years. Most of the other handi-divers were paraplegics, all new to the sport of scuba. All had great experiences.

While that trip is now over until next year, there is one more trip available, if you are interested. The Handicapped Scuba Association, who I mentioned earlier, has a trip to Bon Aire coming first week of August. I have been on that trip before and I can testify that it is a very safe, very easy location to learn to dive. The hotel and dive operators are experienced and proficient with handi-divers. The host of the trip, Jim Gatacre, has been the one who pioneered handi-scuba over twenty five years ago and no one on planet earth knows more about handi-scuba than Jim. Again, that website is www.hsascuba.org.

Another group, based in New York, called Stayfocused.org conducts regular training sessions in Grand Cayman. This group may be more appropriate for you because they specialize in teaching young people; mainly high school and college aged handi-athletes.

With all of these groups, they start with classroom training, then do pool training, then do open water certification, usually overseas. From your location, the Caribbean offers many possibilities. If the overseas trips are not something you are interested at this point, I'm sure we can find other options.

I don't want to overwhelm you with too much information too soon though. I'm here to answer whatever questions you have. If you would like to purchase or borrow some videos, I can certainly offer that. If you would like more clarification of any topic related to handi-scuba, I'm here for that as well. By e-mail, by phone, or by regular mail, I welcome your questions and concerns.

Sincerely
Pete Gamble, owner and manager of Handi-Divers, llc 520-488-6931 info@handi-divers.com