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	<title>Handi-Divers</title>
	<updated>2010-07-30T16:21:56Z</updated>
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	<generator uri="http://app.onlinequickblog.com/" version="2.0">Quick Blogcast</generator>
	<entry>
		<title>Diver Stress &amp; Rescue, 2009</title>
		<link rel="alternate" href="http://blog.handi-divers.com/2009/05/23/diver-stress--rescue-2009.aspx?ref=rss" />
		<id>tag:blog.handi-divers.com,2009-05-23:fda4512d-78eb-4b6e-b6f2-a8d0fb1efd22</id>
		<author>
			<name>Manager</name>
		</author>
		<updated>2009-05-23T23:59:00Z</updated>
		<published>2009-05-23T23:59:00Z</published>
		<content type="html">Hey all! Three days of diving with Aaron's Dive Shop went really well. May 13th, 14th &amp;amp; 15th. First two days from the boat and last day from shore. This was my first shore dive and I was happy to have had the opportunity. The reason for the shore dive was to work on the rescue skills in a safer, calmer environment than what we typically experience when diving from a boat.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The purpose of the trip was to complete the Diver Stress &amp;amp; Rescue skills. I started this training with my local dive shop where we completed the classroom training and the pool training. When it came time for the open water part of this training, Hawaii was my first choice, for many reasons. Hawaii is easy to get to from the Southwest. Unlike trips to the Caribbean, Honolulu is a straight flight from Phoenix. I also like Hawaii better than the Caribbean because Hawaii is part of the U.S. and I prefer to deal with a business environment with which I am most familiar. Hawaii has some great reefs and wrecks to explore and Aarons Dive Shop is always my first choice because I know the nitrox they sell me will be reliable and the boat Captains will be safe. The instructors and other staff always aim to please and can be counted on to go the extra mile when it comes to reaching the customer's goals.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;As a paraplegic, the Diver Stress &amp;amp; Rescue class was uncharted territory. I am still not sure how many Handi-Divers complete this training. It is a great class, especially for Handi-Divers. Whether a person can actually perform all the tasks or not isn't as important to me as actually making the effort to try. The staff at Aaron's was willing to go over and above the call of duty to help me at every junction as long as I didn't give up. I had to do my part and they certainly did theirs. I encourage all Handi-Divers to take the Stress &amp;amp; Rescue class, to study the material, practice the material in class, in the pool and in the ocean. Try your best, do what you can. Focus on what you CAN do.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The resuce breathing was hard. Not pushing the victim's head under water is hard. Towing the victim is also hard but it can be done. I made a rope especially for this class so that I could clip my BC to the victim's BC and still use both hands to tow that diver to shore or to the boat. I can tow another diver when I have this rope in my BC pocket. I CAN do it. I CAN give rescue breathes. I CAN direct others on the boat in an organized way. I can be part of the rescue team. I CAN be part of the solution and not part of the problem. You can too.&lt;br&gt;</content>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<title>Quad snorkeling in Oahu</title>
		<link rel="alternate" href="http://blog.handi-divers.com/2009/02/23/quad-snorkeling-in-oahu.aspx?ref=rss" />
		<id>tag:blog.handi-divers.com,2009-02-23:6739c85c-4cb3-42f2-a562-460ba5d0d6e0</id>
		<author>
			<name>Manager</name>
		</author>
		<updated>2009-02-24T00:42:00Z</updated>
		<published>2009-02-24T00:42:00Z</published>
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&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;Handi-Divers received the following
question-&amp;nbsp; "I will be traveling to &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;Oahu&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt; for my honeymoon in two weeks. I am a
quadriplegic, and I would really like to snorkel while I'm there. I read about
the diving you did in &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;Oahu&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;.
Do you know&amp;nbsp;of any companies or diving instructors who may be able to take
me?"&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
In response, Handi-Divers offers the following reply-&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;First of all, congratulations on
your&amp;nbsp;wedding. I wish&amp;nbsp;you the&amp;nbsp;very best. For travel, I think you
are making a great choice. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;Oahu&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;
is my favorite island because it is very accessible and has lots of stuff to
do. Other people like &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;Maui&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;
better, and that is also an accessible choice, but I like &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;Oahu&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt; best.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;Oahu&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt; has a great public bus system. Now that
I understand the buses, I won't consider renting a car.&amp;nbsp;All&amp;nbsp;public
busses can take wheelchairs,&amp;nbsp;including electric wheelchairs.&amp;nbsp;Even
with most activities, they pick you up at your hotel in their own bus, so
transportation is never an issue. With an electric chair,&amp;nbsp;the
experience&amp;nbsp;will be different. There is a cab company there with an
accessible minivan. I can look it up for you if you like.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;In general, everything on this island is
accessible. They may not advertise as being accessible but most places will
make every effort to include and serve all&amp;nbsp;tourists&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;With snorkeling, you have&amp;nbsp;four
options:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;The&amp;nbsp;first option is something I have
done and definitely recommend. **Actually snorkeling from the beach.** &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;st1:placename&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;Hanunuma&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:placename&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:placetype&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;Bay&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:placetype&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt; is really the best place to start
because it is totally controlled- no surf to speak of, especially on the inner
bay. Snorkeling &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;st1:placename&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;Haunuma&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:placename&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:placetype&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;Bay&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:placetype&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt; is lots of fun. I definitely will do
that again. You won't need a guide. There are people and lifeguards everywhere.
It is best to go in the morning, if you can, before too many other people have
the chance to kick up a lot of sand. Visibility in the water should be better
if you go early, but even if you go late, it is still a great place to go.
You&amp;nbsp;should buy a book about it before you go and study all the sea
creatures you expect to encounter. You are sure to run across several
different, really interesting things there. I like the Lonely Planet book for
Diving &amp;amp; Snorkeling Hawaii. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;You can also snorkel with ease at &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;Waikiki&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt; beaches, I have done that several times.
The State of &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:state&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;Hawaii&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;/st1:state&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt; provides beach wheelchairs at most all beaches. These
wheelchairs have balloon style tires and with these chairs, you can more easily
move over the sand. Go to a lifegaurd station and ask for one. They will give
you one and will probably also help you out over the sand, depending on who is
there and how busy they are. The surf at &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;Waikiki&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt; usually isn't too rough but there are
tons of other people there, so conditions vary.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;Your next option is something I have
never done, because I already dive. **It is&amp;nbsp;called SNUBA.** Snuba is a
cross between snorkeling and scuba. You don't wear any of the scuba equipment,
so you can't dive very deep. Instead of a snorkel, you have a regulator
(mouthpiece with an air hose) that is attached to something called a Hooka. A
hooka is an air tank that floats on the surface. Your regulator is attached to
the hooka (air tank) and so you can breath the same as in scuba. The regulator
hose is pretty long, like maybe 30 feet or so. Maybe they have a guide you can
hire to be with you, I don't know. It is probably less expensive than
the&amp;nbsp;last option. I think they dive off of&amp;nbsp;platforms, just slightly
off shore. It actually looks pretty fun and I want to try that. It is made for
snorklers, so the conditions should be good (not a lot of surf). Probably they
take people out to the platform on either a jet ski or a boat. Different
companies will have different ways of doing it.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;The third option is also something I have
not done, but my wife and son have and they loved it. **It is snorkeling with
dolphins.** You go out on the dive boat but this time it is with all snorkelers
and the goal is to follow dolphins. Since dolphins are so much faster than
people, when they leave one area, everyone gets back in the boat and the boat
goes to where the dolphins are. Then everyone gets back in the water and
snorkels until the dolphins leave again. I'm not sure how long these trips are
but probably there are morning and afternoon trips.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;The fourth option is not something I have
ever tried, because I already dive. Sometimes, when we go out on the dive boat,
not everyone is a scuba diver. **Some people go out on the dive boat just to
snorkel.** That is to say, the dive boat holds ten divers, for example. Maybe
there are six scuba divers and two snorklers and two empty spots. If you want to
do it that way, you would&amp;nbsp;hire a dive operator who you like. On &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;Oahu&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt; I always dive with &lt;a href="http://www.hawaii-scuba.com/"&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt;Aaron's Dive shop&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.
Their staff is always excellent. No matter who you have with you leading the
trip, it will always be someone really knowledgeable, safe and fun. So say you
decide to call Aaron's Dive shop. You tell them you want to go out on the dive
boat as a snorkler. Probably the price is less than what they charge for
divers. You can buy a seat on the boat, or buy two seats, one for you and one
for your bride.&amp;nbsp; In this case, you would be able to hire a guide who would
be with you at all times.&amp;nbsp;The guide would totally help you with anything
you need. This is probably the most expensive way to go. It also may&amp;nbsp;be
the&amp;nbsp;LEAST fun because you'd be with scuba divers and they like to go out
to spots where the diving is great but the snorkeling may not be. If they go
diving on the South&amp;nbsp;side of the island, no problem
for&amp;nbsp;snorklers.&amp;nbsp;If they decide to go on the North Shore to dive- that
is definitely no fun to snorkel in because that is the Windward side- that
means it the wind always creates more surf. Scuba divers won't really worry
about it because they are below the surface, but for anyone bobbing around up
top, seasickness is a potential risk. (Remember, eating Ginger Root is great to
prevent seasickness.) Sometimes they don't decide what side of the island they
will dive until the last minute because conditions change. The side by Waianae
(West)&amp;nbsp;may be good snorkeling, I don't know. We usually take the dive boat
when we go to that side of the island, and the diving is great. Maybe the
snorkeling is good too, I can't say.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;Don't forget to take the Aquarium tour,
that is excellent. Be sure to include a Luau. Of course, no first time trip to &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;Oahu&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt; is complete without a day to the &lt;a href="http://www.polynesianculturetours.com/"&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt;Polynesian
Cultural Center&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;If I can be of further assistance, please
don't hesitate to ask.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;Sincerely&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"&gt;-Pete &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;I think you will be most happy with &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;st1:placename&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;Hanuama&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:placename&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:placetype&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;Bay&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:placetype&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;. They do have beach wheelchairs there,
for sure. Being that the wheelchairs have balloon tires, the tires float. So
the whole chair floats.&amp;nbsp;Even if you are really heavy, it's not like the
'chair&amp;nbsp;will go&amp;nbsp;very far into the water. The beach chair is mainly
used to cross over the sand with much less work. You can't push it yourself, in
most cases, but neither do you have to go very far. It is also good to use
because it keeps your regular chair from getting any more sand or salt water
than necessary. If you tried doing the beach in your regular chair, which I
also have done, it gets covered in sand.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;Basically, you transfer from your chair to
the beach chair. Then someone pushes you across the sand, up into the water
just a bit. Then you transfer to the beach, same as transferring to the floor.
HAVE AN EXTRA CUSHION READY. Then you crawl to the water. From there it is very
fun. BE &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:stockticker&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;SURE&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:stockticker&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt; TO&amp;nbsp;PROTECT YOUR FEET! There are
special shoes that divers wear, called Scuba Booties. I always use them, even
in the pool, because they protect my feet. In a place like &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;st1:placename&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;Haunuma&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:placename&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:placetype&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;Bay&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:placetype&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;, you definitely want to protect your skin
from abrasions. Coral can cut skin. I have never got cut while snorkeling
anywhere, but it is something to be aware of.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;As far as transferring into and out of the
beach chair, from the water, it is pretty much the same as transferring to and
from the floor from your everyday chair. People are there and they will help
you. They have helped me and many others. Yes it is a little embarrassing
sometimes but it's not a big deal for most people. In the water, you will see
some parrot fish at &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;st1:placename&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;Hanuama&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:placename&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:placetype&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;Bay&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:placetype&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt; and some other fish as well. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:state&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;Hawaii&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;/st1:state&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt; isn't the &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;Caribbean&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;. The reefs are different and not as
spectacular in many respects. There are lots of great reefs in &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:state&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;Hawaii&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;/st1:state&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt; but not like the &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;Caribbean&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:state&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;Hawaii&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;/st1:state&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt; has different things to offer and in many
respects is better. The bay is divided into two parts: inner and outer. I've
only done the inner bay because it is really easy and relaxing. The outer bay
requires more skill because the tide can pull a person pretty far out, pretty
quickly. Believe it or not, they are really well separated. The way the reef
is, you can't accidentally get pulled out from the inner reef. If you are in
the inner reef, you are totally safe.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;With Aaron's, they are my favorite dive
shop in &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:state&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;Hawaii&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;/st1:state&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt; for sure, but it sounds like you may not
be ready for something like that. You can call them and ask to talk to someone
who has worked with wheelchair users before. Ask what days they will be diving
the south side of the island, that will be the&amp;nbsp;side with the least surf.
Again, that is only if you think you are up for the challenge. For this type of
vacation it may be better to go with the more touristy type stuff. It all
depends on how you feel and what you are able to do. With Aarons, also, they
pick you up at your hotel but it is in a regular van, no lift. If you are not
comfortable transferring into and out of that type of vehicle, that is
something to consider. Yes, they will help you will all transfers but you have
to tell them exactly what they need to do to help you.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;As far as getting into and out of the
boat- from the parking lot, they will carry you. Usually you and your chair
together, depending on what you prefer. You have to tell them what you are most
comfortable with.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;Getting into and out of the boat from the
water- some of the boats they use have swim platforms. That is the easiest and
is similar to getting into and out of a pool (without a lift.) Other boats do
not have swim platforms. Since they may not know what boat they are using until
the day of the dive, this is one reason you may not want to go out on a boat.
If you go on a boat that has no swim platform, getting back in can be tricky.
Since we can't climb the ladders like all the other divers do, we have to
literally crawl back into the boat, usually over the gunnels, which can be
dangerous if there is a bit of surf. Remember, in &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:state&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;Hawaii&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;/st1:state&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;, it is not the &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;Caribbean&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;. There is surf.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;Diving with able bodied folks has
advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes it is better because you see things you
wouldn't see when you are with a group of disabled divers. Sometimes it is more
difficult because the boat goes to places that are more difficult to dive.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;If you are with a group of disabled
divers/snorklers, it is always easy, guaranteed. Groups like Handicapped Scuba
Association or Dive Pirates are my two favorite groups. Stay Focused is another
good group. Each has a slightly different focus but all these groups are on my links page.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;If I had to guess,&amp;nbsp;I would say the
reason you have not heard back from the companies yet is because they typically
don't encounter wheelchair users. Probably the person reading the e-mail has to
ask someone else, typically the owner, and wait for&amp;nbsp;a response. I know I
have been diving with many of the staff at Aaron's. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;It sounds to me like you would be most
happy in both &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;st1:placename&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;Haunuma&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:placename&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:placetype&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;Bay&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:placetype&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt; and the Beaches at &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;Waikiki&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;. Those two you can do without hiring any
help because lifeguards are at both locations and both locations have beach
wheelchairs. You won't see any fish at &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;Waikiki&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt; beaches but it is really fun&amp;nbsp;because
it is such a historic thing to do.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;As far as anything else you would like to
explore, I think once you get someone from Aaron's on the phone, they will be
more than willing to help you arrange something. Even if it's not something
with them, they can probably figure out how to get you doing what you want to
do. Maybe one of the guides there (also called Dive Masters) knows a place and
is willing to go there with you, on the side. Probably you can hire one of
their dive masters to be your guide on one of the snuba trips.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue;"&gt;If you had more time, I would recommend
practicing in the pool first. It makes a big difference if you are already
comfortable in the water. When all these little bits of stress start to add up,
it can subtract from the fun. If you are already comfortable in the water, then
it will be easier to enjoy everything.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;br&gt;

</content>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<title>One friend helping another</title>
		<link rel="alternate" href="http://blog.handi-divers.com/2009/02/02/one-friend-helping-another.aspx?ref=rss" />
		<id>tag:blog.handi-divers.com,2009-02-02:5e8f0891-ddc5-42a6-9a69-f244fe6d915c</id>
		<author>
			<name>Manager</name>
		</author>
		<category term="new handi-diver" />
		<updated>2009-02-03T00:02:00Z</updated>
		<published>2009-02-03T00:02:00Z</published>
		<content type="html">One person has written the following question-&lt;br&gt;---------------------------------------------------------------&lt;br&gt;"I am looking into dive equipment for a friend of mine who is paralyzed from the waist down.&amp;nbsp; He is interested in diving and what type of fins he would use.&amp;nbsp; I noticed on your site you do equipment demos, what do you recommend for fin use?"&lt;br&gt;----------------------------------------------------------------&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;Hi and thank you for 
taking time to contact us here at Handi-Divers, llc. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;My name is Pete 
and&amp;nbsp;I would like to respond to your inquiry.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;If I am 
understanding you correctly, you are helping a friend who is paralyzed from the 
waist down. If I could inquire a bit more as to level he or she is paralyzed at, 
that would be helpful. Also, if your friend is complete or incomplete, 
ambulatory or non-ambulatory. How recently and how tramatic was this injury? Or 
perhaps this is not the result of an injury?&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;I can offer my own 
situation as an example. I have been paralyzed at T-4 for the past 20 years as a 
result of a motor vehicle accident. T-4 is about mid chest level, just under the 
pectoral muscles. This is considered fairly high for a paraplegic. It does not 
interfere with strength or&amp;nbsp;arm movement (range of motion) at all but it does 
affect my balance. In my five years of diving I have met a few hundred other 
paralyzed divers with a wide range of abilities.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;Usually, in what I 
have witnessed, people who are not ambulatory (people who cannot stand or walk) 
do not use fins. This is not always true, but in general there are only a few 
exceptions. Usually people who are not amubulatory use webbed gloves; either 
similar to what surfers use or other types of webbed gloves.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;The exceptions to 
this would be persons who feel that dragging fins behind them helps to keep 
their legs stable or helps make their legs more bouyant. Since a person's legs 
are usually quite bouyant without fins, those handi-divers using fins may also 
decide to use ankle weights to keep from being upside down. Again, these are 
exceptions. Most handi-divers use webbed gloves instead of 
fins.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;Rarely, a 
handi-diver will use a scooter (Dive Propulsion Vehicle, DPV). I personally love 
using my scooter.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;Those handi-divers 
who are both non-ambulatory and without good arm strength, need the assistance 
of two able bodied divers who take turns propelling the handi-diver. 
&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;If I might suggest 
something more important than fins, it would be weight placement. Most modern 
Bouyancy Compensation Devices (BCDs&amp;nbsp; or BCs) usually have integrated weights. 
These weight pockets are usually located as to be within easy reach of each 
hand- one for the left hand and one for the right hand.&amp;nbsp;While&amp;nbsp;this style of 
weight placement is great for ambulatory divers, it can result in an awkward 
sensation of instability for handi-divers--- especially new handi-divers who are 
still learning how to control their bouyancy. What I have had success with (in 
constructing my own dive profile) is placing about two thirds of my weight in 
these dumpable weight pockets and the remaining third of the lead in a cumberbun 
weight pocket. Since this is non-dumpable, it is not intended to be a sole 
source of weight, only enough to "trim" the dive profile. This is similar to 
trim weights that ambulatory divers sometimes use to offset the balance of other 
equipment. Ambulatory divers usually place trim weights next to their tank but 
handi-divers benefit more from having the trim weights in the cumberbum. Each BC 
is different and each diver is different. Finding the right amount of lead, and 
placement of lead, is always important and this only becomes more important when 
we are talking about non ambulatory divers.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;In general, I would 
say that if you want to help your friend learn how to dive, there are several 
options for both you and your friend to learn. Going solo is always an option 
but that can be a slow, hit and miss approach. If you were to go on one of the 
trips with other handi-divers, you can learn a ton of things in a short amount 
of time. Probably the one group that has the most handi-dvers per trip is Dive 
Pirates (&lt;a href="http://www.divepirates.org/"&gt;www.divepirates.org&lt;/a&gt;) If your 
friend is college aged or below, I would suggest a group called Stay Focused.&amp;nbsp; 
Both of those groups dive the Caymans. Of course, the one group that has been 
doing this the longest and has the most to teach would be Handicapped Scuba 
Association (&lt;a href="http://www.hsascuba.com/"&gt;www.hsascuba.com&lt;/a&gt;) The 
Handicapped Scuba Association (HSA) may not have the most handi-divers on the 
upcoming trip to Borneo, I have no idea, but I do know that the guy running the 
trip is Jim Gatacre and nobody on planet earth knows more about handicapped 
scuba than Jim. Personally, I love Hawaii the best and that is where 
Handi-Divers will be going in March. (Either that or&amp;nbsp;Cozumel, I'm not quite sure 
yet.) &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;Remember, being 
comfortable in the water is really important. Of course, working in the pool is 
a prerequisite to any type of dive training.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;Also,&amp;nbsp; I have some 
insprirational videos for sale, as do other organizations. These can be quite 
motivating; especially for any paralyzed person still considering the plunge but 
also for those wanting to teach them.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;Before 
I can make any specific suggestions,&amp;nbsp;I would have to know more information. 
&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;There are lots of groups out there. I can always talk more with 
you about whatever questions you have.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;Sincerely&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;Pete 
Gamble&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="515225322-02022009"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;Managing Owner, 
Handi-Divers llc.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;</content>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<title>Question from a Mom who is investigating best options for her son</title>
		<link rel="alternate" href="http://blog.handi-divers.com/2008/06/25/question-from-a-mom-who-is-investigating-best-options-for-her-son.aspx?ref=rss" />
		<id>tag:blog.handi-divers.com,2008-06-25:81b51f49-92d3-46ed-b442-d67503c6feb4</id>
		<author>
			<name>Manager</name>
		</author>
		<category term="New Student Diver" />
		<updated>2008-06-25T16:22:00Z</updated>
		<published>2008-06-25T16:22:00Z</published>
		<content type="html">Hello - My son is 12 and a paraplegic.&amp;nbsp; He has a SCI at T5, that he has only had since last year.&amp;nbsp; He is very interested in SCUBA diving.&amp;nbsp; My husband is certified and wants to be able to do this with him.&amp;nbsp; 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?&lt;br&gt;-Concerned Mom&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Hi and thanks for your inquiry,&lt;br&gt;Thanks also for your commitment to help your son pursue this dream in the safest way possible.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;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.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;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.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;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.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;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.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;If you would like to search in different areas, you can try going to &lt;a href="http://www.hsascuba.com/scripts/FindMember.php?session_id=0b7f8ee80669297fc07bc65b3bf7a33c&amp;amp;login=0&amp;amp;Table=instructors"&gt;www.hsascuba.com/scripts/FindMember.php?session_id=0b7f8ee80669297fc07bc65b3bf7a33c&amp;amp;login=0&amp;amp;Table=instructors&lt;/a&gt; to conduct a new search.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;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.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;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.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;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 &lt;a href="http://www.hsascuba.org."&gt;www.hsascuba.org.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;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.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;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. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;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.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Sincerely&lt;br&gt;Pete Gamble, owner and manager of Handi-Divers, llc 520-488-6931 info@handi-divers.com&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;</content>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<title>Dive Pirates in Cayman Brac</title>
		<link rel="alternate" href="http://blog.handi-divers.com/2008/06/16/dive-pirates-in-cayman-brac.aspx?ref=rss" />
		<id>tag:blog.handi-divers.com,2008-06-16:155a891c-638e-4044-a1a3-c9ef3c0188cc</id>
		<author>
			<name>Manager</name>
		</author>
		<category term="Summer 2008" />
		<updated>2008-06-16T20:44:00Z</updated>
		<published>2008-06-16T20:44:00Z</published>
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&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="Arial"&gt;In June of 2008
I participated, for the second time, in the annual Dive Pirate trip to Cayman
Brac. This is a group that specializes in providing scuba training to persons
who have lost use of their limbs through physical trauma; primarily Veterans
who have sustained injury as a result of service to our country. The &lt;st1:personname&gt;Dive
 Pirates&lt;/st1:personname&gt; trip to Cayman Brac was probably one of the single
best dive trips I've ever been on; which is saying a lot because I've been on
some pretty great ones. Those of you that know me know that I will always pick &lt;st1:state&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;Hawaii&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;/st1:state&gt;
as my first choice in dive locations but here I am at my keyboard wishing I was
back in Cayman Brac. Again this year, I met tons of great people. As with&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;nearly all dive trips to the Caymans, the
conditions were perfect and there were no problems. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Starting with dive #92 at Snapper Reef we began to reacquaint ourselves with
fish we had not visited since last summer. The variety of fish was very
refreshing: Trumpetfish, Drumfish, Grunts, Blennies, Goatfish, Puffers, Groupers
and Turtles to name just a few.&lt;/font&gt;

&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="Arial"&gt;I felt lucky to
spot two stingrays that were feeding on the bottom. One of the stingrays looked
more like a flounder because of its small size and intricate camouflage; later
my buddy told me it was a Southern Stingray. One of the more experienced divers
among us spotted a Lettuce Leaf Slug and pointed it out for us all. We
continued on to &lt;st1:city&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;Tombstone&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;/st1:city&gt;,
Charlie’s Reef and finally, the &lt;st1:country-region&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;Tibet&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;/st1:country-region&gt;’s
Wreck.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="Arial"&gt;This wreck is
now one of top favorites and I really want to dive it again. I like deep for
the sense of adventure but not too deep because I like to stay on Nitrox. At
less than 87 feet, this fits the bill perfectly in that regard. It’s also only
about twelve years old so while it does have a good bit of sealife growing on
it, it is not falling apart on the inside. It has been broken into two pieces,
forward and aft, I think because of hurricane Ivan. Me and my trusty SeaDoo
scooter penetrated the wreck with my dive buddy and guide. It was a tight
squeeze with the scooter, which adds to the sense of adventure while still
being safe. We had plenty of time, light and space throughout most of the
wreck. I didn’t make it to the bridge on this trip but I will look forward to
doing it later.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="Arial"&gt;On to Buccaneer
Reef and End of Island Reef to see my first Nurse shark, more stingrays,
flounders, crabs and jawfish. Then to the famous Bloody Bay Wall at &lt;st1:place&gt;Little
 Cayman-&lt;/st1:place&gt; truly great dives that you have to experience for
yourself.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="Arial"&gt;As our days of
diving continued, I was fast approaching dive #100, which my buddies made quite
a memorable occasion for me. My dive buddies Sergio and Becky made the
anticipation pleasantly dramatic. While submerged on dives 98 and 99, Sergio
periodically flashed hand signals to me which communicated the number “98”.
This was his way of telling me “This is dive number ninety eight, dive number
one hundred is coming and you won’t know exactly what we’ve got planned for
you.” During dive number ninety-nine, he would again flash the hand signal for
that number; coupled with an intimidating look, I wondered what was going
through his mind. The feelings I had were good because it reminded me of the
comradery we shared on board my ship when I was active duty in the U.S. Navy.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;





&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="Arial"&gt;As the next day
came, I new the time for Sergio’s plans was near. My first dive of the day was
dive number one hundred. One of my other buddies, Becky, was also on board with
the fun, though I would not discover this until she was the one to deliver the
cream pie directly in my face in such a way that everyone, including me, got a
great laugh out of it. Complete with sprinkles and a cherry on top, they did
not disappoint me. Of course, any time I get my picture taken, I’m happy. I
relished basking in the cameras of all the other divers just before I dropped into
dive number one hundred &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;at Sergeant Major Reef.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="Arial"&gt;Dive #101 was my first night dive and that was not scary at
all. I expected I would have fear but none at all. My buddy was really good at
holding a light for me, so I was able to keep my hands free, which of course
makes all the difference in the world since I can’t use my legs and didn’t have
a scooter on that dive. I suppose that I wasn’t scared because there really
wasn’t anything to be scared of. Yes, the night is definitely something that is
totally empty when underwater, especially with no moon and cloud cover. The
lights lowered from the boat are only enough to illuminate the area immediately
around the swim platform of the boat. Once at depth, a dive light is the only
light around. I was ok with that though. I knew my buddies were with me. After
diving with them the whole week, they were no longer strangers; I trusted them.
Of course, being is an area with such great conditions helps too.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
The remaining dives were no less spectacular than the rest of what I had been
experiencing with this group all week. We continued to spot a wide variety of
sea life, including a Nurse Shark; which was peacefully in our shared domain. I
ended up completing dive #107 and I’m still happy about the whole experience.
The group of &lt;st1:personname&gt;Dive Pirates&lt;/st1:personname&gt; really are the best
in every way: Most fun, most helpful, most experienced. It’s a great mix of
people and I want to go back again already.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

</content>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<title>2008 Happenings</title>
		<link rel="alternate" href="http://blog.handi-divers.com/2008/02/14/2008-happenings.aspx?ref=rss" />
		<id>tag:blog.handi-divers.com,2008-02-14:5c5d6e05-493a-4d26-8a40-87dba333e3e2</id>
		<author>
			<name>Manager</name>
		</author>
		<category term="Upcoming Trips" />
		<updated>2008-02-14T17:35:00Z</updated>
		<published>2008-02-14T17:35:00Z</published>
		<content type="html">There are some great things happening this year:&lt;br&gt;1) The big Majuro/Hawaii trip is finally happening. Flying out April 6th. I'll keep you posted &lt;img src="http://blog.handi-divers.com/emoticons/smile.png" border="0" /&gt;&lt;br&gt;2) Dive Heart will be making their annual trip to Cozumel May 7 - 11th.&lt;br&gt;3) The Dive Pirates will be making their annual trip to Cayman Brac June 7 - 14th.&lt;br&gt;4) Here in Arizona a few of us are working with an HSA certified instructor in Roatan to go there June 14 - 20th.&lt;br&gt;5) The Handicapped Scuba Association (HSA) will be making their annual trip to Bon Aire August 9 - 16.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Lastly, we cannot fail to mention Stay-Focused. They will be making several trips to Grand Cayman again this year. In the past four years they have made twelve trips! All participants were fully funded. This is a real achievement that has helped hundreds of mobility impaired athletes, mainly college students, to discover and advance their scuba abilities.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Whatever your desire or ability level, be sure to explore all your options.&lt;br&gt;Sincerely&lt;br&gt;-Pete&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;</content>
	</entry>
</feed>