Pettyfan45
Contributor
I have been wanting to try SCUBA since I was a kid, but never thought I could living in a landlocked area (North East Missouri if curious) and with Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy (my legs don't work right having a lot of spasms, I use a cane and braces to help get around). A local dive posted on Facebook they were doing a free Try SCUBA event. After talking to one of the people at the shop they gave a form for my doctor to fill out and my doctor didn't have an issue giving this a try (she did say if I wanted to get certified there is another doctor who is a diver at her office and should would want me to see them for my next annual physical and talk a little more specifically on this).
The event was Sunday and I enjoyed it a lot. This was one of the most freeing experiences I have had; no cane, no braces, no having to look if there places to sit if my legs start getting tired, no worrying about uneven ground, no worrying about my legs having spasms and falling, if I wanted go somewhere I could just go. The instructor I was with works with the disabled diving students, we both noticed even with fins I don't move well just trying swim with my legs (I don't have a lot of power in my lower body due to the CP) but moved fine swimming with my arms and the instructor mentioned I might want see about getting "hand fins". I also have implanted medical device called a Baclofen Pump, it sits in my abdomen and pumps the drug Baclofen into my spine to control my spasms and help me walk better, unfortunately due to the pump I can't dive deeper than 30 feet or the pressure could crush the pump inside me (it is effectively a sealed system with no way to equalize the pressure in it, I might as well have a metal a balloon inside me). Even with my issues my instructor thinks I pretty well for my first time in the water and I could get certified though the SSI Classified Diving program if I wanted too move forward with this.
Before I go farther I want see about bringing my Twin sister to a Try SCUBA thing, she also has Cerebral Palsy she Right Hemiplegia that causes her right arm and leg to not work right. (Sis wanted to come and and was signed up for the one on Sunday but woke up sick and decided to stay home). It would be fun if we could do this together, but first we need to get her into the water. I was looking into the hand fins a tertiary google looks be coming up with what looks like webbed gloves, is that what I am looking for or is there something more specific for SCUBA Diving, also should I still look into normal foot fins too or just stick with the hand fins.
I have posted here before and I am just happy I was able to at minimum give this a try and hopefully I see about getting certified and going my own crazy divining adventures
The event was Sunday and I enjoyed it a lot. This was one of the most freeing experiences I have had; no cane, no braces, no having to look if there places to sit if my legs start getting tired, no worrying about uneven ground, no worrying about my legs having spasms and falling, if I wanted go somewhere I could just go. The instructor I was with works with the disabled diving students, we both noticed even with fins I don't move well just trying swim with my legs (I don't have a lot of power in my lower body due to the CP) but moved fine swimming with my arms and the instructor mentioned I might want see about getting "hand fins". I also have implanted medical device called a Baclofen Pump, it sits in my abdomen and pumps the drug Baclofen into my spine to control my spasms and help me walk better, unfortunately due to the pump I can't dive deeper than 30 feet or the pressure could crush the pump inside me (it is effectively a sealed system with no way to equalize the pressure in it, I might as well have a metal a balloon inside me). Even with my issues my instructor thinks I pretty well for my first time in the water and I could get certified though the SSI Classified Diving program if I wanted too move forward with this.
Before I go farther I want see about bringing my Twin sister to a Try SCUBA thing, she also has Cerebral Palsy she Right Hemiplegia that causes her right arm and leg to not work right. (Sis wanted to come and and was signed up for the one on Sunday but woke up sick and decided to stay home). It would be fun if we could do this together, but first we need to get her into the water. I was looking into the hand fins a tertiary google looks be coming up with what looks like webbed gloves, is that what I am looking for or is there something more specific for SCUBA Diving, also should I still look into normal foot fins too or just stick with the hand fins.
I have posted here before and I am just happy I was able to at minimum give this a try and hopefully I see about getting certified and going my own crazy divining adventures
. I know some brands of pacemakers are rated to 3atm (66ft saltwater), some to 5atm (132ft sw) and one or two to 7atm (198ft sw). These are the pressures they were tested to, not the ultimate crush strength, so if your pump is rated to 30ft don't freak out if you hit 32 but don't push it either.
