Assistant Instructor/ Divemaster Class

[disableddiver]

hey ya'll I am a disabled diver with spina bifida. I just completed my advanced/master diver certification and am wanting to take the the next step and take the assistant instructor/divemaster course. My instructors tell me that I probably won't be able to get the NAUI certification. Does anyone know of someone with a disability that does have these certifications, or if there is a way to get these certifications through HSA or something? Any information will be helpful and please know, I am not your average guy in a wheelchair, I do not let my disability hold me back!!! I AM going to do everything I can to get some sort of leadership certification!!!

 

[Jim Lapenta]

While I admire your determination and resolve a HUGE part of any leadership position is the ability to rescue a student should the need arise. How did you manage in your rescue class? One of the things I did not check on when doing my HSA research was how the handled situations such as yours. I would suggest you contact them or IAHD directly (international association of handicapped divers.) It may be possible for you to obtain the certs but with restrictions. Such as always having a non disabled Instructor present along with your regular buddy. You may also try to get in touch with one of the wounded warrior program scuba teams. Seeing someone like you actually teaching some of the class would be a great inspiration to many of those guys/gals. Good luck!

 

[disableddiver]

I am able to do rescues it takes me a little bit to get someone to shore, but i can give rescue breaths all the way there. But I have not figured out a way to do extractions yet. YET being the keyword, i am pretty sure if I get in a little bit better shape and maybe always make sure i have some sort of rope or something with me, i would be able to extractions from a beach, not sure about a dock extraction though.

 

[pasley]

I would not place any obstacle in you way. If my memory is right there are instructors out there that I have heard of who are adaptive divers, but I can not provide any names for you or tell you if their injury was before or after obtaining their Dive Professional Status.

I would put these thoughts out there for you to consider:
1. Cost each year. Any Dive Leadership Certification such as Dive Master and Dive Instructor will cost you $500-$700 (DM/Instructor respectively) per year for your membership and insurance. Even a non-working DM or Instructor is well advised to maintain a level of insurance as long as they continue to dive.
2. Liability/risk/exposure - as a dive professional if something goes wrong, even if you were just there, you may be named in the resulting suit and incur the expense of defense at the minimum. Example a diver (DM) I know of was enjoying a day of pleasure diving as a passenger on a boat, incident occurred, Plaintiff went through the boat roster and named all DM's and Instructors on the boat, working or not in the resulting lawsuit.). Hence the need to for insurance and why many dive professionals only list themselves as BOW or AOW when they sign in on a dive boat and are not working.
3. As a SCUBA diver you are expected to attempt to rescue your buddy up to the point where you are endangered. As a dive professional, you are expected to rescue the other diver.(yes the sentence ends there and the word attempt is missing).
4. A dive professional is expected by NAUI, PADI, HSA, IAHD and other certification agencies to maintain their physical fitness to a level appropriate to facilitate rescue.
5. You state that you are able to do rescue, but it takes a bit to get to shore. Are you including in your rescue scenario that you are leaping off a boat and swimming out to the victim. Not all rescue scenarios you will be expected to handle will start with you next to the victim.
HSA takes existing Dive Masters and Dive Instructors and does a cross over training to HSA DM or Instructor. So you would need to do the NAUI/PADI/SSI etc Dive Professional training first and then do the HSA or IAHD crossover training. You would need to talk to NAUI about their standards and your ability to meet them. HSA sends a reminder of the requirement to maintain your physical fitness suitable for rescue when you renew each year.
6. NAUI standard is, "would you entrust your child or loved one to this instructor or dive master?". Knowing your own abilities would you select yourself as the trainer of choice to train your loved ones? That is the hard question.

Now comes the question, why the burning desire to move to dive professional level and assume all the responsibilities and annual cost that entails?

 

[Walter]

Jill Robinson is a diver with disabilities who holds an AI certification through NAUI. I do not know if her certification is current. I last saw and talked with Jill in 1991. She is confined to a wheelchair and an excellent diver. She also happens to be an attorney who specializes in handicap access cases.

I don't worry about what you can't do. I concern myself with what you can do. I wouldn't promise you'd pass my class, but then no one gets a promise they'll pass. If you're interested and will be in Florida; I'd be happy to discuss your condition, the requirements of my class and let you make the call if you'd like to give it a try. I teach an SEI class. Send a PM to me if you'd like to discuss the possibilities.