Disabled/Handicapped divers

[wldake]

Just wondering if there were any disabled/handicapped divers on this forum.

I am a T5-6 paraplegic newly certified diver through Deep Blue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and would like to talk to other divers in the same boat (pun intended!) to maybe gain some knowledge from their experiences.

 

[Saipanman]

Welcome to the club! I hope you have a long and enjoyable diving career! And I hope that, like me, you can move away from Wisconsin (Mequon) and head to the tropics!!!

 

[emtdan]

I personally dont know any handicapped divers, but know a way to get in touch with some.

you can go here:
http://www.iahd.org/en/index.htm
or
http://www.hsascuba.com/

I know that they work miracles for those who they work with, maybe you can get in touch and find a buddy.

 

[AmyJ]

http://www.diveheart.org/

This also might be a good contact organization. I don't have much experience with them, only talked with them regarding diving for my daughter (deaf), but they seemed nice. Good luck and congrats on you cert!!

 

[Saipanman]

I taught a deaf student in an AOW course. The only problems were mine. She was absolutely wonderful, and is a great diver.

 

[Michael Schlink]

Congratulations, welcome to the board and the diving community. I had the pleasure to dive with a guy from NY while I was in Bonaire in Aug. He has been in a wheelchair I believe since childhood (Spina Bifida?). I 'm going to have to do a little digging around to find his number.
We really had a good time "freaking" the other guests out, they way we were carrying on. It took him a little longer to work his way up the steps and when people were around I would tell him to hurry up and he'd tell me to go to H@ll he was crippled. We had a good laugh, the other folks thought I was a sick cruel bast#*d.
Joe also plays competitive basketball and he teaches high school.
We would be talking and I started to realize what a lazy, sorry piece of sh#@ I was. Joe was running circles around me, jeez what a guy.
Anyhow I'll try to put you two together
Wife just walked into room-Here you go just tell Joe I told him to go to H@*L and to hurry up-Oh wait I guess I should PM you.

 

[Gary D.]

My wife has MS and dives. She can go from nearly a quad to almost normal. It does her a world of good.

Gary D.

 

[cudachaser]

I'm an HSAI Instructor in Cocoa Beach, FL...Also have a mild disability...Neuropathy

Joe

 

[Buoyant1]

Hey Congrats and welcome!!

Go here for a disabled divers log as he goes through his OW training, it's a link to my LDS and the link to his story is about a third of the way down the page (dated 9/25/04):

http://www.diversdescent.com/

I think Rick comes on here once in a while as SideShowRick, real nice guy, I met him during his training!

 

[wldake]

Thanks for the replies, encouragement and information on sites to get more information.

Scuba has been one of the best things I've done since I have been injured almost 20 years ago. It sure has shown me how out of shape I have become! Guess it is time to get back into the gym.

In reading Rick's web journal I find myself fighting with the same problems. I didn't find many of the skills too difficult to perform. What I did find a problem with is weighting. I found my self working so hard just to keep upright in the water when on the surface or even below. I was trained using a weight integrated back flotation BC with the clip in weights toward the front and trim pockets high up on the shoulders. I found I could swim really well underwater and if I kept my self swimming everything was great. When I stopped swimming is when I started having the most difficulties. The slightest weight off kilter would spin me over sometimes as much as on my back looking at the surface. Cool...but not quite what I was trying to achieve. Since I was working so hard just to keep me stable in the water I would really suck up some air.

I am looking into scheduling some pool time and picking out diving gear that I will purchase. I figure that is the best way to go. Then I will not have to worry about renting something that I am not familiar with. I have read and like a lot of what the DIR approach has to offer. I like the idea that you can steamline yourself much better with less (makes total sense to me) and streamling myself will go a long way to saving me some swimming effort. I also like the long hose regulator setup compared to the traditional recreational diving setup. Since I went through this training and certification with my wife we found that having to donate was much more difficult using the traditional method. My diving instructor (I got lucky enough to find an HSA instructor) uses a DIR setup and that worked so much easier.

Any thoughts on DIR equipment? (I don't want to start a Holy war...just like the concepts of DIR)