Hello from a Visually Impaired diver

[JDenning]

Wanted to say hello to everyone. I have been visually impaired all my life, Congenital Glaucoma. I started diving in 1970 in Monterey CA. I have over 3000 dives in most any kind of condition, especially low visibility.

My vision has taken it's ups and downs especially the last 5 years. I not too many months ago had a cornea transplant and my vision had improved to what it was when I was younger. Alas right now, it's not where I'd like it right now. But fine for diving. In fact the more soft indirect light is a bit plus. I can't quite 'read' my gauges. But I can tell where the needle is pointing on an analog gauge.

Hey when I started diving we didn't even have or use pressure gauges. But it is quite nice knowing how much air you have

My biggest challenges are, by far number one, Getting to the dive site
Really that is it. I love the water and prefer to be there over almost anywhere else. Everything else can be worked out. Like don't stay 50 feet from me and give me a hand signal.

So if any of you are in the Atlanta area, and want to go on some local, or maybe not so local trips, drop me a line.

On the 15th I am off to Curacao and plan on doing quite a bit of diving. I'll post a report and some photos upon my return.

 

[Zeeman]

Welcome to SB, and good on you for enjoying your diving!

Z..

 

[Hyper-limits]

Welcome to the Scubaboard.

Cheers

Al

 

[do it easy]

Welcome to Scubaboard!

 

[BabyDuck]

glad to have you!

 

[JDenning]

Thanks for the welcome

 

[300bar]

Hi JD,

Welcome to :sblogo:

Guess we gonna have some interesting questions in a while.

Have fun and safe diving.

 

[do it easy]

I've dove with a few blind divers- some with no sight and some with limited sight. A lot of people ask me what is scuba diving like for a blind person and I'm a little short for words. I can tell that my blind buddies enjoy it as much as I do, even if we experience the dive in slightly different ways. I just assume that they are adapted to experiencing the world with limited sight and diving is no different.

Maybe you can describe what diving is like for you? I'm curious about in which ways it's different and in which ways it's the same, especially the things that sighted divers take for granted. What is a "typical" dive like and what things do you have to do differently?


Thanks!

 

[JDenning]

I've often thought about that question. I was attracted to diving before I ever really knew what it was. If that little Bud on Flipper can dive, so can I. I was just as much a kid. Then the adventure of Sea Hunt, and the beauty of The Undersea World of Cousteau. I ate it all up.

I probably do see better underwater, always have and not really noticed. So I am as attracted to the beauty of the underwater world. Swimming through blue-green water down to a pinnacle covered with pink Strawberry Anemones, wow. Or the visual beauty of swimming under a kelp canopy on a sunny day with the golden kelp above and streams of sunlight. That is all visual and I enjoy it as much as you.

Then there is the sensation of weightlessness, a true 3D world. I'd love to go into space, this is it for me, inner space. I love how the Silent World is NOT silent. A Sea Lion barking right in my face, kewl, that's sound and sight.

And then interacting with sealife. it's much more difficult to interact with land life, they see and smell too far away and keep away. But I can get nose to nose with a fish, or a Sea Lion, I love them. I enjoyed one as a dive buddy once on a night dive at Lovers Pt in CA. It swam right with me and I was able to pet it as we swam, way cool. On land it's people describing what fauna they see from a distance. Kinda like bird watching, doesn't interest me at all.

I'll think more on it. Especially when I'm diving...

 

[Doll_Fin]

Hi JD. I am also visually impaired due to a genetic problem with my optic nerve. There were a couple of threads here from myself and another legally blind diver here but they seem to have disappeared into the archives. I share your frustration about not being able to get to dive sites as I can not drive and always need to find people willing to carpool. I've managed to make it to the Gulf a few times, but wish I had the means to go more often! I just got certified last fall, got my AOW a couple of months ago and I'm addicted.