New with a ? about diving for someone with a disability

[Wantonmien]

Hi all. I'm Daisy and I'm new here. I am 40 years old and have osteo arthritis. I can swim, but obviously will never be a strong swimmer due to the pain in my joints especially my left knee and lower back. I try to stay fit and walk gently for 3 miles a day. For the last 5 years I have been dreaming about diving and doing a dive course but my arthritis has made me think it's a lost cause. Now I have read about disabled divers who are able to SCUBA even with a physical disability so I have some hope. Is it viable for me to do a dive course somewhere with gentle currents, with a dive outfitter who can help me? I was thinking of Indonesia as I will be there for work next year, or I can travel anywhere there is great diving in the world for someone with a physical disability.

Daisy1970 - I ripped a knee cartilage to the extent I could not bend my knee, could hardly walk and was told it would many take many months to repair. During the scans, x rays and specialists examinations I was also told I had mild osteo arthritis also on the knee and began to think 'that's it then, no more sports'

That's about the time I wondered if I should try diving - and gave it a try. Although walking or bending the knee with a tank on the back was a total nightmare at the time - now over a year later, I've just about logged 100 dives, knee(s) are 100 %, no problem and although I took a 'wonderdrug' to quicken the natural knee repairs, I'm also pretty certain the diving helped get the knee back in shape.

When do you plan your first dive then, go for it, you won't regret it.

Cheers

 

[daisy1970]

Thank you all so much for the encouragement. I'm going to give it a try. I made a bucket list with all the things I want to try to do and diving is number 1. The worst that can happen is that I have to keep trying to pass the open water, right? I've had worse setbacks in my life. YESS!! I'm going to give this a try and when I get my open water I'm planning on diving Heron Island to watch the coral spawn. I don't want to let this disability get in my way of living life to the full (for me, that is!!)

 

[Wantonmien]

Thank you all so much for the encouragement. I'm going to give it a try. I made a bucket list with all the things I want to try to do and diving is number 1. The worst that can happen is that I have to keep trying to pass the open water, right? I've had worse setbacks in my life. YESS!! I'm going to give this a try and when I get my open water I'm planning on diving Heron Island to watch the coral spawn. I don't want to let this disability get in my way of living life to the full (for me, that is!!)

Daisy - Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef ? ....coincidentally, when I was 'learning' I promised myself that when I obained "Advanced Open Water" I would head to the GBR - and first week of January this year that's where I was - with some great diving on Lady Elliot Island.

Cheers

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Thank you all so much for the encouragement. I'm going to give it a try. I made a bucket list with all the things I want to try to do and diving is number 1. The worst that can happen is that I have to keep trying to pass the open water, right? I've had worse setbacks in my life. YESS!! I'm going to give this a try and when I get my open water I'm planning on diving Heron Island to watch the coral spawn. I don't want to let this disability get in my way of living life to the full (for me, that is!!)

You may well find it a lot easier than you think... please let us know how you make out

Daisy - Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef ? ....coincidentally, when I was 'learning' I promised myself that when I obained "Advanced Open Water" I would head to the GBR - and first week of January this year that's where I was - with some great diving on Lady Elliot Island.

Cheers

Oh I love LEI.. been there twice now... November last year and March this year... can't wait to go back!

 

[herbdb]

Daisy, Jump in and get started. I have arthritis and did not start diving until I was 61 and had two hip replacements. Like some of the other posters, I love the feeling of no pressure on the joints while diving. I joke with my friends about diving being the only time that nothing hurts, but it is true. Its a wonderful feeling after dealing with the arthritis for so many years.

The magic of being underwater is icing on the cake. You can pick your dive sites based on your confort level.

 

[TSandM]

I think, if you can walk three miles a day, you'll find you won't have that much problem with diving. I suspect a LOT of us in our 50s and 60s have knee and hip pain, and back problems, but we still manage to dive . . . I know I have low back issues and problems with both knees, but I carry doubles up and down stairs in MX. I just have to take it slowly

 

[tia126]

Daisy - go for it! I have a very bad right hip, but at 49 am too young to have it replaced. However, I still love diving (just got my AOW in Bonaire, and have around 115 dives). The hardest thing for me was asking for help. For example, when getting back into the boat after a dive, I can get myself up the ladder - but not myself + gear. So, I take my gear off and hand it up to the boat. Also, I can't bend my right leg correctly to get my fin on. So, my dive buddies help me. I love each and every one of them, and I love all the boat crews and dive staff who have helped me with my gear so I can get wet. And, as everyone has said, being underwater is the best thing - weightlessness and no pain. It is ultimately relaxing and very therapeutic, so don't let anything stand in you way if you want to dive!

 

[herbdb]

Tia, you should do some more research on age and joint replacement. Here is an article: Questions and Answers about Hip Replacement

The old conventional wisdom was that if done too early the joint would not last. That is no longer true. Maybe a second opinion is in order. Most joint replacements are on older people, but it is more and more common to see younger people getting the surgery.

 

[zamburinha]

Hi all. I'm Daisy and I'm new here. I am 40 years old and have osteo arthritis. I can swim, but obviously will never be a strong swimmer due to the pain in my joints especially my left knee and lower back. I try to stay fit and walk gently for 3 miles a day. For the last 5 years I have been dreaming about diving and doing a dive course but my arthritis has made me think it's a lost cause. Now I have read about disabled divers who are able to SCUBA even with a physical disability so I have some hope. Is it viable for me to do a dive course somewhere with gentle currents, with a dive outfitter who can help me? I was thinking of Indonesia as I will be there for work next year, or I can travel anywhere there is great diving in the world for someone with a physical disability.

Daisy, by all means go ahead and give diving a go. Indonesia is one of the best places in the world to dive. For example, Lembeh straits in Sulawesi is a fantastic area to search for small weird critters (muck diving). That type of diving is done very slowly with no (or very slow) currents. Also, the way many diving operators in Indonesia work, is that they do a lot of the heavy work for you, as they employ lots of people. That means that they will carry your tanks and equipment all the way to the site (or to the boat), and also help you get in and out of the water.

Enjoy your time in Indonesia, it is a wonderful country!