divemaster needing adive on adaptive scuba training

[gracemariecarr]

hey my name is Grace I am a PADI divemaster and currently living in Ireland. I want to become an instructor but my real passion is teaching people with disabilities to dive. I have two nephews with autism who adore the water and they have inspired me to get the training to take them diving someday. I have been researching on the internet for adaptive scuba training courses but I want some advice from people who may know more. Is there any IDC's that specialise in adaptive training? or is it better to get my IDC then do an extra adaptive course on top of that. I have been travelling for a number of years and would like to stay closer to home so if there was any courses in ireland or the UK that would be ideal but i'm interested in hearing about courses anywhere. thank you in advance for any help and advice!

 

[Redshift]

Hi Grace,

There are agencies that specialise in training divers with disabilities and DMs and instructors to deal with those cases. But I think you would need to move away from PADI.

There are some with instructors in the UK (Home, https://www.hsascuba.com/index.php) and also BSAC has a specialty for those who are already instructors (Diving for All Course - British Sub-Aqua Club).
Since you are in Ireland, you could check with the Irish Underwater Council, because CMAS also has further training for instructors Disabled Divers Instructor Training Programme

 

[RJP]

OP should note that - I believe - most of the specific adaptive agencies or scuba agencies with adaptive instruction specialty training require you to already be a scuba instructor in order to become an adaptive scuba instructor. Hence, the advice that "you would need to move away from PADI" might be a bit off the mark.

There are a couple of options, as I see it. You can become an adaptive buddy and/or an adaptive DM now. This will allow you to see if you actually do want to go down that road. If you do, then become a scuba instructor and gain some experience. At that point, you can become an adaptive scuba instructor. I believe at least one of the adaptive agencies will "upgrade' adaptive DM training to adaptive instructor status once you become certified as a "regular" scuba instructor. Can't recall off-hand which agency that is.

Good luck - Ray

 

[mselenaous]

Diveheart.org is another agency to consider. Their training manuals are available on Amazon.com as ebooks. Reading through the manual will give you plenty of good information. You can then decide how best to proceed with the required training.

Sent from my SM-T700 using Tapatalk

 

[SoCalRich]

HSA, Handicapped Scuba Association is probably one of the oldest Adaptive Scuba Certification organizations available.
But you must already be an instructor to become an HSA instructor.

Good Divin
SoCalRich

 

[JohnnyC]

Call up Oceans Unlimited in Quepos, Costa Rica. They're a PADI IDC but their course director does a lot of stuff with Deptherapy. Deptherapy's mission is primarily designed for rehabilitation of disabled veterans.

I know it's not close to home unfortunately, but they're a great place to go and Costa Rica is great. They train a lot of students from the UK.