I am interested in learning to Dive, but I am landlocked and I have physical disabilities

[CuzzA]

I was down in Key Largo in June diving with Rainbow Reef. This particular day we dove the Duane and Molasses Reef. I think Rainbow Reef has some affiliation with DiveHeart, not really sure. Anyway, I was diving with a guy who was paralyzed from the waist down. They picked him and his wheel chair up and put him on the boat. He dove side mount using those webbed gloves. I thought it was great. Hell, the guy drove to the dive shop using those hand brake and gas pedals. Not much stopping this guy.

 

[flyboy08]

You’re desire to Dive is the definition of life! Go for it and enjoy!

 

[Pettyfan45]

I think Diveheart will be your best bet.

If you want to enroll in an open water certification course, you will need your doctor to sign off on it. Will your doctor be willing to sign off?

Looking over the PADI stuff the only thing that really stands out as maybe being a problem ( aside for the CP) is I am a bit overweight. So she probably would.

 

[Pettyfan45]

Zillions of people only dive a few times a year, or less. Do you have pool access? Let’s assume you’re going to start out slow. You can get into a pool, and put the gear on in the pool where it’s nearly weightless. See if you like it. Some love it, some are claustrophobic.

Good luck.

I do have a pool here at my house, but it is a kinda small 16 foot x 4 foot above ground pool so I am not sure how much that would help. Also as far as gear goes I might just worry about getting a mask (yay strong prescriptions), snorkel, fins, and maybe wetsuit. Seeing I would not really have a need for a SCUBA unit here in Missouri and if I end up not liking it they I would have to find someway sell it and I do like Scuba that is one more bag I would have to deal with while traveling, it would just be easier to rent. For the claustrophobia thing, I doubt that would be an issues I use a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine for Sleep Apnea that involves having a mask over my nose and mouth blowing air down my airway while I sleep if that doesn't set off any claustrophobic feeling, nothing will lol

 

[diversteve]

As others have suggested - you first need to be medically cleared to dive - otherwise no instructor will be able to certiffy you.

Diveheart is also active in our Divers with Disabilities forum - Divers with Disabilities

the founder is also DiveHeart
here on SB

There's also the Handicapped Scuba Assn. - they may have references to active HSA instructors either near where you live or where you might travel.

Personally given the limitations you may already have - I'd look to dive somewhere warm first - less weight will be required.

Also find someone to help you optimize your gear initially - a standard practice is to put someone in a jacket BC and add enough weight to keep them from floating - that plus the tank will be weight you'd have to bear in a normal situation.

There are options to reduce the weight - use a smaller aluminum tank, possibly even in a sidemount situation (not initially) since you get in the water then clip off the tank(s) when they're already floating.

Really I'd start with Diveheart though once you're medically cleared to dive.

Matt the Aquaman has MS yet a few years ago a lot of people here and elsewhere collaborated to get him diving with his ventilator so your situation should be easier.

Logistically you may have to travel though given where you live.

 

[diversteve]

If you post where you live - someone may know of a local resource you're not able to find on the PADI website - there's about 1/2 dozen other basic certification options available. Edit

Also as mentioned - there are certain dive locations where shops specialize in special needs divers - The Divi Flamingo on Bonaire is one - they roll wheelchair bound divers onto the boat and help them in/out of the water. It's also real easy low-current diving which would also be less of a strain on your legs. There's lots of similar options though also - like Cobalt Coast Dive Resort on Grand Cayman - they actually sponsor an HSA dive week and I believe most/all their instructors are HSA certififed.

Cayman is also going after medical tourism in a big way so is improving things like airport access (adding jetways to an airport that doesn't need them based on volume) And it's all pretty flat.- but expensive...

 

[Bubblesong]

Two issues to consider are whether you like fish and critters, and whether you are able to relocate your living situation.
If you like seeing all the underwater critters, and SCUBA relieves your pain in moving, Diving warm water will become an obsession for you.
Then you will have to move to Florida.
I also have ADD, which needs to be controlled, plus i always Dive with a Dive Master or instructor.

 

[Pettyfan45]

Thanks everyone, I will see about contacting Diveheart.

Kind of interesting offshoot from this, I showed my twin sister (who also has CP) the Diveheart website and she is kinda interested and would at least give it a shot. Though while my CP affects my legs, her's affects her right side and she has limited use of her right arm and leg (but she is also not wheelchair bound) also without glasses she in considered legally blind (though she can see just fine with glasses) . Seeing how most diver looks to set up for right handed use that might be an issue unless they can easily be swapped over for left handed. Also do they make masks with *really* strong prescriptions?

This would be really cool if we could get my sister diving too, there not many thing we can do together that match up with our interest and that we are still "able" to do due to our disabilities also I can't think of a better Dive Buddy than your own twin lol.

 

[diversteve]

For your sis - you can buy prescription maks - or inserts for some popular models. There's a firm out in SoCal that can take her prescription and integrate it into a mask or companies like leisureporo.com sell the inserts. One of my buddies actually dives with them - he's pretty blind w/o his glasses lol.

Most BC's with a standard top right shoulder dump can be converted to the other side without much problem. The inflator or the pull dump use the same fitting so are often interchangeable.

I know Zeagle's can be - there was a thread hera once about an amputee they converted a bc for at no extra charge. Not the cheapest but good gear. One other advantage is should she need to drop her weights - their Ripcord system drops all the weight with a pull of the handle and is very close to being ambidextrous. They also sell a couple of ladies specific models - the cut is different. www.zeagle.com

 

[Pettyfan45]

For your sis - you can buy prescription maks - or inserts for some popular models. There's a firm out in SoCal that can take her prescription and integrate it into a mask or companies like leisureporo.com sell the inserts. One of my buddies actually dives with them - he's pretty blind w/o his glasses lol.

Most BC's with a standard top right shoulder dump can be converted to the other side without much problem. The inflator or the pull dump use the same fitting so are often interchangeable.

I know Zeagle's can be - there was a thread hera once about an amputee they converted a bc for at no extra charge. Not the cheapest but good gear. One other advantage is should she need to drop her weights - their Ripcord system drops all the weight with a pull of the handle and is very close to being ambidextrous. They also sell a couple of ladies specific models - the cut is different. www.zeagle.com

Do you have any idea what your buddy's prescription is, I think my sis mentioned her right eye is something like -2000 and like -1200 in here left. Her eyes are so bad that though our insurance normally don't cover "ultra thin lenses" but for her they make an exception because with normal lenses they are so think they give her headaches and it is hard to find frames for them.

I knew there are companies that can put prescription lenses in masks (I will more than likely need to look into getting some myself), but do they do kinda extreme prescriptions?

If my sister does decided she also wants to get certified will we have to get her her own gear that is converted for left handed use are resort dive shops able to convert at request. For BCDs how hard to push are the buttons if they are not too overly stiff she might be able to operate the inflater and stuff with her right hand I am more concerned with the regulator. She has a hard time reaching behind her back on the right so if the reg is the right and she loses it underwater and if goes behind her I don't know if could recover it on her own, but if it is on the left it would not be an issue.