New Member from Tampa Florida

[pfincher]

After moving to Florida in 2001 and being around the ocean I have wanted to dive. Unfortunately I have had Epilepsy so have been unable to. A year ago I had brain surgery and have been seizure free since. Also my brain tests have showed that I am no longer having the seizure activity that I was having before the surgery. They are starting the process of weaning me from medications. My doctor is going to clear me to get certified once I am off my medications and my brain is still behaving which will be in the next few months.

I also have mild cerebral palsy in which my right arm and leg are weaker than my left. I love to swim and be around the water. I have snorkeled many times but really want to go deeper in the water and stay under longer.

I am interested to meet others that have gone through the challenges I have and have become divers.

 

[nolatom]

Welcome to the Board, P. I know nothing about the medical side, but keep posting on various dive sites and you'll find some kinship. I admire your courage and determination, and your Doc for seeing you through this progress.
You're in Tampa, which is not far from some really nice diving on the East Coast around Jupiter, West Palm, and points south, once you've done the class and checkouts, and done some dives.
I would guess the mild CP shouldn't be a big hindrance, but you might want to do your early dives in zero current so you aren't getting carried too far away from your exit back on to boat or shore and have to fin up-current to get "home".

The east coast diving around WPB is "drift diving", where the Gulf Stream carries you north, and the boat and you are drifting, so you all stay close, it's a "one-way" dive, so you don't have to fin "back" to where you started. This might be easier in a way, you get carried by the current along the popular ledges, so you don't have to propel yourself much, just fin enough to keep pointed with the current.

 

[pfincher]

Welcome to the Board, P. I know nothing about the medical side, but keep posting on various dive sites and you'll find some kinship. I admire your courage and determination, and your Doc for seeing you through this progress.
You're in Tampa, which is not far from some really nice diving on the East Coast around Jupiter, West Palm, and points south, once you've done the class and checkouts, and done some dives.
I would guess the mild CP shouldn't be a big hindrance, but you might want to do your early dives in zero current so you aren't getting carried too far away from your exit back on to boat or shore and have to fin up-current to get "home".

The east coast diving around WPB is "drift diving", where the Gulf Stream carries you north, and the boat and you are drifting, so you all stay close, it's a "one-way" dive, so you don't have to fin "back" to where you started. This might be easier in a way, you get carried by the current along the popular ledges, so you don't have to propel yourself much, just fin enough to keep pointed with the current.

Thank you for that guidance! Especially the thought about the drift diving. I have heard that the the dives around Jupiter are really nice.

 

[drrich2]

I am interested to meet others that have gone through the challenges I have and have become divers.

Welcome to ScubaBoard. I haven't heard of anyone with a backstory quite like yours, and I hope this works out well for you. Epilepsy is one of those conditions I think often considered a contradiction to diving - lose consciousness underwater and you will likely drown. Epilepsy makes that unpredictably likely.

But you've been treated and are being weaned off medication. I wonder how long you'll need to be seizure-free before you physician clears you for diving.

I also have mild cerebral palsy in which my right arm and leg are weaker than my left.

Given that children and elderly people dive, too, that may well be workable (though I don't know how much weaker your right limbs are, or how strong your left are). nolatom made a good point that you might want to start out in no current areas.

Let us know how this all works out.

 

[Genevadiver]

After moving to Florida in 2001 and being around the ocean I have wanted to dive. Unfortunately I have had Epilepsy so have been unable to. A year ago I had brain surgery and have been seizure free since. Also my brain tests have showed that I am no longer having the seizure activity that I was having before the surgery. They are starting the process of weaning me from medications. My doctor is going to clear me to get certified once I am off my medications and my brain is still behaving which will be in the next few months.

I also have mild cerebral palsy in which my right arm and leg are weaker than my left. I love to swim and be around the water. I have snorkeled many times but really want to go deeper in the water and stay under longer.

I am interested to meet others that have gone through the challenges I have and have become divers.

Hey. I’m in Ruskin south of Tampa. Keep in touch. Scallop season soon and only need to snorkel. I’m hopefully going. North of Tampa hour drive.