I have been trying to get a discussion/input going on http://www.divematrix.com new sub-forum Divers with Disabilities sub forum for some time on this topic but the area is new and does not as yet have a lot of divers with disabilities traffic there.

My intent is to develop a list of wheelchair assessable dive sites in the Southern California area, and other sites around the globe and to foster discussion of SCUBA diving spinal cord injuries in general.

Example, last week I did a beach dive (I am a certified dive buddy for hte handicapped) with a great guy who happens to be a C6-7 Incomplete. We parked at the public access parking at the Montage Resort, South Laguna Beach California and utilized the ADA ramp (the only ADA beach access in Laguna Beach) to get down to the water. Set up camp on a cement pad there, then utilized a sling to move over the sand to the water. Had a great 40 minute dive and the resort offered to help us move our gear back to the car in one of their carts.

Over all this site was great for our dive (each divers is responsible for evaluating the suitability of the dive site on any given day as conditions do change) as it offered:
1. American with Disabilities Act Accessible ramp to the beach
2. Parking - in Laguna beach parking is always a plus.
3. Public Restrooms at the parking garage
4. Showers on the beach, at the top of the ramp and at the parking garage
5. The shape of the cove makes for smaller waves than many dive spots in Laguna Beach
6. Near shore break, small surf zone.
7. Large cement pad to set up on at the base of the ramp leaving only a 30-40 yard sling carry to the water.

So where do you SCUBA dive?

I haven't tried it but would like more info, could you walk those of us that haven't tried it through what goes on. Do you use a propulsion system, how do you keep the body straight when I swim my legs just hang there. How do you get someone into the suit it looks like a chore for an AB to do it.

Sure, no problem. First of all of course you would need lessons. Handicapped Scuba Association (HSA) <a href="http://www.hsascuba.com" target="_blank">http://www.hsascuba.com</a> is a non-profit certification agency that will issue your dive certification (your instructor may also issue a NAUI or PADI or other certification card). Dive Heart is an action agency certifying divers through HSA for example. There are other handicapped certification agencies out there but I am not familiar with them.

Who ever you select to instruct you should have training from HSA or another agency in teaching handicapped divers. It is not the be all end all, but they are better prepared. The lessons do normally take a little longer, but the lessons are taught to standard not time. HSA certifies its divers in three categories based upon demonstrated ability not disability. Category A is a diver who can do all scuba skills necessary to be certified by any agency including buddy rescue. They can dive with any certified dive buddy. Category B is a diver who has successfully demonstrated all scuba skills but either can not or elects not to do buddy rescue (tired buddy tow, rescue breathing while towing). They can dive with any certified dive buddy, but their dive buddy must have a dive buddy with them (in short a team of 3 divers) Category C is a diver who cannot do all their own scuba skills and needs their dive buddy to some of their scuba skills for them. A complete quad who can only shake their head yes and no for example would most likely be a level C diver. A level C diver must have a HSA Certified Dive Buddy and that dive buddy must have a dive buddy who is Rescue or HSA Certified Dive buddy qualified, for a total of 3 divers two of which are specially trained to dive with the handicapped. The C6-7 incomplete quad I dove with was certified as Level A, he can rescue me if necessary. HSA is an international organization and there may be an instructor in your area.

Putting on the wet suit is, as you point out, a chore even for a AB. The diver will often require help getting the wet suit on (I am an AB and I sometimes need a little help). What we normally do is reach up inside the wetsuit and grab the foot or arm and pull it through, taking care not to catch a toe or finger and bend it or break it. The use of gussets and long zippers is a better albeit more expensive solution that works well at making the suit easier to put on.

In the water if the diver can use their arms (my dive last 20 December was a T6-7 Incomplete quad who was a very strong arm swimmer) they use their arms and hands to move themselves through the water. If they are a complete quad who can only shake their head yes and no, then I have to propel/tow them through the water, which is no big deal. A propulsion system can be used as well but is expensive and not necessary in most cases. Divers in the water are not handicapped divers, they are divers who have handicaps. SCUBA is a sport that allows you to participate on an equal footing with other divers.

For most paras and quads the use of weights on the ankles when descending and ascending helps to keep the diver vertical. These weights are then re-positioned onto the chest during the dive to trim them out horizontally.

Check out the Dive Heart http://www.diveheart.org/ website for videos of divers in action. If you look closely you will note some divers swimming with their hands (paras and incomplete quads) or the absence of fins on some divers (some paras and quads dive with fins even though they can not use their legs, something about balance and trim) and other divers who have two dive buddies close by discreetly propelling/towing them (complete quads).

I hope that answerers your question. if not give me a call 562-421-3094

I'd love to try scuba diving one day...

sounds way fun

Oh my gosh! That sounds like so much fun! That is totally going on my list of goals

I use to go to Salem once a month for two years teaching the Oregon National Guard Majors a course they needed for promotion. Beautiful city. The world is full of one days, why not set a goal of 2009 and then just do it. I started diving when I was 48 and wish I had started sooner.

If you are serious you might give Dana C. Hutchens Phone: 503-590-0109 danah@csg-solutions.com or Kathleen Bates, Phone: 808-781-7853 snowflower74@hotmail.com are both in Beaverton Oregon, a call. They are just up the road about 1.5 hours from you and are certified HSA instructors.
Lee Nichols, is in Jefferson, OR Phone: 503-956-8566 nichols_lee@yahoo.com and Kaivalya (Kaya) Chotard is in Eugene, OR Phone: 541-510-8709 www.eugeneskindivers.com kchotard@mac.com There may be others in Oregon, but that would get you started. Search the HSASCUBA.COM website for the instrctor nearest you.

HSA also does trips a couple of times a year to warm water destinations and I would imagine you could go on one and take instruction, but you would have to check with them about that.

Diving is great fun, give it a try. If you find yourself in the Los Angeles area and are certified, give me a call and we will go diving. If you are in the Santa Barbara or Los Angeles area and want to do a Discover Scuba (quick lesson, pool session and then into the water with an instructor to see if you like it before you do all of the training) I know two instructors in this area who could do that for you. Or give Dana a call.

Nicole,
Same thought to you, make the year 2009 the year you become a diver. Take a trip to Tobago or Bonaire and go diving. HSA is going there for a trip this year so you could go with them if you wanted to be part of a group, or just contact the instructors there from the HSA website. Tobago has a beautiful girl from Finland who teaches there.

In Kansas (where I trained for my Iraq tour and then spent a few months in medical hold when I returned) there are several HSA instructors. Not certain where In Kansas you are so visit the HSA website to locate the instructor nearest you. Here are some names to get you started:
John D. Davis in Douglas, KS Phone: 316-747-2853 john.davis@ksmcco.org.af.mil
Gordon Paul Poeschel in Overland Park, KS Phone: 913-485-6012 www.midwestaquatics.com gbpoeschel@earthlink.net
Cary J. O'Brien also in Overland Park, KS Phone: 913-402-8102 caryovrlndprk@aol.com
There are others but that would get you started.

SCUBA is not only fun, but it is great exercise and a good excuse to take a trip out of the cold of Kansas winters which can be very cold to some place warm like Bonaire all in the name of good health. Again if you find yourself in Southern California let me know.

Pasley, how much does the basic scuba dive under water with an instructer usually cost? Like, in the ocean.

i'd think it would be worth it whatever the cost, but just wondering.

I do not know as each instructor sets their own cost. In general terms in my part of the country the standard course is about $175-$500 (actual out of pocket of $300-400 being more the norm in Southern California including books, rental of equipment and the dive boat) depending on where you go and what it includes (quarry dives, beach dives, or boat dives). Twice a year one shop offers the lessons for $75 plus books, equipment rental and the boat which adds another $150-200. For the Handicapped, the cost can be the same (rare) to more as it often requires a private lesson, and may require additional personnel from a regular class. For example a instructor may want to have an assistant who is trained to work with divers with handicap's even in a one on one class. On the other hand there are instructors who will teach the handicapped for the same price (even though their overhead will be higher) or for their actual out of pocket expenses. http://www.diveheart.org is an organization that fosters the no charge or no charge beyond actual out of pocket cost approach. Some states and organizations will give grants to the disabled to learn.

So you really just need to contact the instructor and ask. Once certified a dive cost me $4.50 for air as I own all my own gear ($1,200 and up investment that will last for many years). A boat dive is $100-140 in my area. The sport is not prohibitively expensive, but like golf, it is not cheap either.

If you want to just do an introduction to diving, where you take a quick class on what to do and not do, and then go on an escored dive with an instructor to see if you would like it, that again will vary, but in my area (Southen California) would run somewhere between $100-150 or possibly less. Here again, Dive Heart is holding an event at our local aquarium around January 18th as an intro to scuba for disabled divers.

Yes, any excuse to get out of the cold is a good one lol. I'm actually hoping to visit Cali over spring break this year so that would be awesome. I'll have to get ahold of you if i actually make it down that way!

If you do get out to Southern California please give me a call (562) 421-3094 If I have enough notice I may be able to arrange a discover scuba event for you wtih one of my instructor friends. We would need a day for that as they will want to do some classroom work and a ppol session before taking you to the ocean.

do you want to go diving the week of Jan 25 to 30? I am t-10 para and will be down
in L.A. I have my padi ticket but would need to rent gear. have done several dives up here
in British coulumbia, would love to go down in california

let me know

cu
M

(562) 421-3094 It would be my pleasure to go diving. Beach or dive boat dive your call. Sundays at 5:00 pm I am teaching Disabled Veterans SCUBA Project so if we dive on a Sunday I have to be back by 4:00 pm.

Boat Dive:
To Catalina from Long Beach I recommend the Sundiver Express Sundiver Express (562) 594-6968 for a boat. HSA Certified instructor is the captain. The boat is fast and has an open deck with access into the cabin and the food. Tanks, Weights, Breakfast and Lunch Provided. Boat runs Wednesday and Friday for $95, Saturday and Sunday is about $120 or more depending on if they are chartered and we have to book through a dive store or if it is open boat. The operate out of Alamitos Bay at the boarder of Long Beach and Seal Beach, CA. The Sundiver is the larger boat and only runs on the weekend and is usually a charter and has a conventional cabin that is not as user friendly). Note none of the boats have wheelchair accessible heads. The Sundiver Express head is down 3 steps inside.

To Anacapa from Ventura, about 1.5 hours north of Long Beach. I would recommend the Raptorpretty much only runs on the weekends with some Friday dives. They have trips open on Sunday 24 & 30 Jan 2010.

If you want to go beach diving our options are as follows:
1. Montage Resort in South Laguna Beach has an ADA ramp to a cement staging area. Then it is about 30-50 feet to the water. I have the sling pictured here we can use if necessary to get to the water. That is about the only ADA access t a dive site worth diving in Orange County. Los Angeles County offers some sites we can make work, but none with ADA ramps. But they are possible.
2. Catalina Casino Point (IMHO better of the 2 beach dives)- take the ferry over and dive the point. There are stairs their to negotiate into the water, but we could use the sling, or carry you down in the chair, or you could scoot on your own. Frankly by the time we pay the ferry ($66) and to rent a tank there ($20) and air fills ($10) and food, a dive boat (Sundiver Express provides tanks, weights breakfast and lunch) is as cheap or cheaper and you go to different sites. The swim step is about 18 inches out of the water, but there are several techniques to manage that.

Melvin Pasley
NAUI Instructor 50764
HSA Instructor 3017

i dove uncertified before my accident. Haven't gone since, all of my equipment is actually a little too big for me now. Saw a site somewhere in texas that was asking for equipment giveaways. Heard they did free certifications for handicaps. I wish someone was closer, i would really love to get back into the water. I'm sure i need a refresher course. Well and to get certified obviously...lol

The owners of my therapy have a foundation that will be doing certifying and dive trips in florida. I dont really know the full details yet since they are just finishing up there instructor licensing. but supposedly they will be doing it for free just not sure if its limited to just people who go to therapy. once the guidelines come out i will let everyone know. I used to dive before my accident and there are some amazing spots here.

Even if you were certified you would need to re-certify in your new body. SCUBA Diving has had some very good physical as well as physiological effects on individuals with paralysis. For each diver it is different, some just enjoy diving, others reel relief from pain or can feel and/or even move parts of their body they normally can not. There are many instructors and organizations out there. The Disabled Veterans SCUBA Project is in Southern California, Eels on Wheels in in Texas. Where in Louisiana are you? There are qualified HSA instructors there in Louisiana in Shreveport, Lafayette, Monroe and New Ore leans.

I think i might have heard of the eels on wheels maybe....i'm in a small town, but i could make a trip to texas. I"m about 1 hour 45 mins from shreveport....south of it

Small world, I have family in the area, My mother and brother are just north of you outside of Atlanta TX and cousins in LA just north of Shreveport.
Eels on Wheels are based in Austin TX. You might try contacting them for information on how to get back into the water or to donate your gear.

Well in that case you might know where i'm at. Leesville, fort polk area.....not sure where atlanta tx is, but it is a small world. I don't really have anyone i can call on to help me get there. But this spring if i can get someone, i will definitely try it out!! thanks