Imagine being able to explore an entire new world without the use of your arms or legs…sound impossible? Individuals with disabilities have learned through a variety of programs, events and activities that the dream of underwater exploration is a possibility through the use of adaptive scuba diving. The goal of adaptive scuba diving is to aid people with disabilities, ranging from blindness to paraplegia, in getting their feet wet for the first time, according to Bill Hutto, president of the Arkansas Disabled Scuba Association.

“Adaptive scuba diving really opens the world to people who cannot swim for a variety of reasons,” said Hutto. “People often feel that their options have thinned out with the onset of a disability. We try to teach those people that they can dive, they can live an active lifestyle and there is nothing stopping them from achieving their goals.”

Adaptive Scuba Diving gives divers with a disability the possibility to become certified through the Handicapped Scuba Association (H.S.A.). Certification through H.S.A. gives divers with the most extreme disabilities the chance to explore the deep blue sea. Someone who is paraplegic can dive with the assistance of one rescue diver and one certified diver. A quadriplegic individual can participate in an open dive with the aid of one rescue diver and one instructor. Education is a key factor in allowing disabled divers to enjoy one of nature’s most impressive resources – the underwater world. In addition, there are a variety of equipment specifications that can aid adaptive scuba divers.

Many disabled divers use webbed diving gloves to get the extra push they need to propel through the water, and a special buoyancy compensator (BC) with a “beaver tail” that helps to keep the BC on their shoulders for a much more comfortable dive. H.S.A. instructors also make adjustments to their training facilities, including the addition of soft cushions to poolsides to avoid unnecessary injury. These adjustments, in addition to a variety of others, have given divers facing difficult challenges the opportunity to take part in an experience that individuals all over the world enjoy.

The HammerHeads, an international network of scuba diving enthusiasts, recently took part in an event with the Spa Area Independent Living Services (SAILS), a service provider aimed at getting disabled individuals back into the mainstream through education, training and opportunities. The annual event in Lake DeGrey, Arkansas introduced people with disabilities to a variety of water activities including scuba diving, according to Alan Dillard, Head Hammer of the Benton HammerHeads.

“Watching several disabled individuals get introduced to scuba diving for the first time was truly amazing,” said Dillard. “Events such as these are necessary for people to understand that the possibilities are endless. We look forward to adaptive scuba diving becoming more and more popular as time goes on.”