[Sportsandrec] FW: scuba diving

[Kelly Thornbury]

There is an organization, called adaptive scuba or something like that, that works with individuals with disabilities. You will have to Google it, I don't know it off the top of my head. Anyway, they are trained to work with all sorts of disabilities, including divers who are low vision or blind.

I also know that PADI   is a lifelong certification, so if you were certified through that organization you are technically still certified to dive. Definitely work with the instructor before getting more feet wet again though. Pun intended.

In the past I've used scuba masks with underwater communication capabilities… My partner would be able to talk to me, and I could use hand signals back. This system worked really well. We did not tether to each other, there is a slight risk involved there if one of you decides to go Super bouyant all the sudden.


For fun and an extra credit a few years back I took a scuba course through the local college, and because the college had to make it accessible, they actually got a PDF form of the beginner scuba book from Patty. So, they must at least be open to the idea now, if they have the textbooks in alternate formats. The instructor had to put the diape table in an XL spreadsheet though, the conversion from Patty was horrible to read with JAWS.

I know there is a dive shop in Tampa that does courses at the Tampa aquarium, and the instructor I spoke to there said that they were be willing to work with a diver who is blind… I just didn't have my PADI card with me that trip. Who noon I would get the chance to dive.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.



Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 19, 2017, at 07:52, Hyde, David W. (ESC) via SportsandRec <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> I too took scuba in the 70's. Back then, we used a buddy line to keep me connected with my partner. The same should still work, unless there is a better way.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: SportsandRec [mailto:sportsandrec-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Larry Wayland via SportsandRec
> Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2017 11:19 PM
> To: sportsandrec at nfbnet.org
> Cc: Larry Wayland
> Subject: [Sportsandrec] FW: scuba diving
> 
> Hello everyone my name is Larry Wayland and I am new to this list.
> I took scuba lessons in the 1970's and did some diving at that time.  I had enough vision then to help me stay oriented as long as I was not in black water. Now I am totally blind and recently I was invited to attend a discovery session with my grandson and son in law.  I caught the fever again and would like to take lessons to re-familiarize myself with diving.  I have heard in the past that the certifying organizations, NAUI and PADI will not certify anyone who is totally blind.  Is this true? If so is there some way around this decision?  I have heard there are divers who are blind, especially in other countries.
> Thanks in advance:
> Larry
> 
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