Aqua Therapy – Good for the Body, Mind and Soul

This past week my mer-sister Tracy returned to the island after a few months on the mainland. Priority number one was to get back in the water – aqua therapy. Scuba is physical, emotional, and mental therapy wrapped into one. The joy in her face after 2 ½ months out of the water was spectacular. After retiring from the Army a few years ago, she moved to St. Croix and became a scuba instructor. She’s a veteran, and it was Veteran’s Day. #Respect

Hawksbill Turtle

I did not serve. I wholeheartedly respect, support, and am grateful to those who did. Scuba is my passion. Sharing this passion with everyone – especially those injured (physically or mentally) while serving our country – is near and dear to my heart.

Studies have shown that diving has therapeutic aspects. The best collection of information I’ve found is on the Diveheart website, including a study conducted through Johns Hopkins. This study was what sparked my interest in adaptive diving. I'm a racing fan (grew up Indianapolis). In the weeks prior to the Indy 500 of 2014, Cody Unser and Sam Schmidt shared their experiences and this study at the theater inside the Indiana War Memorial.

Fan, Brain, and Tube Coral; Squirrel Fish

It was an inspirational presentation that got me thinking... I have had chronic back issues and diving alleviates my pain. There must be validity to the correlation that the pressure and/or neutral buoyancy while diving has therapeutic value. My pain is minor compared to what a lot of our Veterans experience returning from deployment. To be able to expose them to this form of therapy could be life changing. Studies have also shown that learning something new and the community aspects of diving can help calm PTSD symptoms.

Before moving to St. Croix, Charlie Oxley from SSI’s Classified Diving Program conducted a certification course for three of us out of Divers’ Supply Indy so we could teach their disabled diving program. We conducted one Try Scuba event in conjunction with the Wounded Warrior Project but didn’t build any momentum with the program.

Here on St. Croix, our local dive club (CRABBS) started an adaptive diving committee. The goal of this committee – Adaptive Diving STX – is to develop St. Croix into an adaptive diving destination. As with all things relating to island life, progress is slow. More than two years after Hurricane Maria, several resorts are still in the process of being rebuilt. However, we are hopeful we can start attracting small groups in late 2020.

Adaptive Techniques Training

Additionally, three instructors (myself included) went through PADI’s Adaptive Techniques certification course, conducted by Course Director Barbara DeClerque. The two courses (SSI and PADI) are different – PADI’s adaptive diving course modifies how skills are done to help student complete all skills required to become a PADI Open Water Diver. If students cannot meet those standards after modification, they are referred to other courses such as SSI’s Classified Diving, Handicapped Scuba Association (HSA), Diveheart, Scuba Diving International (SDI), and others. These courses modify how skills are done and have levels of certification based on which skills can be completed. The certification then allows divers to dive with one, two, or three additional support divers/instructors.

Porcupine Fish

This whole process of learning adaptive techniques has been eye-opening. One of our local divers, Hanna Gray, has cerebral palsy. She’s been a great source of information, educating us about the challenges someone in a wheelchair has on our island. Hanna wrote this article about our Adaptive Diving techniques course.

The point: Scuba divers are a community that supports its members. We dive out of love for the underwater environment, critters, and the camaraderie it provides. You don’t have to be able-bodied to dive. It can be a sport for everyone – just know the opportunity exists and divers will help make it happen.