Dive the Deep Blue Sea with Dive Pirates
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger
Photos: website of Dive Pirates Foundation
Scuba Diving is a sport and a hobby that brings countless hours of adventure and excitement to many participants that look forward to diving with energy and enthusiasm.
Now there is one organization that is making this dream a reality for individuals with disabilities that refuse to let their affliction deter them. The Dive Pirates Foundation brings adaptive divers into the mainstream diving community. They have a compassion for diving and sharing the experience with all those that have a desire to pursue the sport. Through education and training, divers with disabilities can overcome their obstacles and have fun.
The training is known as Adaptive Scuba Diving and addresses the specific needs of a disabled individual, trains to that specific disability and then prepares the individual to dive with mainstream Open Water Divers. The majority of Adaptive Scuba Divers includes those with spinal cord injuries, neurological disorders or amputations. The program itself is managed under the auspices of Scuba Schools International.
Chapters throughout the world are making a difference and reaching out to become part of the program. Kona Honu Divers in Hawaii offers adaptive SCUBA to its surrounding community and is identifying injured military veterans as students and a way to give back to them for their unrelenting service in the military.
Through working closely together, the organization has created a strong bond in the community and friendships continue to flourish and grow in leaps and bounds.
On the Dive Pirates Foundation website, the homepage spotlights divers who have taken that large step and actively engage in scuba diving on a regular basis. Meet members that have conquered their handicaps and become role models for those that want to follow in their footsteps. See the long list of Adaptive Divers and read more about them.
Sponsors are an important aspect of the success of the program. ExxonMobil, PPI Technology Services, Brac Reef Beach Resort Cayman Islands, Quest Offshore Resources, Inc. are just a few of the many supporters. Guy Harvey, Bay Area Divers, Kroger and SSI are all friends of Dive Pirates with a strong following from others as well.
These divers are given the opportunity to travel to tropical destinations in the Caribbean and Cayman Brac, one of the leading dive destinations in the world and the chosen trip by the organization for the past four years.
There are all kinds of social events for the diving community to get to know each other and include such fun happenings as golf tournaments to chili cook-offs to a Pirate’s Ball.
If you are interested in participating or just want to learn more, visit Dive Pirates Foundation
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