Diving for people with disabilities

The freedom of movement in the water must be fantastic to people who have been limited by the unforgiving laws of gravity.

From an article by Fran Duckett-Pike in The News (Portsmouth, UK):

Petty Officer John Strutt is using his skills to help ex-forces men and women who had lost limbs to rediscover their confidence and to give them a chance to take up a new activity.

PO Strutt, who has served in the navy for 15 years, organised a diving weekend on November 1-2 at HMS Collingwood, Fareham, which saw nine members of the British Limbless Ex Servicemen Association (Blesma) take to the pool.

He said: 'It was very emotional for all of us in different ways.

From an Associated Press article in the International Herald Tribune:

RIO RANCHO, New Mexico: Jim Hay knows a thing or two about adventure and he certainly isn't one to shy away from a challenge.

So he was more than ready to pull on a wet suit, strap on a tank, gear and goggles and head into the deep end of the pool during a scuba diving excursion at the Rio Rancho Aquatic Center.

"You are really flying underwater. It's an amazing feeling," said Hay, a Vietnam veteran from Albuquerque. "It wasn't really scary, it was more exciting. It is just relaxing, fun and it's totally awesome."

Hay is like any other diver experiencing the weightlessness and tranquility of the sport. But for him, the underwater freedom is much more precious.

For more than 20 years Hay has been a paraplegic, dependent on his wheelchair for more mobility. Underwater, he is able to move his legs and direct his movements with a little help from trained diving instructors.