Frequently Asked Questions
Denver Adaptive Divers
What is Denver Adaptive Divers?
Denver Adaptive Divers is a 501(c)(3) non-profit SCUBA diving training program that provides Open Water Diver certification to people with a variety of disabilities. We provide the opportunity for people with disabilities to discover freedom of movement under the water through SCUBA diving.
What do you do?
We train people with various disabilities to become certified SCUBA divers. Learning to dive promotes empowerment, independence, personal growth. For many people we work with, it also offers physical benefits such as increased strength, and reduced pain levels.
Who do you work with?
We work with a variety of people with disabilities that include spinal cord injuries, neurological conditions, and PTSD.
Adaptive Diving
What is SCUBA diving?
SCUBA diving stands for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus diving. It’s a popular water activity that allows individuals to explore underwater environments while breathing from a tank of compressed air. SCUBA divers wear specialized equipment, including a mask, fins, a wetsuit or drysuit, a buoyancy control device (BCD), and a tank of compressed air. This gives divers the ability to stay underwater for extended periods and breathe while they explore coral reefs and marine life.
SCUBA divers require training and certification before they can join dive trips and dive independently.
What is Adaptive Diving?
Adaptive diving is a form of SCUBA diving that is tailored to meet the specific needs of divers with physical or cognitive disabilities. This type of diving uses specialized equipment, training, and support to allow individuals with a range of abilities to experience the underwater world safely and comfortably.
How is adaptive diving different than SCUBA?
Adaptive diving modifies SCUBA training and diving protocols so that everyone, regardless of physical or cognitive challenges, can enjoy the experience of diving in a safe and inclusive environment.
Modified Equipment
Specialized dive gear, such as buoyancy control devices (BCDs) with additional support, modified tanks, or custom fins, may be used to accommodate a diver’s unique needs.
Support Teams
Adaptive divers dive with a buddy or a team of trained professionals who provide assistance and ensure safety throughout the dive.
Personalized Training
Adaptive diving instructors are specially trained to work with divers who have disabilities, providing personalized instruction and guidance.
Techniques for Disabilities
The dive planning and techniques may be adapted based on the individual’s specific disability, such as those with mobility impairments, hearing loss, or visual impairments.
Who can become an adaptive diver?
We work with people with a variety of disabilities including spinal cord injuries, neurological conditions, and PTSD.
Everyone entering our program must be at least 10 years old, and must complete a medical evaluation with their doctor before getting in the water.
How safe is it?
Scuba diving, and especially adaptive diving, are all about safety. Most of the training material and pool training focus on teaching how to dive safely, and how to be prepared if something goes wrong.
Scuba diving uses the buddy system. Every diver must be paired with another diver who is their buddy. Buddies are responsible for each other’s safety.
Adaptive diving adds extra safety provisions to the buddy system. All dive buddies for adaptive divers receive extra training in Adaptive Diving, Search & Rescue and CPR. Depending on their level of certification, adaptive divers may be required to dive with an instructor, and up to two dive buddies. These extra provisions allow everyone to dive safely.
Dive Training Program
What are the benefits of the program?
Our program teaches you to dive safely. Diving has physical and metal benefits for everyone, but there are added benefits for people with disabilities.
How do I get started?
To get started, just contact us. We’ll get to know you, give you an orientation to the program, and help you complete the paperwork and medical approval required to try a scuba dive in the pool at our partner Denver Divers.
You’re encouraged to include a friend or family member who is interested in participating and training to become your “dive buddy”.
After you’ve tried diving in the pool, you and your buddy will have the option to apply to the full training program.
What are the costs?
Most of the costs of the training program are covered. Once you have participated in a Try Scuba event, we’ll invite you to apply to the training program. The training committee will then evaluate your application and subsequently invite you in for an interview.
DAD covers all training costs, and most costs for a week long dive trip abroad, including lodging, meals, and diving. You’re required to pay for your air travel.
The training program includes:
- Online, classroom, and pool instruction
- Snorkeling gear that is yours to keep – dive mask, fins, and snorkel
- Free use of all other dive gear – BCD, regulator, & wetsuit
- Free pool group practice sessions with one of our instructors to prepare for your certification dives
- Dive trip with your buddy
- Diver certification through Scuba Schools International (SSI)
- Free use of the pool once you are certified
What is the training like?
Dive training includes online study, classroom sessions, and training sessions in the pool. The training will teach you about scuba equipment, how to dive safely, and how to perform the skills needed to become a certified diver.
The training typically takes 20-30 hours to complete, but we will dedicate as much time as needed to get you prepared for the dive trip.
What about certification?
Certification is part of the dive trip. To become certified you must perform the same dive skills you practiced in the pool, but instead in open water.
Your certification will be through SSI. There are different levels of certification that reflect your ability.
Dive buddies also become certified on the trip.
Dive Travel
Is travel part of the program?
Most of the people going through the program join us for a week long dive trip to experience diving in open water and become certified divers.
Are trips compatible with my needs?
Our trips are focused on the needs of adaptive divers. All the resorts for our trips offer amenities and accommodations for people with mobility issues.
Dive operators use have crews experienced working with adaptive divers, and boats that have features to make entering and exiting the water easier.
Where do you go?
Our trips go to one of a handful of islands in the Caribbean Sea. For more details, check out our travel map.
What is the diving like?
The diving is great! We offer up to three dives each day. Dive sites are chosen to have minimal current, and depth that is mostly less than 60′.
The reefs are amazing, and marine life is abundant.
What about additional travel after I’ve completed the program?
Once you’ve completed the program, you’ll be a certified diver. This enables you to dive wherever you like, provided you meet the requirements of your certification.
Many adaptive divers prefer trips specifically for adaptive divers. And people we’ve trained often choose to take additional trips with us after initially completing their certification.