Scuba Diving Trainees Take the Plunge

While Gov. Chris Christie was instructing New Jerseyans to "stay off the beaches" last Saturday, about a couple dozen people were happily scuba diving at the .

The event culminated a weeklong instructor/buddy training for children, adults, and wounded veterans by the Diveheart Foundation in partnership with the Pristine Azul Dive Club of New Jersey.

For wounded veteran and certified advance rescue diver Ian Brown, it was a chance to get back to diving and share his passion with fiancee, Ivonne Trancon.

"To be able to participate in events with loved ones and do something on an even level is heartwarming," Brown commented. In addition to the mental benefits, physically Brown said the training helped relieve compression in spine.

A veteran of the air force, Brown suffered a lumbar injury, resulting in an incomplete paraplegic diagnosis.

"Diveheart and Pristine Azul were great, facilitating and making it safe and easy," Brown added.

While Brown has previous experience, this was Trancon's first time scuba diving. She admitted to trepidation, but quickly became comfortable in the water.  

When 16-year-old participant Daniel Paterson was asked if he would try scuba diving again, his face broke into a big smile. "Oh yeah!" he exclaimed, adding, "I would do it tomorrow!"

Diveheart Organization

Diveheart founder and president Jim Elliott was inspired to start his organization after teaching his blind daughter to downhill ski, and seeing how this activity increased her confidence.

What Elliott came to realize is that his daughter's accomplishments had a ripple affect on other people. "It touches other people's lives," he said.

A certified scuba diver, Elliott realized how powerful and therapeutic scuba diving can be to people with disabilities. On a practical level, most communities have indoor pools, while skiing is a seasonal activity available only in certain geographical areas.

After retiring from a journalism career, Elliott devoted himself full-time to Diveheart, which he founded in 2001.   

"My payback is to see people with severe disabilities become independent, when they come up from the water with a smile, and realize if they can do scuba diving, they can take on other challenges," Elliott said.

With the help of the International Rotary organization, Elliott took Diveheart around the world, including the Caribbean, Australia, China and Mexico.

Caldwell Community Center Dives In

When Diveheart approached the Caldwell Community Center, Director Rob Patterson said it took him "30 seconds" to agree to host Diveheart.

"How do you say 'no'?" Patterson asked, adding, "These are the things the Community Center is about. It upsets me to learn other organizations would not host them."

Caldwell Councilman Joe Norton, the Council Chairperson of Community Relations added, "This is a great day for the Borough of Caldwell and, most importantly, the participants in the event. This is something to be admired, to be able to live a full life and to see what the human mind and what individuals can do."

Diveheart Training

The Diveheart instructor/buddy training program includes classroom time for scuba instructors to learn about various disabilities and accessibility. In addition, confined water training includes diving as a paraplegic (with legs tied), and as a blind diver with a blackened mask.

All scuba divers with disabilities are partnered with a trained buddy for one-on-one scuba diving. "We have never had a problem," Elliott stated. 

For Pristine AzulScuba Diving Club President Dennis Petrusovich, this was a way to "give back". A military veteran, psychotherapist and volunteer fireman in Wayne, Petrusovich has friends who are wounded.

"This is a way to give back to those people in an environment where we are all equal," Petrusovich said.

Longitme Diveheart volunteer and scuba instructor Debby Miller added, "It is awesome. Lots of smiles and 'wow, I did not think I could do this!'" Miller commented about the Diveheart participants.

Diveheart volunteer June Stahl also received her buddy training adding, "I love scuba diving, and to be able to share it with people who never thought they could is amazing."

The efforts of the trainers and Diveheart could all be seen in the bright smile on 8-year-old Daneyan of Morristown. After completing her dive, the girl said, "I went under and stayed under."

While Daneyan admitted to be nervous at first, she said, "I will do it again."

To learn more about Diveheart, visit their website.