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With the help of Bayer Corporation and Valentine Radford , Midwest Aquatics became the first and only dive shop in the Kansas City metropolitan area to have its instructors trained and certified by the Handicapped Scuba Association (HSA). We saw the need to help those challenged by disabilities and brought in the founder of HSA, Jim Gatacre, to conduct intensive training. The program teaches instructors what it is like to be physically challenged, so they can relate to the needs of their students.
Confined and open water training programs are taught with a high degree of safety, using techniques developed through two decades of continuous research and feedback. Handicapped students are trained and certified according to HSA physical performance standards. Certified students have access to special diving tours to exotic locations around the world. Each dive location is chosen for its wheelchair accessibility, and an HSA-trained instructor is always present.
Only Midwest Aquatics combines state-of-the-art technology, certification by HSA, exotic diving trips and a staff that truly cares about their students.
Multi-level Certification:
HSA allows us to train people with a wide range of disabilities,
including paraplegia, quadriplegia, amputees, vision impairment,
hearing impairment and mild mental retardation. Based on the
student’s ability to successfully challenge the HSA Physical
Performance Standards, a multilevel certification assesses and
accommodates for the diver’s special needs.
Level A: The student has demonstrated that he or she
can safely scuba dive, solve basic personal emergencies, help
another diver in distress and perform basic rescues.
Level B: The student has demonstrated his or her ability
to safely scuba dive and to solve basic emergencies. However,
he or she is unable to demonstrate their ability to help another
diver in distress. Therefore, the Level B diver is certified
to dive with two dive buddies who are certified Level A or above.
In case of an emergency, this system will provide an effective
dive buddy for all members of the dive team.
Level C: The student has demonstrated his or her ability
to safely scuba dive. However, he or she is unable to independently
solve basic personal emergencies, or to execute basic scuba
skills, such as descending, swimming underwater, or operating
their own buoyancy control device. Therefore the Level C diver
is certified to dive with two buddies, one certified Level A
or above, the other certified at the minimum as a Rescue Diver.
The assisting buddy would preferably be an HSA Instructor, Assistant
Instructor, Divemaster or Open Water Buddy.
Available Dates:
Please contact us to set up a convenient time to start the course. |
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