LifeWaters Makes Waves: Adapting Scuba Diving for Veterans in San Juan

​In May 2024, a dedicated team from LifeWaters, a non-profit organization specializing in adapted scuba diving, finally touched down in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Their mission: to offer the SDI Scubility Discover Scuba program to a group of veterans from the San Juan VA Medical Center/VA Caribbean Health Care and Veterans Affairs. This long-awaited "adventure" in the VA therapy pool had faced numerous setbacks over the years, from a devastating hurricane to the global COVID-19 pandemic. But now, the time had come, and it felt incredibly rewarding to be there.

This remarkable event was made possible by the support of the National VA Adapted Sports Grant, which funded the LifeWaters team’s journey. Key contributors included Dr. Eduardo Nadal, Chief of the VA Spinal Cord Injury Unit, and Luis Rivas, a psychologist with the same unit. The San Juan Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) generously provided snacks, breakfast, coffee, and lunch throughout the weekend. Essential SCUBA gear was supplied by Great Escape Puerto Rico, while PR Dive provided additional equipment and full air cylinders. A heartfelt thanks goes out to the staff from the San Juan VA, including nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, and physical therapists, as well as the tireless LifeWaters team for their countless hours of preparation.

The event primarily served 29 veterans referred by the VA San Juan Medical Center’s Spinal Cord Injury Unit, including individuals with limb amputations and visual impairments. The traveling team included LifeWaters’ President and his wife, a certified paraplegic diver from LifeWaters, five SDI Scubility Dive Instructors, and a SDI Rescue Diver/Equipment Manager.

The weekend kicked off on Friday evening with an in-person and online meet-and-greet with the veterans, followed by a mini-class on scuba diving fundamentals. This session also included academic training for able-bodied staff and other divers who would assist in the pool, preparing them to become SDI Scubility Dive Buddies.
Saturday and Sunday were spent in the warm waters of the VA pool with the disabled veterans. Many of these veterans had been divers before their injuries or diagnoses and had not been underwater with SCUBA gear since. Over the course of the weekend, each veteran participated in at least three underwater sessions. They emerged from the water with smiles, laughter, and a renewed desire to continue their scuba journey, with nearly half sharing heartfelt testimonials.

LifeWaters aims to establish a sustainable adapted SCUBA diving program in each new location they visit. In San Juan, they plan to leverage the National VA Adapted Sports Grant to train local trainers and make the island a prime destination for disabled divers. Two participants from Great Escape Puerto Rico are currently undergoing LifeWaters’ Instructor Development and Evaluation course, set to conclude in August 2024. Additionally, three or four Dive Instructors from PR Dive, who are certified by a different SCUBA organization, will cross over to become SDI Scubility Instructors. This core group will sustain the program in San Juan, drawing on their excellent teaching skills and dedication.
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LifeWaters is excited about the prospect of returning to San Juan to continue building this vital program. They look forward to working alongside this incredible group of divers and further supporting the VA staff members who have been instrumental in developing the program as community partners. The journey has just begun, and the future looks bright for adapted scuba diving in Puerto Rico.