Adaptive Sports

Your underwater adventure begins here. Try Scuba is a unique opportunity to experience breathing underwater for the very first time in a safe, controlled pool environment. In this 2-hour session, you’ll learn the basics of using SCUBA gear while practicing how to breathe and move beneath the surface. For veterans, this introductory class isn’t just about fun—it’s about overcoming challenges, building confidence, and discovering new strengths that carry into certification training and beyond. Guided by our highly experienced staff, participants explore the therapeutic benefits of the water, addressing both physical and mental injuries in a low-stress, supportive setting.

Becoming an Open Water Diver is your gateway to exploring the underwater world with freedom and confidence. With this certification, you can dive anytime, anywhere, alongside a certified buddy. The course begins with an online learning module you’ll complete before your first training session. From there, you’ll take part in:
- One afternoon of review and hands-on equipment training
- Two days in the pool to learn and practice essential skills
- Two days of open water diving—four dives total—where you’ll apply your skills while experiencing the beauty and tranquility beneath the surface.

This course not only teaches you how to dive, it opens the door to a lifetime of underwater adventure.

The Specialty Diver rating is the first major recognition milestone in the
SSI diver’s journey. To achieve this level, a diver must log at least 12 dives and complete two specialty courses such as Perfect Buoyancy, Boat Diver, or Navigation. These recognition levels are designed to encourage divers to keep exploring, learning, and growing. For veterans, reaching this milestone is especially powerful—because diving itself is therapy. Advanced training not only builds skills, confidence, and comfort in the water but also deepens the therapeutic benefits of each dive.

Achieving the SSI Advanced Open Water Diver rating is a true milestone in any diver’s journey. This level requires at least 24 logged dives and the completion of four specialty courses, reflecting both skill development and a deep passion for the sport. Because many of these dives take place outside of formal training, reaching this recognition represents real dedication and experience. For veterans, the journey to Advanced Open Water is about more than just diving—it’s about building confidence, resilience, and community. We’re committed to supporting this achievement by providing specialty training opportunities and organized dives in a positive, encouraging environment that fosters both personal growth and therapeutic benefit.

The Master Diver rating is the highest recognition level in recreational diving,
achieved by fewer than 2% of divers worldwide. To earn this prestigious level, divers must log at least 50 dives and complete the Diver Stress & Rescue certification along with four specialty courses. It represents true dedication, skill, and passion for the underwater world. For us, though, it’s not just about the title—although it is an incredible achievement—it’s about the healing journey along the way. Research shows that scuba diving can reduce PTSD symptoms in veterans by up to 80% for as long as six weeks after a dive. With the dives and training required for Master Diver, veterans experience powerful opportunities for healing, growth, and resilience. Achieving this recognition is more than a diving accomplishment—it’s a badge of pride and progress that veterans carry with them both in and out of the water.

Training and certifications are important for building knowledge, comfort, and confidence underwater—but the true therapy is in the diving itself. Scuba is a buddy sport, built on safety, connection, and fun. The camaraderie of diving with others enhances the healing journey, creating a supportive community where veterans can thrive. To keep veterans in the water and reaping these benefits, each month we oƯer guided beach dives, boat charters, and unique dive adventures. We also provide pool therapy dives, giving veterans the chance to practice skills, test new equipment, or simply experience the peace, relaxation, and healing that comes with breathing underwater.