The ocean offers connection, healing, and adventure to millions worldwide, yet for many, physical, mental, or psychological barriers have made it feel out of reach. PADI has long been committed to breaking down these barriers, creating opportunities for people of all abilities to explore and protect the ocean. In support of this mission, PADI is launching the inaugural PADI Adaptive Diving Week from 1-7 December 2024. This week will celebrate the remarkable stories of divers, as well as the contributions of PADI Dive Centers, Resorts, and Professionals in empowering all divers, fostering inclusivity, and expanding access to the life-changing experience of diving.
The Significance of Adaptive Diving
Globally, one in six people – around 1.3 billion individuals – experience some form of disability. For many, physical or psychological barriers have limited access to activities that others may take for granted, such as scuba and freediving. Yet, these activities have proven to be powerful tools for healing, empowerment, and personal growth.
“Diving changed my life from ‘no you can’t’ to ‘yes you can’ when given the chance,” says Fraser Bathgate, Global Adaptive Techniques Coordinator for PADI Worldwide. “Once in the water I had freedom I did not have on land – 360-degree dynamic mobility which I did not have in the chair.”
PADI was founded on the belief that the oceans should be accessible to all. That’s why PADI’s approach to diver education has always been inclusive; everyone who meets safety prerequisites is welcome. For veterans with PTSD, Paralympians, individuals with spinal injuries, and countless others, learning to dive has provided a pathway to healing and transformation.
“This inclusive approach is more than a philosophy — it’s deeply ingrained in PADI’s educational programs and global dive community,” says Katie Thompson, Senior Director of Environment and Sustainability for PADI Worldwide. “Over the years, this has allowed individuals of varying abilities to experience the joys and benefits of diving, where the ocean becomes not just a place of recreation, but a space for emotional and physical recovery.”
A Legacy of Inclusivity
To build on its legacy of inclusivity, PADI developed two courses aimed at increasing awareness of the diverse abilities of divers and exploring adaptive teaching techniques for training and diving with divers of varying abilities to meet the specific needs of each diver.
“All PADI courses are ‘adaptive’ in nature,” says Eric Albinsson, PADI Instructor Development and Training Executive. “This is central to the performance-based, student-centric, philosophy that we’ve had since the beginning. It doesn’t matter if a student has visible or invisible physical or mental challenges – or nothing obvious. Everyone needs adaptive techniques to some degree.”
In 2017, PADI introduced the Adaptive Techniques Specialty, designed to educate and empower PADI Professionals to make scuba and freediving training more accessible. This specialty builds on the foundational teaching methods taught during all existing PADI Instructor and Divemaster training, expanding awareness of the unique abilities of divers. It helps dive professionals adapt their training techniques, whether working with a diver facing mobility challenges or someone overcoming cognitive or psychological barriers. The goal is to make diving a safe and accessible experience for anyone who wishes to explore the ocean.
Accompanying the Adaptive Techniques Specialty is the Adaptive Support Diver course, designed for divers who want to assist buddies with physical or mental disabilities. This course provides essential training, equipping divers with the skills to support their dive buddies effectively and ensure a safe and enjoyable experience underwater for all. Certified divers who are at least 15 years old and have current CPR and first aid training are eligible to enroll in the Adaptive Support Diver course.
PADI Adaptive Services Facilities: Raising the Bar for Accessibility
In 2023, PADI introduced a new initiative to further advance inclusivity within the diving community: the PADI Adaptive Services Facility accreditation. This prestigious designation is awarded to select PADI Dive Centers and Resorts that demonstrate excellence in providing adaptive services and infrastructure for divers with physical, psychological, or mental challenges.
To earn this accreditation, dive centers and resorts must meet rigorous standards. These include having staff specifically trained in adaptive diving techniques, offering specialized training for divers with disabilities interested in diving, and ensuring accessibility in retail areas, classrooms, pools, and boats. These operators go above and beyond to ensure that divers of all abilities can fully participate and enjoy their diving experiences.
Today, more than 50 PADI Adaptive Services Facilities exist worldwide, and that number is steadily growing. Each facility stands as a beacon of inclusivity, creating welcoming and accessible environments for divers of all abilities.
The First PADI Adaptive Diving Week
PADI Adaptive Diving Week is an opportunity for us all to reflect on the impact diving has had on the global community of divers with disabilities. From changing individual lives to evolving industry standards, using adaptive diving techniques represents an ever-expanding frontier of inclusivity and accessibility in diving. The week will celebrate the stories of divers who have overcome challenges to explore the ocean and the dedicated dive professionals who have made those experiences possible.
“Our objective with PADI Adaptive Diving Week is to replicate the success we’ve seen with PADI Women’s Dive Day, which we launched in 2015 to increase female participation, promote inclusivity, and reduce the gender gap in the sport,” says Thompson. “We recognized that PADI’s influence and leadership could play a pivotal role in breaking down barriers, and now we aim to expand those efforts to build a stronger, more inclusive dive industry. Our goal is to open the aquatic world to everyone, making it accessible for exploration and protection. It’s essential that we connect with those in the community that have differing abilities and help drive positive cultural change on a global scale.”
PADI Adaptive Diving Week, a key initiative under PADI’s People & Humanity Pillar of Change, highlights the ongoing effort to make diving more inclusive and accessible. As the world’s largest network of underwater explorers, we celebrate the diversity of the diving community while continuously working to create new opportunities for everyone to experience the ocean’s transformative power. By raising awareness about the healing benefits of diving and expanding access to dive training, experiences, and facilities, we can all help make the ocean a truly inclusive space.
Throughout the week, PADI Adaptive Services Facilities across the globe are showcasing the profound impact diving can have for divers with disabilities. In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Kids Scuba is hosting an adaptive diving workshop and community experience. In Florida, USA, Nova Southeastern University is holding events with the university’s disability services team to raise awareness of adaptive diving. And in Diani, Kenya, Ocean Tribe is running a series of adaptive diving programs, including Discover Scuba Diving experiences, a PADI Adaptive Techniques Specialty Instructor Training Course, and PADI Adaptive Diver Specialty courses. Ocean Tribe is also hosting a series of online sessions geared towards dive professionals, including a workshop for divers with disabilities who would like to become dive professionals, a workshop to explore options for dive pros wanting to work with disabled divers, a PADI Professional Q&A session about working with disabled divers, and a Q&A with PADI Course Director Mark Slingo about how scuba diving helped him overcome a life changing accident.
Get Involved This PADI Adaptive Week!
Join us 1-7 December 2024 to celebrate the incredible stories of divers who have overcome challenges to explore the ocean and the dedicated dive professionals who made these experiences possible.
- Connect with a PADI Adaptive Services Facility. Find a PADI Adaptive Services Facility near you and discover opportunities both above and below the surface.
- Share your story. Join others by sharing a meaningful experience related to adaptive diving. We’ll be curating content and may reshare your story, so use #PADI and #AdaptiveTechniques for a chance to be featured.
- Follow and share. Follow PADI’s social media channels as we host guest speakers, share new videos, and highlight stories from divers, dive shops, and role models around the world. Help spread the word by sharing these posts with friends, family, and on your channels to amplify our collective efforts to increase accessibility to the underwater world.
- Take a course. Ask your PADI Dive Center if they offer the Adaptive Support Diver course and learn how to be a better buddy while diving or freediving with someone who has a mental and/or physical challenge.
