Handicapped, but we can dive

Handicapped Scuba Association
Tay Shi'an, The New Paper 27 Jul 08;

ON land, she's unsteady on her feet because of a spinal injury she suffered nine years ago.

But in water, Madam Colleen Low, 42, a certified master scuba diver, is a picture of confidence.

She is one of just a few certified disabled divers in Singapore.

Earlier this month, The New Paper on Sunday featured a group of four Singaporeans with different disabilities who are learning to dive, for charity.

Checks with international bodies for disabled divers showed that fewer than 10 Singaporeans got certified with them in the last 15 years.

For Madam Low, a retail operations executive, it was a matter of jumping back into the water.

She was already an experienced diver when she fell on a boat in 1999 and suffered a spinal injury.

She was hospitalised for two months, and spent a year on crutches.

Now, after years of physiotherapy, she can walk, with the help of her husband and friends, or by leaning against walls for support.

SECOND CHANCE

In 2001, her dive instructor, Mr Eugene Sim from Dive Atlantis, told her he had just completed a course on teaching diving to the disabled, and asked if she wanted to give it a try.

Said Madam Low: 'He showed me all the videos, and I was amazed. It never came to mind that the handicapped can still dive.

'People asked me why I wasn't scared to go back. But it's one of my hobbies.'

She went through pool and open water sessions to learn new dive methods to overcome her disability.

She admitted there were moments she felt disheartened, like when she faced currents and did not have the strength to swim against them like she did before.

She was also embarrassed at first over the help she needed, like having to be carried from the boat to the jetty.

She said: 'People like us, we have a phobia that people are watching us, because the way we walk is different. When we sit down, we never want to get up.

'But I didn't want to give up.'

So she persevered - and got her handicapped dive certificate the same year.

Since then, Madam Low has done more than 80 dives, in places like Manado in Indonesia, and Tioman and Pulau Aur in Malaysia, usually with her instructor and the same group of friends.

She said: 'When I dive, I feel proud. Because people see I'm handicapped but I can dive.'

Another such diver is Mr Tam Ah Hock, 40, former president of the Handicaps Welfare Association.

He was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disorder in which bones break easily, and is wheelchair-bound.

But despite the condition, and being just 1m tall, Mr Tam learnt diving 12 years ago, thanks to then-polytechnic student Michael Cheng, who taught diving to the disabled as part of his National Youth Achievement Awards activities.

Mr Tam, an operations support executive, said: 'On land, I feel very disabled. My movements are limited. Once in the water, I'm just like any other person, free to move everywhere.

'I can see the fishes, the underwater scene, it's a totally different environment.'

But after receiving his certification, Mr Tam decided to stop diving.

He had sinus problems which gave him nosebleeds because of the pressure underwater.

SPREADING THE WORD

Both Madam Low and Mr Tam said they would like more disabled Singaporeans to know the opportunities open to them, that it's possible for them to learn diving.

Said Mr Tam: 'In life, it's always good to try some adventure, whether you are disabled or not.'

Madam Low's instructor, Mr Sim, 40, has trained two other disabled divers, in Malaysia.

His company, Dive Atlantis, charges $680 for a disabled diver course - the same as its open water course for regular divers, though the former requires more instructors.

'I don't think disabled diving is well-known in Singapore,' he said.

'If the disabled can enjoy one more sport, it's more meaningful to them.

'Those like Colleen can continue their lifestyle and it helps them go back to a normal life.'

Diving for the disabled

Handicapped Scuba Association

www.hsascuba.com

The US-based organisation said only one instructor and five disabled divers from Singapore have gone through its programmes. This was in 1996 and 1997.

One of the five divers is Mr Tam Ah Hock, 40, former president of the Handicaps Welfare Association.

International Association for HandicappedDivers

www.iahd.org

The Netherlands-based organisation said six Singapore instructors have been trained by it so far. Four of them are under the same local dive operator, Dive Atlantis.

Madam Colleen Low, 42, is the only disabled diver from Singapore who has been certified with it, although others have been given introductory sessions.

CHARITY

The four disabled Singaporeans learning to dive for charity will be heading to Pulau Tioman from 22 to 24 Aug for their first open water dives.

When they complete these successfully, the four - one deaf, one partially blind, one wheelchair-bound, and one special needs student - can become certified divers.

All four are participating in A Nation In Concert, a charity performance of a marine-themed musical in October, to raise funds for various welfare organisations.

Want to witness them get certified?

Ocean Ambassador Dive Center, which is partially sponsoring the course, will be holding an Open Water Advanced Dive course and leisure dives for certified divers on the same trip.

Net proceeds from these will be donated to the concert.

Those interested can call Ocean Ambassador's Eugene Yeo at 91887230.