Waves Project – (California, Florida, Texas) Provides an opportunity for veterans with service connected disabilities and their families to experience scuba diving. Each veteran and a dive companion of their choice can experience the freedom of scuba diving for free. They take each candidate and their dive buddy through open water certification. From classroom to open water dives, you will experience the many benefits to scuba…regardless of your injury. The Waves Project works with all levels of the military from brain trauma, double and triple amputees to PTSD.
Training: WAVES Projects SCUBA Training Program offers Veterans, and a companion of their choice, the unique opportunity to experience the therapeutic benefits of water & SCUBA Diving. Their instructional staff works with each student, adapting to the specific needs of each veteran, so they can complete the requirements of the training.
Participants begin with a Try SCUBA Diving Course. This one day course allows participants an opportunity to learn some basic skills and experience SCUBA Diving in a safe, controlled environment.
After experiencing diving, Veterans and their companion are given the opportunity to participate in a full Open Water SCUBA Diver course. Conducted over 5 days, upon completion of this course, participants are certified to dive, with any certified diver, anytime they desire without the supervision of an instructor.
Once SCUBA certified, the Veteran & their companions are eligible to participate in continuing education programs, such as underwater photography, wreck diving, search & recovery, ecological diving courses, and many other specialty programs. Continuing education allows participants to learn & develop skills, according to their interests. This allows the Veteran to continue to experience the therapeutic benefits of water & diving, while doing something they enjoy. Many of the Veterans who participate in the program continue their training on a path to the professional levels.
Equipment: While participating in training courses, professionally maintained rental SCUBA equipment is available for the Veteran and their Buddy for their use. After certification, participants are encouraged to begin purchasing their own equipment. WAVES Project offers many opportunities for divers to obtain their own quality equipment through discount and grant programs. When purchasing their gear through WAVES Project, Veterans and their Buddy have access to use needed rental SCUBA equipment at discounted rates. Divers who own their equipment dive more often, providing more opportunity to experience the therapeutic benefits of diving. Our special equipment pricing is available to ALL veterans, regardless of where they were trained.
Through partnerships with the U.S. National Park Service and other agencies, WAVES Project trains Veterans to have the skills needed to volunteer on projects at Lake Mead National Park, Dry Tortuga National Park, Pearl Harbor, with many other projects being developed. These projects provide an opportunity for Veterans to learn new skills, build bonds and experience the therapeutic benefits of diving with other Veterans while helping preserve and protect our countries historical and natural resources.
Check out Waves Project events at this link.
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