Main image: Kurt pictured with his diving instructor, Paul Egan
A member of Droylsden Sub-Aqua Club who has only one arm has taken the impressive step of qualifying as a BSAC Ocean Diver, thanks to support from his club and the Diving for All (DfA) programme.
Kurt Blackshard takes up the story:
The underwater world has always fascinated me. As a child I would spend hours with my nose pressed against the glass at Blue Planet Aquarium. My favourite films were Jaws, Flipper and pretty much any water-related documentary would capture my attention.
However, growing up with one arm, exploring the ocean depths for myself always felt out of reach.
From the very first conversation, I felt welcomed and supported
That changed when I was given a shark diving experience for my birthday. I never imagined being underwater, just inches away from sand sharks, nurse sharks and colourful groups of fish. It was an incredible experience and left me wanting more.
I researched diving courses online and found my dive club DSAC (Droylsden Sub Aqua Club) through their website.
I got in touch, expecting to feel overwhelmed but the opposite happened. From the very first conversation, I felt welcomed and supported. When I attended my first pool session I met a fantastic group of people. I could ask any questions I had (and I had quite a few) and immediately felt at ease.
My biggest concerns were around independence and whether I would be capable enough to learn everything involved in diving given my disability. There seemed to be a sea of information about equipment, procedures and skills to master. Being able to speak to people face to face, ask questions and most importantly give it a try helped me realise that diving really was something I could do.
The BSAC and DSAC environment and the community that comes with it has been amazing. Having so many knowledgeable, supportive and friendly members around is a testament to what the organisation is all about. Throughout my life I’ve learned to adapt to different situations, but it means a lot to be seen and treated simply as a capable diver and member of the group.
With the support of DSAC and BSAC I was able to achieve my Ocean Diver qualification!
