Denver Adaptive Divers

Background Statement

Denver Adaptive Divers (DAD) was incorporated in the state of Colorado in late 2016 under the name

Rocky Mountain Adaptive Aquatics, dba Denver Adaptive Divers. In early 2017 the organization received its letter of determination from the IRS granting its nonprofit status under 501(c)(3). Our nonprofit status allows us to raise money for people living with disabilities to fund training, to rent/purchase adapted equipment, and to travel to dive in the ocean. Funding also enables participants to become Classified Open Water Divers (an Open Water Diver who needs assistance due to their disability). The for-profit training center, Denver Divers, was DAD's first sponsor and continues to house the organization.

DAD raised $18,000 in the first year which allowed DAD to train, equip, and take diving the first two

adaptive scholarship winners. In 2019 DAD raised $80,000, funding nine newly trained adaptive diver

students and three family members (newly trained as Certified Dive Buddies) and their Instructors. DAD's second annual fund raiser dinner in January of 2018 raised $40,000. Through an agreement with Adaptive Adventures, DAD served five people living with SCI and two living with MS. Later in 2018, DAD continued to expand its Instructor base by training seven additional instructors to serve additional program participants. DAD currently has 16 volunteers who are trained as Certified Dive Buddies. The Certified Dive Buddy is an Open Water Diver with additional training in Stress and Rescue, First Aid, CPR, AED, and Oxygen Administration. Additionally, they receive individualized training on how to assist a diver living with disabilities on needed adaptations to be safe and successful. January 2020 started off with a bang. The annual dinner raised over $100,000. With 12 Instructors and 16 Certified Dive Buddies, the program began training ten new program participants and their family members as Certified Dive Buddies. However, in March of 2020, COVID hit the globe causing the May trip to be postponed until May of 2021. Since its inception,

DAD Instructors and Certified Dive Buddies include four rescue and recovery firemen who are trained as EMT's. There are medical doctors and nurses that are also members of the DAD team. The Instructors have - combined - over 250 years of training divers in all subject matters currently offered by Scuba Skills International (SSI) including the specialized training needed to serve people living with disabilities. SSI is one of the largest global training agencies. Denver Divers is prominent as an SSI dive center. Denver Divers has been in business since 1960 and is the oldest dive shop in Colorado.

DAD is uniquely qualified to be successful because of its partnerships with other nonprofit organizations serving the population of those living with disabilities, the strength of its Board of Directors and the support of Denver Divers. During the enforced lull caused by the COVID 19 pandemic, DAD will train additional instructors and Certified Dive Buddies to meet the expanding needs of the program. DAD intends to take additional trips in 2021 to different locations to broaden the experiences of the certified adaptive divers as well as new participants. Finding dive resorts that are set up to accommodate accessibility needs for a large group takes the expertise of the Denver Divers' travel department. Providing continuity for those already trained facilitates divers being integrated into a diving community which provides opportunities for social interaction, continuing education, skill review and socialization with others in the diving community around the world, both online and in person. DAD is governed by a the Board of Directors, all of whom are financial donors to the program and some of who are living with SCI's. All are committed to the financial needs of the program. Another critical layer of support comes from our relationship with Denver Divers. In addition to

having a training pool, classrooms, rental department and service area, the shop's travel department books over a dozen group travel trips per year for hundreds of its customers. All of that lends itself to the success of the program that spans introduction to certification to a lifetime of fulfillment for all parties that choose scuba diving as a part of their lives.