Darrell's Instructor's Experiences
"Two summers ago, I had the pleasure of teaching Darrell to scuba dive. The first obstacle I had to overcome was MY idea that Darrell would require special treatment and delicate handling. Happily, my conception of what was required was immediately proven wrong.
"Prior to the course Darrell obtained a swim leg that locks into a pointed toe position or a normal walking position. With the ability to lock his prosthetic foot into an extended position, Darrell was capable of the foot positioning necessary for efficient swimming kicks. This kick tends to be performed poorly by all new scuba students, however, Darrell lacking the ability to bend his ankle, was able to perform a PERFECT kick each and every time.
"The only setback with the foot is as Darrell locks the foot into position before entering the water, he needs a solid object or person to lean on. We overcame this problem by Darrell always entering the water before his dive buddy. Alternatively, entering beside a pool ladder or similar object allowed self-sufficiency.
"An adaptation to the course content was the entry method preferred. Giant stride entries tended to be awkward due to the position of Darrell's swim foot. Thus, back roll or controlled seated entries were substituted whenever possible.
"No other concessions were made or required. Darrell overcame these small difficulties with ease and proved himself to be a comfortable, proficient diver.
"For me, the chance to teach someone like Darrell has proven itself to be more rewarding than I could have ever imagined. With the hundreds of people whom I have taught to dive, Darrell has become one of my proudest memories of scuba instruction."