The HSA was founded in 1981 by Jim Gatacre and is now the world's leading authority on recreational diving for people with disabilities. Headquartered in California, HSA INTERNATIONAL extends its underwater educational programs worldwide. The HSA is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation and donations made to us are gratefully accepted and tax deductible. We operate as an independent diver training and certifying agency. Our prestigious diver education programs and Instructor Training Course (ITC) are internationally recognized and unequaled by any other programs in the industry. These programs were developed in conjunction with two major certifying agencies, PADI and NAUI.

Available Courses/Programs
Open Water Certification
Advanced Open Water Certification
The Dive Buddy Program
Instructor Training Course (ITC)

Open Water Certification-Either from accident or disease about 15% of the population is statistically classified as "handicapped". In the United States alone this percentage translates into MILLIONS of people, many of whom are fully capable of becoming scuba divers. Our open water training programs for people with disabilities are taught with a high margin of safety because we use teaching techniques developed with over 20 years of continuous research and feedback. Handicapped students are trained and certified according to HSA Physical Performance Standards and a multilevel Certification system so exacting and sensitive it enables us to train people with a wide range of disabilities, including paraplegia, quadriplegia, even the blind of those with high-functioning brain injuries or mild retardation. We base our students diving proficiency on their ability to assist another diver in the water. For instance, if you're a Level A diver, you're certified to dive with one other person; a Level B diver must dive with two other able-bodied divers and a Level C diver not only requires two dive buddies, but one must be trained in diver rescue. After meeting the requirements for Basic "Open Water", some of our A, B, and C divers go on to obtain an "Advanced" level of certification.

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Advanced Open Water Certification- After meeting the requirements for Basic "Open Water", some of our A, B, and C divers go on to obtain an "Advanced" level of certification.

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The Dive Buddy Program- Many of us know someone, a friend or family member, we'd like to involve in scuba diving. Or, we'd welcome the challenge of learning about disabilities, accessibility issues and how to dive with people who have disabilities. The HSA "Dive Buddy Program" offers able-bodied divers this opportunity to expand their underwater world to include sharing it with a handicapped partner. An HSA certified Dive Buddy receives nearly as much information and skill training as an instructor , except the training focuses on recreation, not instruction.

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Instructor Training Course (ITC)- Since the HSA Instructor Training Course was first introduced in 1986 we have trained and certified a network of over 1000 instructors in over 30 countries around the world. The course provide 3 full days of intensive, insightful theory and application for those instructors eager to accept the challenge of sharpening their teaching skills. Each instructor acquires medical information through 10 hours of lectures on disabilities - what they are and how they relate to diving - followed by a series of confined and open water exercises, designed to simulate disabilities. By "acting out" these handicaps, instructors actually experience what it's like to BE a mobility or sight-impaired diver, a sensitizing , often surprising revelation even for instructors who have been teaching diving for many years. Our roster of HSA instructors includes experts in Physical Rehabilitation counseling, Medical Doctors and other health care professionals able to directly assess the profound effect of handicapped diving. If you are interested in attending an ITC's click here.

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