Adaptive Scuba Diving - What is Adaptive Sports and What is the Benefit of Adaptive Sports?
What is Adaptive Scuba Diving?
The definition for adaptive diving varies from person to person. Perhaps because Adaptive Scuba Diving itself varies from person to person. The term itself is simple enough to understand though. It is a method of training people with a variety of disabilities to Scuba dive with as much independence as possible. Adapting scuba diving skills based on physical restrictions is hard enough. At Indigo, we are committed to design adaptive dive products to enhance adaptive diver's mobility, independence and experience in the water.
Check out the video of Chrissy in action with her Indigo Industries adaptive diving scuba fins.
Why is it important to develop Adaptive Scuba Diving Products?
"Whether they are a prisoner of their mind or of their body, water helps set them free."
- Ranch Pratt, CEO, Indigo Industries and Indigo Tactical on Adaptive Scuba
Indigo Industries unveiled to the world the first line of adaptive scuba diving products designed for independence of amputee and PTSD Veterans as well as Indigo’s program to help this epidemic. Indigo Industries and its sister company Indigo Tactical began work on adaptive product in 2017 and in 2018 Indigo Industries adopted Adaptive Sports and Adaptive Scuba Diving as their cause. The mission is to battle this growing problem by developing adaptive equipment that can help these inspirational adaptive men and women be more independent in the water. Indigo Industries collaborated with Adaptive Diving Association in an effort to develop fins that will give adaptive divers a sense of independence. Alternative therapies for amputee and PTSD veterans have been on the rise in recent years. Scuba diving is one of the top alternative therapies for adaptive individuals and Indigo’s line will increase scuba divers independence and ability.
“Since Indigo’s launch at DEMA 2016, we have been searching for a cause we wanted
to get involved in. Adaptive diving has evolved into a natural fit for our brand.
Adaptive divers have a relentless passion for diving. We are committed to these
people… we are committed to veterans and will do everything we can to give these
divers the best possible diving experience.”
- Ranch Pratt, CEO, Indigo Industries.
The initial Indigo Adaptive Diver line will feature Adaptive scuba fins, adaptive underwater scooter and adaptive scuba BCD.
The Adaptive fins are crafted for divers with below knee (Bk) and above the knee (AK) leg circumstances.
The Adaptive tank mount underwater scooter will be similar to the Indigo Nautilus XP but will have modifications which will allow the diver to change the motor positions in the water. The motor adjustments will give adaptive divers with limited neck movement the ability to power their way through a dive in the direction and position that is most efficient for them.
The Adaptive chest mount BCD gives divers who can’t control body roll the ability to utilize our Nautilus XP DPV but mount it safely on their chest to eliminate body roll.
The Adaptive BCD will be similar to the Indigo BZ-Tactical but with a few attachments to assist adaptive divers. This system features our patented MATIC system, which allows place and removal of the adaptive divers tank at any moment while keep the adaptive diver flotation system on them at all times.
The Adaptive Diver Association has been an essential part of the momentum and idea behind the adaptive scuba diver fins. When we met the Adaptive Diver Association group at DEMA 2017, they convinced us that our Indigo Tactical line of fins could be modified for adaptive divers. Kenneth (Jim) Hoser worked with our engineering team and developed an adaptive diver fin that can fit a variety of individual sizes and circumstances.
“When I approached Indigo at DEMA about getting involved into adaptive diving they
were the first manufacture to actually listen and want to put a research and
development investment into adaptive divers. I informed them they were almost there
with their tactical line and they wanted to hear more. Its also refreshing to see a
manufacturer like Indigo actually want the association be involved with the process
instead of taking the idea and running with it.”
- Kenneth (Jim) Hoser, Founder, Adaptive Diver Association.
Indigo Industries Commitment to Adaptive Diving
“Below the surface, there is no weight of the world”
At Indigo, we have always had a strong desire to help with military efforts. That is why we opened a division focused solely on these needs. Indigo Tactical was launched at DEMA 2017 with one goal in mind, to keep U.S. and Allied troops safe and help them succeed in any mission. It was at that same show that the profound need to help our returning vets recalibrate their lives into peaceful, civilian living became clear. Especially those injured in service, because that too is a challenging mission. The more stories we heard, the more we knew the cause we would be embracing…and with the currently Vet suicide rate at 22 per day… we need to all embrace it tightly.
We are busy at both Indigo Industries and Indigo Tactical engineering products to help spinal, amputee, and head injury victims obtain greater mobility, independence and dignity. But we also know that not all injuries can be seen. The positive effects of diving on Post-traumatic Stress Disorder victims is amazing and we are happy to announce that we have expanded our programs to include those haunted with PTSD. We also are excited to share the fruits of our labor with the civilian community… because the burdens of daily living with physical and emotional impediments is challenging for anyone. In the coming weeks and months we will not only unveil products designed to help adaptive divers, but programs that enable us to reach a little deeper and stretch a little farther to help this great cause.
Indigo Industries will be launching a new event for Adaptive Sports called Submerged Adaptive Diving Festival 2021 June 9-13th, 2021. This event is aimed at answer the question What are adaptive sports?, What are the benefits of adaptive sports?, Where to buy adaptive sport equipment? and How can I get involved with adaptive sports. We can adaptive individuals, adaptive equipment companies, and adaptive sports organizations coming from around the world to experience the excitement of this adaptive event. To learn more about Submerged click below.
