This page includes all of our supporters.

HSA

The HSA was founded by Jim Gatacre in 1981 and is now the world's leading authority on recreational diving for people with disabilities. Headquartered in California, HSA extends its underwater educational programs worldwide. We operate as an independent diver training and certifying agency. Our prestigous 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. At this very moment people with disabilities are being trained and certified throughout the world by specially trained HSA Instructors. Accept the challenge! Challenges are about changes, in how we view ourselves, each other, even the world around us. Challenges are about believing in new directions and embarking on them with a sense of excitement and adventure. Discover the changes available for you through HSA, whether you're a Scuba Diving Instructor, a person with a disability, or a diver seeking the personal enrichment of learning how to dive with a handicapped diver.

Cocoa Beach Scuba Odyssey

Joe Bartoszek - Instructor Trainer - NASE - Instructor - HSAI - Instructor Emeritus - PADI - DAN O2 Instructor Instructor in the central Florida area since 1977. Familiar with most Florida Dive areas. Avid underwater photographer and videographer. Recently became certified with the Handicapped Scuba Association as an instructor I am certified to instruct people with disabilities to dive thru the Handicapped Scuba Association (HSA) These disabilities include, Amputee, Paraplegia, Quadriplegia, CP, Blindness & Deafness along with many others. The candidate diver must complete all of the skills & class required by the classic agencies...(NASE/WASI, PADI, NAUI, YMCA, SSI, etc) plus some additional skills. Though the skills must be performed by the candidate...assistance may be necessary. This determines the level certification the diver receives. The level indicates the degree of buddy support required. There are three levels of certification Classes are small, one to four students and pool work is performed at the Cocoa Beach Rec Center pool which is ADA compliant and maintained 80 deg year round Cost are variable depending on the disability and buddy requirements Open Water dives are held in Key Largo at a resort that meets most ADA standards.