Dive centre takes disabled children snorkelling

A class of disabled children from Liverpool were recently treated to an afternoon of snorkelling with Odyssey Dive Centre.

The pupils, all from Springwood Heath School, took part in the dive centre’s first ever PADI Discover Snorkelling Session.

With water-based activities widely regarded as fantastic exercise for those with physical disabilities - as well as great fun - the aim of the session was to provide the children with an afternoon like they had never had before.

The initiative was the brainchild of Andy Longden, an Odyssey Director and PADI IDC Staff Instructor, and Claire Ashton, a trainee Divemaster who also works as a paediatric physiotherapist with the NHS in Merseyside.

"Working with children with physical disabilities, I was already familiar with the therapeutic effects of water, as both a medium for exercise as well as building confidence," said Clare

“I was keen that these children have the opportunity to witness the same sense of freedom, amazement and enjoyment that I had seen in previous discover snorkelling sessions."

The children entered the water one at a time, allowing the team to work closely with each pupil, ensuring that they felt comfortable with the mask and snorkel before starting with confidence-building exercises.

While all the kids needed help to swim, each of them happily had their faces in the water by the end of the session and enjoyed that amazing feeling of breathing in water.

Odyssey Dive Centre is planning to run several more PADI Discover Snorkelling Sessions.

Fore more information, go to the Odyssey Dive Centre website.