Welcome to Underwater Safari!  This site is dedicated to the underwater world of scuba diving!  Many people don't realize such beauty lies beneath the surface of blue waters.  It is a peaceful arena, no phones, no pagers, no talking!  You are treated to complete relaxation where you can watch nature in its' own element. It is the most unique type of hunt, because if you are lucky, you will come face to face with a shark, and you will realize there is no glass between the two of you!  You are in the most spectacular zoo of all.  The challenge is to spot the different types of aquatic elements, and to be able to recognize and identify your subject.  The search is continuous, and yet the only shooting that is permitted is with a camera.  Come join us on our quest as we begin our Underwater Safari!  

                   

In the Beginning.......   

I started diving in August 1997.  From the first breath I took underwater, I knew diving would be a big part of my life.  When I did my first blue water dive, in Belize '97, I rented an underwater video camera.  Not only did I want to remember every detail of that dive, but I had a desire to share it with my friends and family.  I met Dale on that trip, who is an avid underwater videographer, and he has helped me get started learning underwater videoing.  Dale will be the first to tell you I've got a lot to learn, but in the meantime, let the fun begin.  In order to learn more about underwater videoing, that means MORE DIVING!  Count me in on that! 

     Eels On Wheels

Toward the end of 1998, I met Gene at a scuba social at Austin Aquasports, where I learned to dive.  Gene is a C5 quadriplegic due to a rock climbing (or as Gene puts it, "a  FALLING") accident!  Gene asked me, "When are we going diving, Jill?"  I must have conveyed a look of confusion, because he was quick to inform me that he was a diver!  I couldn't believe someone in a wheelchair could be a diver.  Gene informed me that with the help of friends, nothing is out of the reach of someone with an "urge to submerge!"   The thought that I could be a part of assisting others to dive excited me!  It was through that conversation that I was introduced to the "Eels on Wheels".  This group specializes in diving with anyone with a disability.  I left for the Cayman Islands for a New Year's Eve trip with the Eels, even though I only knew two people in the group, Gene and Chris.  Chris has worked with our office for a few years and although he had talked extensively about his diving trips, it didn't sink in that he ACTUALLY did the same dives that I had done!  I met 40 of the greatest people in this world on that trip!  I have never met a group that has such an intense desire to help one another.  Although I only had my Rescue certification, I wanted to help out in any way I could.  After doing several dives,  I was soon allowed to dive with Nancy, who is also a quad.   Nancy is incredible!  She has use of her arms, and she wears webbed gloves, which allows her to propel herself through the water.  My job was to stay behind her and assist her if we faced a current, at which time, I would be her "legs" and kick for her.  I can't begin to express what I felt on that dive, other than the tremendous admiration I have of anyone who overcomes a handicap.  I had tears in my eyes when I surfaced from that dive from sheer exuberance!  We have all faced types of  disabilities in our lives, in one way or another, although some might  be the type of disability that crutches couldn't assist.  The courage displayed by these individuals is nothing less than incredible. 

Soon, I was moved to the front of Nancy, and I stayed close enough that I could almost touch her, yet giving her the complete freedom to enjoy the feeling of buoyancy.  If she needed help, she would look at me, and I would immediately come to her aid.  During such a dive, our motto is "It's THEIR Dive." 

I've always said I would never take a camera on a dive when I am assisting another diver, because no photo is worth taking a chance on missing the signal of a diver in distress.  However, on a trip to Roatan, Honduras, I was diving with Kyle, who is awesome, and Tammy, who is a certified cave diver and has had extensive diving training.  We had enough confidence in each other to give the camera a try.  I was able to take some great photos and video.  Nothing is more rewarding to me than diving with the Eels, and to be able to share the experience with friends. To be sitting in the boat and see the empty wheelchairs left on the dock, and knowing I had a part in this, is a feeling that surpasses anything I have experienced.   

Take a minute and meet some of our adaptive divers!  Then, take a few more minutes and check out the Eels underwater! 

Here's a short video clip featuring the Eels!  (Right click, Save As...)

  

© Underwater Safari 2008