Diving in the Lake

Lake Płotki (Poland) - Piła 28.08.2022

In 2019, I learned from the media that a special platform for diving for people with disabilities was established on a lake in Poland. I immediately thought that I would like to try this extreme sport. The pandemic and the distance from my place of residence meant that it took me three years to start realizing my dream, which could significantly raise the adrenaline level for any beginner diver.

Who organizes diving for people with disabilities?

I started my preparations by contacting the organizer of this wonderful initiative, the Krok po Kroku HSA Association. During a phone conversation with the president of the organization, I explained my degree of disability, which fortunately did not disqualify me from diving. I learned that the only condition I needed to meet was to have a doctor's approval. Additionally, I received a lot of detailed information about diving techniques, such as equalizing pressure in my ears by blowing air.

Where can people with disabilities dive?

The diving base for wheelchair users is located at Lake Płotki near Piła. The best conditions for diving in this body of water are at the turn of August and September. I managed to organize a friend who had helped me many times to experience extreme sports, and on the agreed day, we set off on a journey of 278 km. Getting to the diving base required ignoring two traffic bans, but this is not an issue for holders of a disabled parking card.

Training and preparation for diving

After greeting the president of the association and watching a film about "Diving Rehabilitation," we began a short training session on behavior underwater and establishing signs to help us communicate while diving. I also learned that it is best to approach diving with a clean-shaven face, as even a one-day stubble can negatively affect the seal of the mask.

Next, we proceeded to dress me in the diving suit. At first, I felt a lot of discomfort because the suit was very tight, but I was explained that everything would be fine underwater. The same applied to the swim cap, which was choking my neck, but that also became less bothersome during the dive. I was also told not to worry about water getting into the suit and the initial feeling of cold. This water quickly warmed up with the heat of my body and practically didn't bother me at all.

Once I was fully dressed in the diving suit, I was transported to the diving chamber using a specialized lift, where I began to acclimatize to the water. I was taught how to expel water from the mask without surfacing and not to panic when the oxygen apparatus was temporarily removed from my mouth. However, the most important task at this point was to learn how to breathe using the breathing apparatus. My concerns about whether I could manage this turned out to be very justified. I had a significant problem switching my brain to breathe through the apparatus only through my mouth. Breathing oxygen from the tank felt incomplete, and despite my best efforts, I was still somehow breathing through my nose, as evidenced by the moving mask. I was really close to giving up, but the determined words of the president of the association and others motivated me not to quit. I agreed to attempt to swim a distance of about 10 meters underwater between the diving chamber inside the building and the chamber outside.

Exploring the underwater world

Swimming this distance turned out to be not that difficult, and I decided that I could manage to swim the entire underwater tourist route, which is estimated to take about 30 minutes. We began our exploration of the underwater depths with a sunken dinosaur. The next stage was the wreck of a delivery van. The diver towing me pulled me through the front of the wreck into its interior, and I saw many interesting details covered in various algae. In the meantime, the diver equalized my ear pressure several times by pinching my nose, and I was trying to perform an action reminiscent of blowing my nose. Swimming towards the next attraction, we passed beautiful fish that paid no attention to us. It was wonderful to see a pike, a magnificent perch, or a carp in its natural habitat, not to mention many smaller fish.

Next, we reached a sunken yacht covered in various algae. For fun, the diver towing me and his assistant started playing tic-tac-toe on it. After a short while, we arrived at an open cage, where there were plenty of roaches and other fish. However, the biggest attraction of this place was a beautiful sturgeon, which very willingly enjoyed our company. Seeing such a beautiful fish up close is a sight I will surely remember for the rest of my life, and it was worth facing all the challenges. At one point, the sturgeon made a sudden movement, and I had the chance to feel its impressive body on my cheek. After feeding the fish and spending a few minutes enjoying the beauty of the surrounding underwater world, it was time to return to the base.

Return to the diving base

Upon returning to the base, I was filled with great euphoria. I was a part of an underwater world that is very different from the one we live in. Meeting fish in their natural habitat was a huge and valuable experience for me. Even though I was only at a depth of 6 meters, I felt the water pressure and saw the darkness of the abyss below me, which heightened my adrenaline. It was truly worth overcoming so many kilometers to experience diving in this picturesque lake.

Summary

Diving turned out to be a wonderful experience and the greatest challenge among the extreme sports I have had the opportunity to experience so far. I overcame my fear and conquered my own mind, which allowed me to experience many beautiful moments that will forever remain in my memory.

Thanks to the people from the Krok po Kroku Association, who share their passion for diving with people with disabilities, the underwater world has become accessible to me and many others. Diving for people with disabilities is a wonderful form of activity that offers incredible experiences and allows for the fulfillment of dreams about underwater adventures.