Boldly Going Where Diabetics Haven't Gone Before...
... And of course, that's a lie. It's 2010, for crying out loud. Diabetics have done the Ironman, been to the Olympics, flown planes, yada, yada, yada... Truth is, it takes more than a failed pancreas to keep a good man down.
And still, there are certain things that - until recently - diabetics have been highly discouraged from doing. One of these things is scuba diving.
Truth is, I've wanted to scuba dive since I was a kid. But things have a way of getting in the way until one day you realize, "Hey, I'm almost 40 and I'm still not certified."
And then you realize that scuba diving is all about the buddy system, so you're going to need a pal. At that point, it's a good idea if your 12 year old son has a long history of being on swim team, because he can sign up without your wife worrying too much about her young boy and her diabetic husband learning to suck air underwater.
So I've looked up the DAN standards for diabetic divers, and - like a healthy Type 1 Diabetic - I pass. I also scored most of the equipment I need for fairly cheap on Craigslist and will get the rest over the next month or so.
And then in November, I'll do what many diabetics have already done: get my Open Water Certification with my son. Looking forward to it.
And still, there are certain things that - until recently - diabetics have been highly discouraged from doing. One of these things is scuba diving.
Truth is, I've wanted to scuba dive since I was a kid. But things have a way of getting in the way until one day you realize, "Hey, I'm almost 40 and I'm still not certified."
And then you realize that scuba diving is all about the buddy system, so you're going to need a pal. At that point, it's a good idea if your 12 year old son has a long history of being on swim team, because he can sign up without your wife worrying too much about her young boy and her diabetic husband learning to suck air underwater.
So I've looked up the DAN standards for diabetic divers, and - like a healthy Type 1 Diabetic - I pass. I also scored most of the equipment I need for fairly cheap on Craigslist and will get the rest over the next month or so.
And then in November, I'll do what many diabetics have already done: get my Open Water Certification with my son. Looking forward to it.
