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Physically Challenged--The dive vessel Seabreeze is equipped to handle divers and snorkelers that are paraplegic or have difficulty ascending ladders.
In 1997 we were approached by a dive club from the United Kingdom whose members are all paraplegic or quadraplegic. Could we handle divers that did not have use of their legs? Could they be placed in the water
and returned to the deck without the need to be manhandled?
The guantlet had been laid-down and we went to work designing a lift and a ramp
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Access to the boat from the dock is quite easy due to our
boarding ramp that was specially designed to accomodate wheelchairs. The ramp rises 3 vertical feet to the boat deck over a distance of 15 horizontal feet and is wide enough for wheelchairs.
Once on the
boat, entry into the water and return to the deck is accomplished by the use of a specially designed manlift. |
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