Disabled scuba-diving instructor imparts two-day diving courses in Dubai

Fraser Bathgate, the first physically-challenged man to have qualified as a scuba diving instructor, just began imparting lessons in the Disabled Dive Instructor course. This two-day course for instructors who wish to teach those with physical incapacities will be held at the Pavilion Dive Centre at the Jeremiah Beach Hotel in Dubai, one of the best scuba diving destinations in the world.

Mr. Bathgate became paralysed from the waist down after a horrible rock-climbing accident. Confined to a wheelchair, he still wished to pursue his dream of adventure, but this time he had his heart set on scuba diving. In 1992, despite his doctor´s complaints, he sought a medical waiver to begin underwater training. The submarine experience was to him like beginning a new life. “I was able to do so much more underwater than I could do on land,” he said “It was the most amazing thing to be given freedom again and not being confined to the restrictions of a wheelchair.”

As a 49-year-old disabled diving instructor, his merits have not gone by unnoticed. This Scottish legend has already received the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) lifetime achievement award, and he will soon be honoured with the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association at a ceremony in Florida next month.

Even after the tragic rock-climbing accident, at the age of 23, Mr. Bathgate, who used to be a rock-climbing instructor, never lost his taste for thrills. His great tenacity and spirit drove him to a new purpose, where he crossed lines no one ever had before. After training for two years, and falling in love with this practice on scuba diving holidays, he qualified as the very first disabled instructor in history. Mr. Bathgate always thanks Paul and Sarah Algate of Scuba International in Dubai, which were the first to hire him as an instructor.

Mr. Bathgate faced many physical and psychological challenges throughout his career, his first students were sceptical when they saw him and doubted his capacity as an instructor. “It used to be very funny to watch the reactions of people,” he recalled “In the classroom, you could see their faces. ´How the hell is he going to teach me anything´. Their mindset changed once we got into the water.”

Fraser Bathgate lived in Dubai during the 1990s. For a disabled person in a wheelchair it was a difficult city. “When I lived here if there was a ramp at a hotel it was for the luggage porter, not for a wheelchair,” he says “On Faheidi Street, people used to stop and stare because there were no other people in wheelchairs. I became vey self-conscious of where I went.” However, Dubai also brought Mr. Bathgate some very wonderful experiences. Shark Island, Martini Rock and Anemone Gardens, some of the most beautiful spots for scuba diving in Dubai, were relatively unspoilt, and held the most exceptional variety of coral reefs and fish, sharks and turtles.

He left Dubai in 1995, and travelled all over Europe, the Far East, Australia and the US. He has dedicated his career to ensure the well-being of people with disabilities. He is the co-founder of the Deptherapy Foundation, which introduces war veterans in the US and the UK to scuba diving, and he has also conducted motivational workshops in hospital that treat spinal injuries.

He has surveyed important sporting events and concerts like Live 8, making sure disabled people have access to them, collaborated in the modification of diving gear for physically-challenged people and even been a consultant for NASA on the design for astronauts’ suits.

By giving these lessons in the Pavilion Dive Centre, Mr. Bathgate wishes to give a wider range of opportunities to people with disabilities. Although there is now more awareness of the needs of disabled people in Dubai, there is more to be done; being able to enjoy scuba diving holidays brings joy and higher self-esteem to those with incapacities. “The more instructors you have on the ground, the better chance of having people with disabilities in the water.” he concluded.