Love everything about this organization....and everyone who is a part of Thresher. - the entire crew of volunteers, the people who run the organization, and the folks who benefit from the work they do.
Spending time with these folks and witnessing the goodness that happens when they bring everyone together is life changing. I've witnessed firsthand how lives are actually changed by the work that Thresher does! Spending time and working alongside the other volunteers is infectious. I'm honored to to be a small part of the big work that they do for others!!!
Thresher is amazing and life changing. Many people say family when they refer to organizations like this. That's a total understatement with Thresher. The love exudes from these people. They don't know how to live any other way.
Thresher aquatics is a wonderful organization. They promote safety first and foremost and deliver an experience to all volunteers and participants alike. The culture surrounding thresher promotes inclusivity and friendship. This is a family and they make all feel welcome. I am very proud of this non profit for what they do with adaptive scuba diving. Top notch!
Life can be difficult for anyone, but those difficulties are greatly magnified to those who live life in a wheelchair. Obstacles are everywhere, whether they be physical or simply how they are treated by others. But there is one organization that breaks down all of those barriers and helps change the lives of those physically unfortunate souls who, through no fault of their own, spend their waking hours in a chair.
I am the father and primary caregiver of Lauren, a young lady with cerebral palsy. Together we have had the pleasure of diving with Thresher Aquatics and their amazing team several times. As a parent, it is heartwarming to see the genuine care and love this group has for Lauren as well as the other adaptive divers. They transfer Lauren from dockside onto the boat in her chair, put on her dive gear, then put her in the water for another amazing experience. They take turns guiding Lauren through the undersea world, into sunken ships, around coral reefs, and even swimming among sharks. They want me to enjoy my own diving experience, so for a short time, I am a diver and not a caregiver. When the diving day is over, we all get together either swimming in a pool, having dinner, or just sitting around talking.
I cannot find the words to adequately express how great the Thresher Aquatics team is and how much joy they have brought to us. We look forward to diving with them again.
Great professionalism, planning, execution, and overall atmosphere from this group. I am so grateful to have been a part! Make sure you check them out. And give them a follow online. Thank you Thresher!
Volunteering with Thresher Aquatics has been absolutely life-changing for me, and I can confidently say the same of the adaptive divers. I have worked with other adaptive diving groups, and the energy surrounding Thresher Aquatics and their volunteers and divers, surpasses those of others. I cannot wait to see how much further Thresher Aquatics grows!
Thresher Aquatics is an organization that is comprised of a dedicated leader, Wilhelmina Stanton, who recruits dive volunteers that are very knowledgeable and hardworking. They are supper supportive of their adaptive diver clients.
As an adaptive diver, I have had the privilege of joining Thresher Aquatics on 2, four night, five day trips with 3 days of diving for a total of 6 different dive sites. All of the volunteer divers have been trained to anticipate any need an adaptive diver might have. They are a very hard working group of trained diving volunteers that enjoy life to the hilt, when the diving is over. They go out of their way to make sure all adaptive divers are included in as many activities as they want. They made sure I felt very special and made sure all the other adaptive clients felt special on the trips. They go out of their way to make your adaptive needs seem so normal that your differences don’t stand out.
I can not thank this group enough for all the pleasure they have given me when I’m in the water diving and swimming with the fishes. I sincerely doubt there are enough accolades out there to thank all the wonderful volunteers, but I’ll try: THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR MAKING MY DIVE TRIPS PURE PLEASURE ONCE AGAIN .
Marcy Katzen
Thresher Aquatics helps people with disabilities realized their scuba diving dreams. All adaptive.buddies are thoroughly trained in both the needs of every diver and ways of asking each individual diver about their own needs or preferences. Safety and fun combine for a wonderful experience!
I commute between Maryland and Florida. I heard about Thresher while put on a fun dive . I was so impressed by the work Thresher does , that I registered to take the Adaptive Dive Buddy training . It was very rigorous , with a team of great instructors. It was hard work but worth it ! I joined Thresher in Bimini in May 2023. Volunteering with them was a priveledge . The adaptive divers are so brave , work so hard , and to see them floating weightless in the ocean … there are no words. It’s a welcoming community with great people !
I love Thresher! As a paraplegic I need help to go diving, and Thresher goes above and beyond. With their help I'm able to move freely underwater, feels like it's a combination of flying and floating and I do it all without my wheelchair! Great group of fun and knowledgeable people that I proudly call my friends. I highly recommend anyone with a disability to check them out.
Thresher Aquatics
With tears in our eyes I just want to send a big shout out to our “dive angels”. After 2 years being trapped to an electric chair and after a life time of freedom being ripped from his life , your incredibly patient, loving kind staff has brought that smile back to my best friends face.
Sergios accident left him a Quadriplegic C6,7 complete . He told me he would give this a year to improve and with little improvement his desire to keep fighting started to quickly diminish . After that magical call one day end of 2022 from Thresher divers to join them diving, Sergio had that glow back. That fight!
The team is incredible in so many ways . From the moment we arrive each time they bring love, sunshine , the sea to my best friend. Our dives this year with them have been our “life ring” our life saver, a reason to keep fighting .
With out this team of love my best friend might not still be here. I know this sounds a bit dramatic but we all know the statistics of a quadriplegic. Sergios accident (2 2021) happened thankfully after a lifetime of diving, travel, and lots of love . Unfortunately when you take a horse that has been running free his entire life and then suddenly put him in a tight box ,it is suffocating..
God Bless you all and please we look forward to many more dives with you.
Love Aquaman (Sergio) and Lisa
This incredible organization is always having a blast both in and out of the water. I am so proud to be part of the Thresher Family.
Such an amazing group of volunteers who are passionate about the ocean and love sharing that passion with others!!!
Making DREAMS a Reality ONE Dive at a TIME Training, community volunteering, getting in some pool time or traveling @ Thresher we are here to get you into adventure mode!
I had the opportunity to be a dive buddy Sept 1st. It was an awesome experience being able to assist someone that otherwise would not be able to SCUBA. Thresher is a fantastic organization and I am looking forward to getting more involved with them.
Diveheart is an amazing charity. I am lucky enough to volunteer for this foundation. Jim Elliott and his team continue to amaze me. They provide compassionate service and help educate the community on awareness and leadership skills through scuba diving!
I love Willamina Stanton for giving me and others with many different disabilities the opportunity to scuba dive and feel free in the water. Wilhelmina finds the greatest volunteers to help us find freedom and enjoyment in an environment where everyone is equal. Jim Elliott the founder of Diveheart and Wilhelmina have such compassion for people like myself who often have difficulty fitting into society. They build such confidence in us. God bless them. Larry Yates
Phenomenal endeavor that not only selflessly gives to an underserved and often disenfranchised community... but builds bridges in helping heal physical and emotional wounds! Diveheart if full of amazing people, among the best I have ever met! Working with Diveheart has been personally life changing, and undeniably transformative!