My Nonprofit Reviews

Hi. My name is Andy Bernbaum. I broke my neck 9 years ago in a freak accident at work. I am an incomplete tetreplegic with Brown-Sequard Syndrome from spinal cord damage. I was an avid scuba diver before my accident. I had been cleared to dive at Shepherds hospital in Atlanta 7 years ago while still in wheelchair. But I didn't know a safe way to dive. Recently I discovered Diveheart either through Internet or SCI support group. I contacted the Florida rep and got signed up on an up coming to Key Largo. I than talked to Jim Elliot who got me signed up to take Diveheart adaptive diver course. I completed my training and did check out dives at various Key Largo locations. It was a great trip, dove and spent time with some wonderful people, got my adaptive diver certification, and learned what I could do and physically couldn't do. I learned to dive safely with my impairments. Since Key Largo I have volunteered to help Diveheart with a week of instructor and buddy training, done a 3 tank dive off of West Palm Beach, do 2 days of diving at Boynton beach in 2 weeks, and dive with Diveheart in Cozumel in December. The looks of happiness on everyone's faces after the dives, especially the adaptive divers, was incredible. Everybody left with more Diveheart trips to look forward to. I left able to dive anywhere with fair conditions and qualified buddies. Diveheart is a fantastic group and I wish I had found them years ago. And I never could have felt safer in the water.