|  | | Michelle Nelson, a recreational therapist and dive instructor, helps Keith Klein with his equipment. Lance Cpl. Randy L. Little
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Scuba diving helps wounded warriors unwind
Lance Cpl. Randy Little
Marine Corps Base
Marines with Wounded Warriors Battalion East spent some time in the Area 2 pool aboard Camp Lejeune learning how to scuba dive recently.
Michelle Nelson, a recreational therapist with Dive Pirates Foundation, that focuses on the needs for returning wounded Iraq veterans, spent several hours over two days instructing Marines how to properly use scuba diving equipment.
Nelson said scuba diving is a great recreational activity for people with a disability.
"Scuba diving allows the Marines to obtain a very low impact workout and, at the same time, they get to enjoy themselves, which makes it a great opportunity for them," she said.
A lot of the wounded warriors have leg injuries that make it hard to exercise, said Keith Klein, the operations noncommissioned officer for Wounded Warrior Battalion East. "Scuba diving is good way to get a good work out."
During the scuba course, the Marines learned hand signals, which are used underwater to communicate with other divers. They also learned about the myriad of equipment used and the most important rule of scuba diving -- never dive without a buddy.
"We learned the basic scuba diving skills, how to clean the mask, how to search for the breathing apparatus if it comes out of your mouth while diving and how to inflate and deflate the vest," said Klein.
Nelson said along with being a productive work out for Marines with disabilities, the lessons also gave the Marines a time to socialize and relax.
"Scuba diving is a really great recreational activity to get involved in to reduce stress and just unwind," said Nelson. "I love being in the water; it is a quiet, beautiful environment and the great part about diving is that you don't have to be a professional swimmer."
Nelson said scuba diving is an activity that any level of swimmer can get drawn into.
"It was a really enjoyable experience," said Klein. "I think I might be hooked."
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