Author’s Preface
First became interested in the history of diving rehabilitation for Israeli military veterans in 2017, after my initial visit to the country and my introduction to the non-profit organization Etgarim, which has been developing a diving center for people with disabilities. At the time, I believed that Israel had a long-standing and rich practice of working with veterans in this field, given its pioneering role globally. However, I soon realized that this was not entirely the case.
The material was updated in 2020, when I presented it at Beit Halochem in Be’er Sheva. Unfortunately, I haven’t observed any significant developments since then—perhaps my voice was not strong enough to spark broader interest.
I am now publishing the third (updated) edition of the article on my website. This is the first time the article is being published in English, primarily because it is intended for readers in Israel.
It should be noted that the situation I describe is based on the information available to me. It’s possible that others are more informed and may see things differently. That said, I’ve dedicated a great deal of time and effort to gathering information in order to present as objective a picture as possible.
How Israel Pioneered Underwater Therapy—and What Happened Next
A Powerful Start
In 1974, Israel launched the world’s first scuba diving course for a group of divers with disabilities, at a level equivalent to today’s Autonomous Diver certification (ISO 24801-2).
Reconstructed image by photo courtesy of Dr. Nicholas Flemming
The course, organized by Dr. Yehuda Melamed and Dr. Nicholas Flemming, included veterans of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) who had been injured in combat. It became not only the first of its kind in Israel but also the first diving rehabilitation initiative for former military personnel globally.
Supported by Beit Halochem—a unique rehabilitation, sports, and recreation center for disabled veterans and their families—the course marked a historic milestone in adaptive sports. For Beit Halochem, this was its first experience with diving-based rehabilitation.
The Years That Followed
Unfortunately, the initiative didn’t develop into a sustained program. While it’s likely that similar activities continued on occasion, they never became a regular practice.
אירגן כתב וצילם: אילן ביטון מנהל מועדון הצלילה בריף הדולפינים
One of the few examples of diving rehabilitation of veterans during this time. Reef Diving, led by Biton Ilan, reported that it conducted an introductory pool dive for members of the IDF Disabled Veterans Youth Club at Beit Halochem in Tel Aviv. Ilan mentions in his post that this is not the first time he has visited Beit Halochem, which is a wonderful example of volunteer work.
In December 2010, the same group organized a full diving course in Eilat.
To be fair, it should be noted that Biton Ilan has repeatedly organized pool dives for Beit Halochem veterans through Reef Diving. However, aside from a few mentions in social media posts, no lasting documentation of this volunteer activity seems to exist.
It is also encouraging to note that this initiative was never short on volunteers—divers, instructors, photographers, shore support, and more. Here’s how Ilan describes it:
יום פעילות כזה דורש לא מעט עבודת הכנה, ארגון ומתנדבים. התנדבות זו לא בהכרח מילת גנאי, לקח לי פחות מ – 5 דקות למלא את רשימת המתנדבים ולגלות שלא זו בלבד שלא חסרים לי מתנדבים, אלא שאני צריך לדחות את חלקם. מסתבר שלמטרות ראויות ניתן לגייס מתנדבים ללא כל קושי (ואין כאן מסר חבוי לפוליטיקאים, רק קצת חומר למחשבה…).
A day of activities like this requires quite a bit of preparation, organization, and volunteers. Volunteering is not necessarily a dirty word — it took me less than five minutes to fill the volunteer list and realize that not only was there no shortage of volunteers, but I actually had to turn some of them away. It turns out that when the cause is meaningful, it’s not hard to find people willing to help. (And no, this isn’t a hidden message for politicians — just some food for thought…)
A Renewed Opportunity
A new opportunity for diving-based rehabilitation appeared in 2005, when Jim Gatacre, President of the Handicapped Scuba Association (HSA), led a Course Director Training Course (CDTC) and Instructor Training Course (ITC) in Israel from November 28 through December 4, 2005.
HSA is the world’s leading organization for training instructors who work with divers with disabilities, including military veterans. Many diving clubs in the United States use HSA methods when working with veterans. This presented an opportunity for Israel’s diving industry to benefit from global experience in teaching veterans to dive through HSA and its international partners.
This initiative led to the founding of HSA Israel, with Dr. Natan Cohen appointed President. New Course Directors included Dov Bensman, Larry Tenenbaum, Sani Sanilevich, and Dr. Cohen.
Sanilevich, owner of the Meduza Israeli Sea Center, aimed to make the facility fully wheelchair-accessible. However, the program did not continue. According to the HSA website, the Israeli course directors are currently inactive, and the Meduza Center has since closed.
HSA Israel died before it ever truly came to life.
Civilians and Diving
Regular diving programs for individuals with disabilities are now provided by the Etgarim diving center. These courses are open to both people with disabilities and able-bodied participants.
What sets this diving center apart is its ongoing, structured effort to involve people with disabilities in diving. An annual activity plan is published, and any volunteer is welcome to join. Etgarim has also maintained a wonderful tradition of lighting Hanukkah candles underwater—an event I had the pleasure of underwater photographing.
However, Etgarim focuses on the general population rather than specifically on military veterans. As such, their programs don’t address the psychological challenges—like PTSD, for example—faced by many former soldiers.
Etgarim has a professional and passionate team. I had the pleasure of diving with them in Eilat in December 2017 and December 2020.
Global Leaders, Inspiring Examples
Meanwhile, veteran-focused diving rehabilitation programs have flourished in the United States and the United Kingdom.
In the U.S., there are over twenty organizations that use diving as a tool for social reintegration of former military personnel. One of the most notable is Soldiers Undertaking Disabled Scuba (SUDS).
I am on the far right in the photo. April 2015 Roots Red Sea (Egypt)
In the UK, I joined the charity Deptherapy in 2015. Deptherapy supports wounded and ex-service members with life-altering physical and mental conditions, offering rehabilitation through professionally delivered scuba diving programs.
I’ve personally seen the powerful impact this program has had on British veterans.
Hope Remains
I contacted Beit Halochem and the IDF Disabled Veterans Youth Club several times to inquire about current diving rehabilitation efforts. Unfortunately, I received no response. The Beit Halochem website and social media pages provide no mention of such programs.
Scuba diving is not mentioned among the marine activities supported by Beit Halochem. However, there is one exception: a single photo published on the Marine Sports page of the ZDVF – Beit Halochem website. It shows an instructor teaching a diver with a leg amputation, taken during a 2010 diving course in Eilat conducted by Reef Diving.
This lone image is the only sign that diving rehabilitation for injured veterans may still be possible. And yet—it’s something.
Israel has the expertise, the facilities, and the legacy. What’s needed now is the will and the right people to carry the torch.
Just as Dr. Yehuda Melamed and Dr. Nicholas Flemming did more than 50 years ago, I believe we can find the allies and the passion to reignite this vision.
He recognized himself in this photo by his swimming trunks.
Be careful with your swimming trunks. It might come in handy someday.
Author’s Conclusion
Why did I write this article? It all began with a search for information on how to work with wounded veterans in the field of diving. I was convinced that Israel had the most extensive experience in the world in this area:
- The first-ever diving course for former military personnel was conducted in Israel.
- Israel is a «scuba diving nation,» with many diving centers, divers and instructors who could be recruited as volunteers.
- Israel has a well-developed rehabilitation system for former soldiers, helping them return to normal life in society and overcome health limitations resulting from injuries.
It turned out that none of this really applies when it comes to diving.
It seems that while Israel was an early pioneer in diving rehabilitation for veterans, the initiative was gradually abandoned, leaving only isolated efforts by a few passionate individuals. Today, the leaders in diving rehabilitation for veterans are the United States and the United Kingdom. I’m also witnessing how countries like Russia and Ukraine are gaining painful experience through their own veteran populations. Although their climatic conditions are less suitable for diving than in Israel.
Israel, meanwhile, has everything it needs—warm seas, qualified instructors, volunteers, and public support—but is doing nothing systematically in this field.. Perhaps my judgment is superficial, simply because I don’t know everything.
In the article’s design, a photo by David Pilsof was used.
