# Scuba in a wheelchair... umkay **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 2, 2012, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scuba-in-a-wheelchair-umkay/633437 "2012-09-02T13:10:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2012, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scuba-in-a-wheelchair-umkay/633437/1 "2012-09-02T13:10:38Z")
I’ve seen handicapped divers use webbed gloves or a Diver Propulsion Vehicle but I never saw a diver underwater in a wheelchair. Until now. From The Daily Mail, complete with video on a coral reef: [Cultural Olympiad artist creates world’s first self-propelled underwater wheelchair so she can perform under the waves](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2195829/London-Paralympics-Sue-Austin-creates-worlds-self-propelled-underwater-wheelchair.html) Or from BBC online, with swimming pool video: [Underwater wheelchair put to test ahead of Paralympics](http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19389396) Kinda cool. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2012, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scuba-in-a-wheelchair-umkay/633437/2 "2012-09-02T13:23:54Z")
Personally, stupid and gimmicy. If it were me, I would have had them make some sort of horizontal frame, with hand controls, with the tank mounted under, sort of like a laydown propulsion frame. Sort of like a [full body seabob](http://www.seabobadriatic.com/wp-content/gallery/seabob-cayago-f7/seabob-cayago-f7-underwater-scooter-driving-underwater-corals.jpg#.UENc05aeIis). [and as my body deteriorates, it sort of will be me] Look, she obviously has some sort of topside help getting in and out of the water [and co-swimming] so strapping into a horizontal seasled is just as doable, and much more aquadynamic [is there an underwater version of aerodynamic?] IMHO. My bet is she is going for the viral exposure deal [on top of being able to dive as I would assume she likes to dive.] ---
**Author:** ![SubaRhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@SubaRhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SubaRhubarb)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2012, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scuba-in-a-wheelchair-umkay/633437/3 "2012-09-02T14:23:42Z")
It is called hydrodynamics underwater.