The wonder down under

WASILLA — Scuba diving in Alaska waters has been Ron Durheim’s passion as long as he can remember.

The marine life and cool waters off the coasts of Seward and Whittier take his mind off of his daily troubles and lets nature take charge.

Following a foot injury on a construction job in 1989, Durheim decided to put his passions to good use. He opened Alaska Aquatics with his wife, LaVerne, the next year.

Ron Durheim trained hard to become a serious scuba diving instructor and teach others to appreciate life below the surface.

Some would say Durheim is a deep-sea nut.

He cherishes a photograph from when met diving and oceanography legend Jacque Cousteau and his son Jean-Michel at his office in Wasilla, a moment Durheim says was the best of his life.

When Durheim fractured his heal in a construction accident in Kona, Hawaii, he insisted on diving the same week.

His doctor constructed a fiberglass cast and Durheim set out to explore the rocky reefs of the water world he knows so fondly.

On crutches, Durheim struggled to put on his wet suit and get into the water. Once he was in the warm water, Durheim said he felt a surge of accomplishment — until he got to shore an hour later.

“This other diver came up to the shore,” he said. “When he got up to the bank I noticed he was missing an arm and a leg, that he had gone out to scuba all by himself.”

It was around this time that Durheim knew he’d one day like to help those with disabilities learn the craft he loves so much.

Durheim has been diving all around the world: Hawaii, the Tongas, Florida, the Caribbean and Mexico. But it’s near Alaska that the sea comes to life.

“Alaska has a lot of life in the water,” he said. “Diving in Alaska is amazing, and most people don’t get the chance to check it out, especially those with disabilities.”

“Sea anemone, sea lions, 12-foot octopus, starfish — it’s a wildlife lover’s dream,” he said.

Recently certified through the Handicapped Scuba Association (HSA), Durheim is starting up a program in Wasilla at Alaska Aquatics to assist people with disabilities to learn and experience underwater adventures. He’s currently the only HSA-certified instructor so in the state.

Durheim first saw the HSA program in Florida at a dive convention, where he could relate to some of the conditions many of the divers faced.

On that trip, he met his diving icon, the elder Cousteau, who before his death was an avid supporter of HSA as his son, Jean-Michel had experienced injuries that could have kept him out of the water for good.

“I was having all sorts of back problems working in construction,” Durheim said. “When I started doing diving, they went away.”

Durheim wants to share the sport with anybody interested and get the word out that there are options for those who may have considered diving but were concerned about physical limitations.

At Alaska Aquatics, there is an academic part of training and a classroom element where students learn about the equipment used, scuba basics and safety techniques. There’s also an option for online classes for this first step.

Next, students attend an open water class, where in full scuba gear they are taken to nearby pools to practice underwater breathing, snorkeling and movement.

To be a certified diver, all one is required to do is breathe, Durheim said. The rest can be taught.

Durheim’s scuba classes take two to six weeks to complete before a diver is in the water experiencing scuba at it’s best.

“People will say, ‘I didn’t realize it’s as easy as it is,’ or, ‘I should have done this earlier in life.’ It’s refreshing to see people accomplish what they though they never could,” he said.

Durheim recently worked with a blind student in Anchorage who was set on having pink fins to wear in the water.

“She asked if they were pink fins, because she would always remember pink,” he said.

Durheim’s diving and scuba programs are aimed for anyone who is willing to try.

He is also working to implement a Dive Buddy program for more advanced divers and is working to get funds together to take students to warmer climates.

“The cold water in Alaska can discourage people, so I’d like to help with transportation costs for more accessible destinations,” Durheim said.

For now, Durheim wants to spread the word that scuba diving in Alaska is accessible to anyone with a dream of venturing along the ocean floor in search of wonders unseen.

“It’s a wonderful thing being out there,” Durheim said. “If people could see [the ocean’s underwater] beauty, they’d be amazed at what could be accomplished.”

Contact J.J. Harrier at 352-2269 or valleylife@frontiersman.com.