Rebreather World - View Single Post - Hi everyone, I am new to Rebreather World.

MPJScuba · 21st April 2006, 23:46

My name is Matt Johnston, I am 29 years old with Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy and am dependent on a ventilator to breathe 24/7. I have a dream to scuba dive. I have made many new friends in the diving world while working on my dream, and hope to make more here.

I am fortunate to have made friends with the likes of Dick Long, who is a pioneer of diving, Susan Long, my good friend, president of DUI and special friends John Chatterton and Richie Kohler.

Scuba diving is something I have wanted to do since I was around 6 years old. I am a very big fan of the underwater world. My favorite underwater creature is the shark. I think rebreathers are cool. The diving technology now is amazing!

Oh sure, diving with these medical issues has never been done before. But I believe that anything is possible if a person wants it bad enough and is willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen. People went to outer space, didn’t they? I just want to go to inner space. The biggest challenge is that a new life support system needs to be developed or an existing system will need to be modified for me to explore the world underwater. And you know what? Through persistence, it is starting to come together.

And, for the first time in ten years, I’m back in the water! Despite several people saying a person in my situation couldn’t go under the water, not only have I been underwater, but I have been increasing my time each and every session. I am up to 1 hour underwater now! I feel like I have a Guardian Angel watching over me. To successfully and carefully accomplish my dream, I use a custom made dry suit with a special water tight connector on the outside. This enables me to connect the 10 foot long double-limb ventilator circuit from the outside to the inside of my dry suit. I have been floating my ventilator above me in a container. I using a Neptune Space full face mask while in the water with supplemental air supplied from the surface. My friends
and support people are working on putting together a inspiration re-breather using a Newport HP50 ventilator. This will be a one of a kind life support system if we are successful!

Also, I am now a certified open water diver…I have a C-Card from SDI.

For more on my dream you can visit my websites @ www.scubadivingdream.com or www.divingadream.org or http://matt55125.tripod.com/scuba

As the bumper sticker on the back of my wheelchair says... "SCUBA diving is life, everything else is just a surface interval!"

I look forward to meeting you all, and any advice you may have please pass onto me. It will
be most appreciated. Safe diving!

-Matt-

21st April 2006, 23:46	#1 (permalink)
MPJScuba New Member Current Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Other Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Woodbury, MN, USA Posts: 43	Hi everyone, I am new to Rebreather World. My name is Matt Johnston, I am 29 years old with Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy and am dependent on a ventilator to breathe 24/7. I have a dream to scuba dive. I have made many new friends in the diving world while working on my dream, and hope to make more here. I am fortunate to have made friends with the likes of Dick Long, who is a pioneer of diving, Susan Long, my good friend, president of DUI and special friends John Chatterton and Richie Kohler. Scuba diving is something I have wanted to do since I was around 6 years old. I am a very big fan of the underwater world. My favorite underwater creature is the shark. I think rebreathers are cool. The diving technology now is amazing! Oh sure, diving with these medical issues has never been done before. But I believe that anything is possible if a person wants it bad enough and is willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen. People went to outer space, didn’t they? I just want to go to inner space. The biggest challenge is that a new life support system needs to be developed or an existing system will need to be modified for me to explore the world underwater. And you know what? Through persistence, it is starting to come together. And, for the first time in ten years, I’m back in the water! Despite several people saying a person in my situation couldn’t go under the water, not only have I been underwater, but I have been increasing my time each and every session. I am up to 1 hour underwater now! I feel like I have a Guardian Angel watching over me. To successfully and carefully accomplish my dream, I use a custom made dry suit with a special water tight connector on the outside. This enables me to connect the 10 foot long double-limb ventilator circuit from the outside to the inside of my dry suit. I have been floating my ventilator above me in a container. I using a Neptune Space full face mask while in the water with supplemental air supplied from the surface. My friends and support people are working on putting together a inspiration re-breather using a Newport HP50 ventilator. This will be a one of a kind life support system if we are successful! Also, I am now a certified open water diver…I have a C-Card from SDI. For more on my dream you can visit my websites @ www.scubadivingdream.com or www.divingadream.org or http://matt55125.tripod.com/scuba As the bumper sticker on the back of my wheelchair says... "SCUBA diving is life, everything else is just a surface interval!" I look forward to meeting you all, and any advice you may have please pass onto me. It will be most appreciated. Safe diving! -Matt- __________________ Henry David Thoreau: I have learned, that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. Last edited by MPJScuba : 22nd April 2006 at 13:26.
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