Keep Scuba Therapy Alive for Those Who Need It Most
Donation protected
For years, The Scuba Gym Australia Ltd has been more than just a place to exercise —it’s been a lifeline.
We’ve watched people defy the odds beneath the surface of the water. Individuals with quadriplegia have gained increased lung function—something rarely achieved through conventional therapies. A client living with MS for 37 years felt sensation return in their extremities. A paraplegic client regained bladder control. We’ve seen pain reduced, confidence restored and hope reignited—all through the healing power of scuba therapy. We've even seen handwriting change overnight for a brain injured gentleman who loves his scuba therapy.
But now, due to devastating funding cuts from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), many of our clients are being forced to stop therapy that has proven results. Despite presenting strong evidence of the impact of our work, the funding has been pulled. This decision doesn’t just affect our clients—it silences progress. The NDIS is further crippling our clients by the drastic actions they have taken especially where our evidence has been presented and our work is very obvious from our social channels and our presence in pools.
We are calling on friends, family, conscious philanthropists, CEO's and all who believe in the power of healing, innovation, and compassion. Your support will directly help people with disabilities continue their life-changing scuba therapy and ensure they don’t lose access to one of the few therapies that truly work for them.
The Scuba Gym Australia Ltd, a not-for-profit organization, provides an innovative approach to therapy that enables individuals with disabilities to experience physical, neurological, and psychological benefits that many conventional therapies struggle to achieve. The buoyancy of water reduces the effects of gravity, allowing individuals to move with greater ease, improve muscle function, and increase mobility. Additionally, the sensory stimulation of the underwater environment promotes cognitive and neurological responses that contribute to enhanced well-being and independence. Exercising fully submerged underwater adds the element of water resistance to push against and work with that enables incredible benefits as each client has a tailored program based on how they present their disability. All of our clients achieve physical and psychological milestones that traditional therapies have not been able to provide, enabling them to reconnect with the community and lead more active lives.
The incredible founders of The Scuba Gym USA enabled their quadriplegic son to walk again by exercising him and stimulating his nervous system, underwater. Yet the NDIS doesn't recognize this as being "Reasonable or Necessary" nor do they believe our clients testimonies. Here what one of our clients has to say:
24th February 2025
To Whom IT May Concern,
Although I am able to walk with the help of a cane, I am a paraplegic through injury I sustained whilst serving in the Australian Army. The below letter sets out the benefits I have gained from the tailored exercise routine, I receive at The Scuba Gym. They include physical, social, personal & mental health benefits.
The real magic of scuba gym is that the underwater benefit transfers onto land and puts a person's mind in a better space.
• Lung function has improved dramatically.
• Rib pain is decreased when diving below 3 meters.
• Muscle cramps, spasms resulting in grade 1 to 2 tears are reduced for 3 days after diving to 5m or deeper for 30 minutes or longer.
• I have less self-harm thoughts, and my mood is much better when dealing with others.
• I walk backwards with difficulty but impossible before scuba therapy.
• reduced number of carer hours from 24 hours per day to 8 hours per day this has gone back to 24 hours due to the three months of no access to scuba therapy.
• Improved circulation in extremities and total healing of sores
• Gone from permanent catheterisation to intermittent catheterisation when diving more than once a week.
• sleep improved which results in better self-care and less sickness
• pain relief at 5m depth. This is the only relief I get from my chronic pain condition which was caused by service in the Australian Army.
• more energy
• Increased range of movement from under water exercises.
Other than the above benefits scuba therapy allows me to participate without the fear of drowning from a muscle spasm or getting hurt from a fall which happens regularly when on land.
I get more benefits from one scuba therapy session than three physiotherapy sessions.
It is difficult to express the relief from my chronic pain.
I live with the trapped feeling of the pain never ending, it affects my every movement, my every thought. It interferes with dressing, toileting, and everything you can think of. It has taken my dignity in many ways and removed any chance of a normal life.
Scuba Gym is the first ray of hope in 25 years.
We’re not just raising funds—we’re raising hope and changing lives.
Every dollar you contribute will go directly toward subsidizing therapy sessions, maintaining our specialized equipment, and making sure that no one who needs this therapy is left behind.
Be part of a bigger picture. Be part of something revolutionary. Help us to continue to change lives.
Donate today. Share our story. Keep the miracles coming.
Organizer
Lyndi Leggett
Organizer
Pearl Beach, NSW