Scuba Club Creates Oasis for Veterans As They Dive Into Their Future

A group of United States military veterans exhale deeply as they stare into the crisp, blue Key Largo ocean on a 50-foot dive boat.  

They are not strangers to uncharted waters.

Some have seen the dangers of combat first-hand. They have been shot, suffered traumatic brain injuries and one person received two Purple Heart medals for their service. 

“Scuba brings us closer to nature,” said Russell Otway, who was deployed to Iraq in 2004 as part of the Navy. “It’s the closest you’ll ever get to neutral buoyancy without going into outer space.

Otway is one of 20 students working to create the MDC Veterans SCUBA Dive Club at Kendall Campus. They help members, whose ages range from 25-45, become certified scuba divers, and provide a supportive community for veterans. 

“They’ve never felt such a strong connection with others since they were active duty service members,” said Donna Zazanis-Burke, director of Veterans and Military Services at Kendall Campus. 

The organization and Student Life are in the process of finalizing the paperwork to establish the club on campus, according to Kendall Campus’ Dean of Students Nelson Magaña. 

Members go through seven diving sessions at Kendall Campus’ Aquatic Center and Key Largo to become certified, led by Zazanis-Burke’s husband, Les Burke.

Every group member undergoes at least eight hours of online instruction followed by a written test before hitting the water. They are certified through the Professional Association of Diving Instructors. 

The group also discusses future projects once a month, host picnics, barbecues and study sessions.   

“They come back home, and no one really understands what they’ve been through and speaks their language,” Zazanis-Burke said. “The comradery that they have with each other, you have to witness to understand. They have a family bond.”

The club also provides a calming atmosphere for veterans, many of whom have struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder. 

“It was a way for me to find inner peace,” said Mark Texidor, a student success coach at the department of Veteran and Military Service at Kendall Campus and the club’s advisor. “I found a place of Zen while diving.”

The idea to form the group was born during a meeting with Zazanis-Burke in her office. They noticed a framed photo of Les Burke serving in the Navy as an explosive ordnance disposal technician, and wanted to learn to scuba dive.     

Burke, who was in active duty for 33 years, is certified through numerous scuba organizations like the Professional Association of Dive Instructors, SCUBA Diving International and the American Academy of Underwater Science. 

The scuba club hopes to embark on community service projects in the coming months, such as cleaning the Frost Museum of Science’s aquariums or replenishing Key Largo’s coral population. 

As of now, the students pay for their equipment rentals, certification licenses, open water dives, weights, air tanks and boat fees—which can cost a combined $300 per person.  

“The club has given veterans an oasis in a desert,” Otway said. “We support each other through our struggles reintegrating into civilian life.”