34 New Volunteers Ready for the 2026 Season
On February 22–23, 2026, SUDS hosted its largest-ever volunteer training weekend at Joint Base San Antonio. Thirty-four individuals — including active-duty servicemembers, veterans, civilian dive professionals, and medical personnel — completed the SUDS adaptive sports guide certification process.
What SUDS Volunteers Do
SUDS volunteers serve as dive buddies, surface safety personnel, land mobility guides, and event logistics coordinators. Each guide is matched with a specific participant based on the participant's disability profile and the type of activity. The guide-to-participant ratio at all SUDS events is 1:1 or better.
Training Curriculum
The 2026 certification weekend covered adaptive dive techniques, emergency action procedures, disability etiquette, PTSD-informed communication, and first-responder refresher training. Seven of the 34 new volunteers are SDI-certified dive instructors who will serve as primary in-water guides during the 2026 dive expeditions.
Why Volunteers Matter
"Without our volunteers, there is no program," said a SUDS board member. "Every one of these 34 people is directly enabling a wounded warrior to experience something they thought was no longer possible."
How to Volunteer
SUDS is always recruiting. No dive experience is required for non-water volunteer roles. Visit sudsdiving.org/contact or call 210-303-2181 to express interest.