Undersea Warriors

Undersea Warriors is a Helotes, Texas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds therapeutic scuba diving training for veterans and first responders recovering from PTSD, anxiety, or depression.

Undersea Warriors is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Helotes, Texas, whose mission is to help active-duty servicemembers, veterans, National Guard, reservists, and first responders diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety, or depression through therapeutic scuba diving and marine conservation activities. Rather than operating its own dive boat or commercial dive shop, the organization pays for recreational and adaptive scuba diving lessons with local community dive shops across the United States, removing the financial barrier for qualifying participants. The organization's structured 3-step program begins with Open Water Diver certification — with supervised pool dives followed by open-water dives in a lake — then advances participants to Enriched Air Nitrox certification. The final step focuses on marine conservation diving, where participants join cleanup dives to remove plastic and waste from rivers, lakes, and the ocean, and may also have opportunities to dive in aquariums interacting with fish, dolphins, and turtles. The therapeutic foundation rests on a Johns Hopkins University and Cody Unser First Step Foundation study showing an 80% reduction in PTSD symptoms following scuba training. Undersea Warriors is not a commercial dive operation and does not charge participants — the program is entirely donor-funded. The organization also conducts ongoing research into scuba diving's impact on PTSD symptoms and welcomes volunteers, donors, and local dive shops as partners in its mission.