Hubert Chretien

Hubert Chrétien – M.S.M.

Mr. Chrétien first experienced the wonders of scuba diving at the age of 11, in 1972. Mr. Chrétien has taught scuba diving to people with disabilities since 1993. In this time he has taught men and women with various types of disabilities: paraplegics, quadriplegics, blind, persons with muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, multiple scleroses, spina bifida, traumatic brain injury and others. Many of his students have gone on to become very active divers engaging in such activities as night diving, deep diving, technical diving, cavern diving and even ice diving. His students have explored the Red Sea, Australia's Barrier Reef, Indonesia and multiple locations in Canada and the Caribbean. Hubert Chrétien is a member of the Handicapped Scuba Association (HSA); the first and only international scuba accreditation agency for people with disabilities. As one of only two HSA course Director trainers in the world, Mr. Chrétien is qualified to train scuba instructors in the instruction of people with disabilities. As part of his HSA Scuba Instructor curriculum he teaches diving techniques, basic physiology, psychology of disability, access and general disability awareness issues.

In December 2015 at Rideau Hall, the Governor General of Canada recognized the inspiring work of Hubert Chrétien in Freedom at Depth Canada in decorating him with the Meritorious Service Medal M.S.M.