People With Disabilities Able To Swim With New Suit

A surfer from California has invented a wetsuit allowing

disabled people to swim, after surviving a near-death experience, according toThe Good News Network.

Mark Okrusko, a surfer from Santa Barbara has invented a wetsuit with a special flotation device that has become popular with a number of surprise demographics. Marketed as “The Wetsuit of the Future” on

Kickstarter, The Floater has foam padding providing the wearer with extra

buoyancy.{{more}}

While surfing in Ventura, California, Mark Okrusko became

trapped under the crashing waves and almost drowned. This inspired his first invention, a device called Breathvest, which features a small air bladder in the chest to provide swimmers with an emergency supply of oxygen. Okrusko designed the wetsuit as a way to make swimming safer, but the product became popular for a reason that he did not expect. Because of the air bladder in the chest, it is easier to float while wearing the wetsuit, allowing swimmers to move more easily. This inspired Okrusko to develop the product further, and he invented the Floater, a wetsuit with a foam pad for easier flotation. This product became popular with an overlooked demographic. People living with disabilities. People with disabilities, people who had suffered injuries affecting their mobility, and people who wanted to swim but were afraid of the water fell in love with the Floater.

Gustavo Ritterson, a Santa Barbara resident who is quadriplegic after an ATV accident in 2013 said, “I was able to swim in the ocean again for the first time in years. With the suit on in the water, I was just like everyone else. You couldn’t tell I was disabled…Feeling, at least for a moment, normal—it does make a big difference in your life.” People who are afraid of the water also enjoy the Floater.

Life guards and water rescue personnel also a market for

this product. Gabriel Swan, a life guard from Puerto Rico, said “I feel more confident grabbing someone. If I’m doing a rescue and I need to swim out to a victim, I can reach them

twice as fast”.