LANCASTER, Pa. (Map, News) - Thirty-year-old David Gibson, who was born with neurological deficits, has had a lifetime of hitting walls.

But doors opened when he ventured beneath the water's surface.

It took a decade, but under the consistent tutelage of instructor John Walker of the Lancaster Scuba Center, Gibson earned his Professional Association of Diving Instructors Dive Masters certification - the highest level, next to assistant instructor and instructor.

Gibson, who took special-education classes at Hempfield High School, has difficulties learning and relating to others, says his mother, Gloria.

"I have some learning problems," Gibson says, matter-of-factly.

But that didn't stop Gibson, who has had a longtime fascination with photos of underwater scenes and divers, from diving into a dream.

Gibson now assists diving instructors and students and has participated in diving trips as far away as the Bahamas.

He has even started helping another diver with disabilities.

During his training, which involved rigorous tests in and out of water, Gibson never made waves.

In fact, his stick-to-itiveness continually amazed Walker, who acknowledges that he, too, has some learning difficulties.

"You have to work three times harder, but then you can be three times prouder of yourself," he says.

In a sink-or-swim world, Gibson stayed afloat.

He was offered oral exams to make comprehension easier and allowed to retake tests, options available to any students at the center.

"Each test he took, he took way more than once, but he would go home and read all the information and do it again," Walker says. "But we didn't make anything easy. Once he got it, he was pretty good.

"He never gave up."

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Gibson's proud parents aren't surprised by their son's determination.

"We never believed in limitations or treating him any differently," Gibson's father, George, says.

"I knew I wouldn't live forever," says Gloria Gibson. "I knew this kid would have to be independent and able to care for himself."

Gibson works full time in the Hempfield School District maintenance department. He lives with his parents in East Hempfield but has his own car even though he is known to ride his bike everywhere. In addition, he is an avid runner and gym attendee, and as a teenager, he earned several kickboxing belts.

"They said he learned faster than anyone they'd ever taught," his dad says.

Gibson covers all the costs of his scuba hobby, including gear and trips, which can be expensive. He often enjoys hanging out at the center, a gathering place for divers.

When he initially approached his father about learning to dive, Dad began to look for options in a landlocked area.

He took his son to the center, at 201 Greenfield Road, Lancaster, and was impressed.

"The guys at the center are great," he says. "Always positive."

Walker doesn't believe in discouraging anyone with a desire to dive.

"I give anybody a chance," he says. "If you don't want to give effort, it's not going to happen. David gives effort 150 percent all the time."

Diving was a way for Gibson to gain confidence, something he struggled to find in school.

"Kids can be brutal, and David was so different," his dad says.

Since diving is not a competitive sport, David can excel at his own pace, says center instructor Rob Mohler.

"He approached it a little more timidly than most people," he says. "But once he got into it and started to build confidence, he may have had a feeling he hadn't experienced before.

"It was love at first sight."

For Gibson, things are very black-and-white, very literal, his parents say, but in learning about diving, that can be good, Walker says.

"There are rules you need to follow," he says. "It is very detailed."

At first, Gibson was comfortable diving only with Walker, but he gradually began to dive with others, Walker says.

"It was kind of hard at first - sort of like letting go - but it was neat to see him branch out.

"At first, he never laughed or understood a joke or had a conversation. He always looked down and never looked anyone in the eyes.

"But now he talks, he laughs," Walker says. "He has made tremendous progress. He has a light in his eyes."

During dives, Gibson has collected artifacts from coins to shark's teeth.

"I get to see fish and things underwater," he says. "Things that people had back then and threw away."

Gibson sums up his love of diving simply.

"I like to go underwater."

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Information from: Lancaster New Era, http://www.lancasteronline.com