Passion for the Depths!

Just recently I came across an article about scuba addiction citing all the symptoms of being one, bit hilarious but in a sense there some truth in it. For many and that includes me, has been bitten by the bug, and again I would say this could last a lifetime. In my own terms, it’s not addiction but more of passion, not an obsession but fervent devotion, not merely fancy but true admiration of the life beyond.

The lure of the underwater world sets a diver on a great voyage that goes to the bottom of the sea. A journey beyond the terrestrial dimension that set him apart from the rest after such glorious experience in a universe populated by weird or wonderful cast of thousands.

So in many ways, our passion would manifest in our behavior, habits that could become a lifestyle. Generally, there is nothing verbal but in many subtle ways the assertion is essentially clear of being a true blood diver.

• Sporting a bulky watch even for women is not weird, because the dive computer will become one’s treasured time-piece. Now, I found it practical to wear my dive computer on my other trips other than diving, even if I went on my weekend walking. It has practically become my buddy!
• My so called de-stressor trips revolve around dive plans, seeing one new place is something therapeutic for me but it must have dive sites and obviously dive operator. My official trips sometimes are coupled with a dive plan if such destination has diving opportunities.
• Yes, my certification cards are in my wallet (all three of them), just to keep them handy. It might get misplaced if I keep it somewhere else!
• I can have all my essentials in my back pack but I do always get extra kilos exclusively for my gears, always requesting the airline crew for tagging as “fragile”. Extra time is necessary for some questions and signing the waiver.
• Well, incredible memory is necessary – for all the story telling what was seen underwater. The key is being mindful for those amazing moment, it is needed for taking notes on your log not only for sightings but more importantly for the lessons learned. You can always narrate when you saw your first shark, turtle, ray or whale. Or mention a site, and you can always tell stories what not to miss. 🙂
• Learning and knowing an extra language in hand signals. You have leveled up actually, the “OK” sign is not about money anymore, or the “thumbs up” is always about going up. You easily get confused when such signals are used on the surface!

If these are not weird and all sound too familiar for you, then you are a diver by heart, the depth of your passion has sunk in your innermost being. Needless to say, if you don’t have these qualities, you’re not a real diver. Chances are, it was merely a whimsical urge which after a time, when the excitement wane it will become a thing of the past. A passé but never a passion….