I would venture, if you're reading this drivel, you're a diver. Or you're a friend hoping that I might post something anyway, relevant to non-diving life. The later probably will never happen.We as divers, as you all know are a different breed, we just want to dive. To a diver - diving is a must thing that must be done.
Of course you own your own gear; you’ve got a list as long as the arm of even more shinny stuff you’re planning to buy. Possibly risking bankruptcy to do so. You don’t sneak away for a single dive during some vacations; you plan your vacations, sometimes years ahead of time, to dive-specific destinations. We all have happy places, happy memories we've made through diving.
(By the way of warning, though, if you’re not some sort of a diver I will be super-confused and will find it really hard to make conversation. If I just wander away mid-sentence as you’re telling me about golf or curling or off-road unicycling or whatever else foolish thing you’re into it’s not because I dislike you or think ill of you... I’m just bored with not talking about diving.)
Divers being kept out of the water is a sin against the universe.
It has been a while since I've seen the joy on peoples faces as they take the plunge, after a long dry spell, after lockdowns.
And while it's been great for me on a personal level and a professional level, the SSI digital materials have allowed us to still teach and deliver a great service, taking some positives out of these booker times. Making the changes, making the pandemic work for us.
While normal people have been daydreaming of a day golfing or a day out on their unicycle.
We have been daydreaming about diving. Some of you have been dreaming about the canceled trip to the Red Sea or diving to a ship wreck somewhere.
Some of us have actually been daydreaming about diving in our local quarry, god help us and have mercy on our souls. A cold dark quarry would do right now for sure.
During the first lockdown most people got excited about decorating or learning how to make sourdough, or even a new worm compost bin. All a distraction from diving. Occasionally escaping to their Happy Place. Watching films, imagining every detail of their last dive or favourite dives. Not being able to dive is hard, but we will dive again. Using this dry time and taking positives from it can only be a good thing.
Not being able to dive has drawn into focus how important it is to us all and how worthy it is of being done properly, using the correct techniques and the right equipment.
After a pandemic-enforced absence from diving and all the long and hard meditation on being a better diver. People may want a little coaching or guidance or , perhaps , a bit of instruction. Maybe even taking that course you've been putting off (even if it is in a mucky quarry).
With good training, focused practice, time, and experience diving gets easier and easier and more fun. But that comes only with diving (not making sourdough).
There is no question the pandemic has changed things. Perchance we can take advantage of the opportunity to make sure it's change us for the better.
We can dream we will be diving again, traveling again, making memories again.
Cheers to that !!