The magic of scuba diving
Insignificance
There’s a magic in our insignificance. Our smallness. We spend most of our lives thinking the world revolves around us. That every job, every relationship, every experience, is so important. Those moments when we realize they’re not are few and far between. These are moments of awe. Moments of inspiration.
There’s a magic in our insignificance. Not being insignificant. Realizing we’re insignificant. Looking up at the night sky. Standing on the edge of the ocean, feeling the waves crashing on your feet. Looking out the window of an airplane at the distant ground below, the objects of our life growing smaller and smaller as we rise.
Scuba diving. A brief glimpse into a deeper world. Humanity. The special species. Colonizers of Earth. Yet here we are, on our very own planet, exploring 71% of the surface that we’ve never inhabited. The nighttime sky can feel abstract and distant. Here, our insignificance stares us in the face with each passing moment of exploration.
Weightless
There’s a magic to lightness. A darkness to weight. We know this intuitively. We feel the weight of the world on our shoulders when experiencing stress. We’re burdened with a heavy heart when sad. A monkey comes off our back when relieved. We’re light on our feet when we’re moving at our best. We are on cloud nine when in a state of pure bliss.
There’s a magic to lightness. Not being light. Feeling light. Feeling weightless. It’s that moment you’re going down a roller coaster. When you’re high up bouncing on a trampoline. When you skydive. These are moments of weightless magic.
Scuba diving. Suspended underwater. Heavy tanks on your back yet nothing weighing you down. Each movement extended in slow motion as you move through a medium 800 times denser than air. It’s not just a moment, it’s an experience.
Fear
There’s a magic in fear. It’s part of our evolution - we’re wired with a fight or flight response. Adrenaline released. Increased heart rate. Breathing faster. We think of it as terrifying, but it’s more akin to hyperarousal.
There’s a magic in fear. Not being afraid. Feeling afraid. When you’re walking through a haunted house. When you’re thrill-seeking, from whitewater rafting to ziplining. The best moments are those when you know you’re safe but still feel and enjoy the fear.
Scuba diving. Each breath feels momentous as you feel the finite quantity of air on your back. Eyes peeled, unable to accurately assess danger, surrounded by marine life in their native habitat. Body tense, knowing a strong current can control your motion better than you can. Yet, your training and your knowledge of the low risk providing a sense of safety.