Pack up the scuba dive gear for today, well, that took about 45 minutes.  Had to make sure I had all of my regulators, computer, BC, weights, dry suit, can’t forget the dry gloves, rings and liners, boots, fins and dry suit underwear.  Need to remember both dive computers.  Don’t leave the hood and mask at home; that is a quick way to make a scuba dive not happen. Gather it all, check it again, and get it into the truck.

Now lets Go Diving?

Then there was the drive to the dock, only about 30 minutes, but it does add up. Check the boat oil, get it started, warm it up, 45 minutes of channel ride and 15 minutes of running out to the dive site in 70 feet of water.  Another 30 minutes to get all the gear on and get into the water. The water was cold, so only about 30 minutes of dive time today before we all start getting chilled. Great scuba dive, good visibility, and a good ascent.

Now it is time to do everything in the opposite order.  Take the gear off (30 minutes); run back to the channel (15 minutes), then up the channel to the dock (45 minutes).  Unpack the boat, button it up, and head home, another roughly 60 minutes. Drive home, 30 minutes again. Take all the gear out of the truck, hang it for drying or put it away.  About another 60 minutes.

Total time, 375 minutes, or 6 ¼ hours.  All for a whopping 30 minutes of time under water.  Does this seem logical?

I can’t imagine a golfer spending 12 times the amount of time to prepare just to play one hole of golf.  But divers spend significant amounts of time just preparing to go dive, getting ready, for short periods of time that are actually spent underwater.

Why do we do Scuba Dive?

Simple.  We get to breath underwater!  It is something special. We get to visit a world that would otherwise be inaccessible to us, except for our scuba gear.  There are really only a few places in this world that I can think are as special.  Skydiving, cave exploring, flying, and scuba are but a few places where a person is really defying the natural order of what our bodies have developed to do without significant help.

When we defy gravity and fly or breathe underwater, we are exposing ourselves to experiences that are utterly unnatural and are unique.  They are special.

When we dive, we see past the surface of the water.  We experience something that boaters and swimmers are restricted from. A diver sees below the surface, learns more about the environment, and gets to, even if only for a very short period of time, escape the early binds humans are normally subjected to. Diving is something special.  Even if it takes us 12 times the amount of actual time for the time we actually get to experience underwater.  It’s worth it.

Guestpost written by: Jason Blair

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This article is published by The Scuba Page, the online magazine for Scuba Dive lovers around the world. The Scuba Page is part of RUSHKULT : the online booking platform for adventure sports. Visit the RUSHKULT platform to book your next Scuba Dive training, guided trip and accommodation.

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