YO-HANCHA
Memories over mortgages
In which Yo-Han Cha considers the advice on life-choices foisted on him by non-diving acquaintances
Despite some of my friends ’ comments to the contrary , I do have a full-time job and all of my diving is done in my spare time , this being weekends and holidays . This means that all of my scuba diving is voluntary . I never ‘ have ’ to dive . I always dive for fun . This is sometimes worth remembering if you ’ re ever in two minds about going diving . The vast majority of us aren ’ t professional divers , so we dive for fun .
Bearing this in mind , there are occasions where I find myself wondering … ‘ what on earth am I doing ?’ It ’ s usually towards the end of the diving season , or in the depths of winter . Making a decision to go diving when it ’ s a beautiful summer ’ s day is easy . There ’ s nothing more inviting than a flat blue sea . But last year when there was driving rain , when the first thing we did was to get into our drysuits before doing any further kit preparation , I found myself questioning my priorities . Recently , during a cold snap , I found myself in Vobster Quarry , in freezing fog , once again wondering , what on earth am I doing ? This can ’ t be normal . It ’ s so cold that the puddles in the car park had frozen over and the kitting-up bench was sparkling with ice crystals .
So , when I said earlier that I don ’ t ‘ have ’ to go diving , I kind of do , due to my pathological addiction to the activity in question . I guess it then comes down to an individual ’ s costbenefit analysis . I just love being underwater , so for me , driving rain , freezing fog , none of that stops me . The cost of my comfort is worth the fun and enjoyment I get from diving .
“ So , when I said earlier that I don ’ t ‘ have ’ to go diving , I kind of do ”
Yo-Han ’ s buddy , wreck diver Rick Ayrton , girds his loins for the dive to come
Also , it doesn ’ t rain underwater and in Vobster at the end of January , the water temperature – 6 ° C – was higher than the air temperature of -2 ° C .
It ’ s not just lessthan-optimum weather conditions that have caused friends and colleagues to question my life decisions . What really seems to astonish people is the amount of time and money I ’ m willing to spend in pursuit of diving happiness . Apparently , the 850-mile round trip from Bristol to Loch Fyne for ‘ just a weekend ’ is unusual by some folks ’ standards , as is choosing
to holiday in the Isle of Man rather than , say , some Balearic beach . Then , when I do venture abroad , my ongoing quest to dive with manta rays – to the exclusion of all else – is seen by some as a bit obsessive , whereas I would describe it as ‘ neatly focussed ’.
Some time ago when I visited Australia , a well-meaning friend raised the question of whether the money wouldn ’ t serve me better if used as a deposit on a house .
I still don ’ t have a deposit for a house . That ’ ll come one day . I ’ ve had a lot of fun though , met lots of lovely people and made amazing memories .
Even if some of them are looking at the fog over Vobster and wondering what on earth I ’ m doing ? �
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