Yo-Han considers the benefits of diving in remote parts of the UK , the few remaining blank spots for access to the worldwide web
YO-HANCHA
The Great Escape
Yo-Han considers the benefits of diving in remote parts of the UK , the few remaining blank spots for access to the worldwide web
I
’ m old enough to remember growing up without the Internet . A world where my friends and I entertained ourselves by playing football or kerbie outside . Then the worldwide web was loosed upon us and later , smartphones came along seemingly changing everything . Personally , I think mostly for the better .
I like having information at my fingertips , even if it ’ s mundane stuff like the film listings at my local cinema . I like being able to send messages through a variety of formats , and staying connected . But sometimes it ’ s nice to have a break from it all , and one of the things I love about diving is that it lets me do just that .
I ’ m not saying that being underwater is like being in some meditative zen tranquillity . As a photographer , I ’ m always looking for squidge to take photos of . If it ’ s a busy site , then I need to be mindful of other divers . I ’ m usually not overloaded with tasks underwater , but I do need to remain attentive .
Normally , however , what I happen to be focusing on has no bearing on any of the stresses of everyday life . Work , bills , things I ’ ve done to annoy my girlfriend , all of it is left behind on the surface as I dive underwater . It ’ s as if going diving flips a switch in my brain to relieve any stress that has built up , and by the time I ’ ve surfaced , it ’ s as if it was never there .
Of course , I don ’ t need to go underwater to get away from it all . A similar sense of peace can kick in when we go diving in the more remote areas of the UK . This year , the villages of Sheigra in Kinlochbervie and Stein on the Isle of Skye both proved to be locations where the digital world had yet to arrive . Both Kinlochbervie and the Isle of Skye on the whole have pretty good coverage , the dark zones just happened to be in Sheigra and Stein , where I was staying .
In Kinlochbervie , being without any internet meant that we could properly get away and perform outlandish acts such as talking to each other , actually getting to know our fellow divers .
“ It ’ s as if going diving flips a switch in my brain to relieve any stress that has built up ”
Stein was much the same . Instead of being constantly on our phones , we enjoyed each other ’ s company . However , during the course of that trip , we found ourselves staying in different accommodation , some of which had a decent Wifi signal . Inevitably , I found myself sneaking into my companions ’ accommodation in a furtive bid to reconnect with the wider world .
In my defence , I was moving house immediately after returning home from Skye and my saint of a girlfriend was back in Bristol doing all the administration that ’ s involved with moving house ( all while I was away diving ). So , I did feel like I shouldn ’ t be completely incommunicado ! Ultimately , I can ’ t dive away from life ’ s responsibilities forever . But it ’ s nice to have a break every now and then , and take photos of the underwater world with my friends . �
Outward bound : Reading BSAC dives the Isle of Skye
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