Dancing With The Bubbles

Every scuba diver carries a card that they show to get on a boat, to get gas or to rent equipment. This certification card lets the world know that they have learned the necessary skills that let them go below the surface and visit the underwater world. The c-card identifies the human as a certified scuba diver.
 
Although all scuba divers carry the card, they are not all the same. Some are simply better divers than others. Maybe because of a longer class, a better instructor or more experience along the way but it becomes clear that there is a magic that can be seen in the truly artistic masters. These underwater artists have a way of moving, breathing and being underwater that transcends others who just have a regulator in their mouth and a bottle of gas on their back.
 
Scuba divers across the world share a dream. A desire to be in another world, always optimistic of its rewards and beauty. Some fight through the elements to see as much as they can until the last of their bubbles sends them up, while others become one with this new world. It stops being alien. It stops being a battle. These scuba divers become masters in an underwater art. The scuba and the diver.
 
The magic within the masters is a balance of the two, the scuba and the diver. The scuba is the equipment, the textbook, the class. It is the confined water skills you learn, the new dive computer, it is the apparatus.
 
But the diver is different.
The diver dances with the bubbles.
The diver is the artist in flow who becomes one with the water.
 
The scuba is the technology. The diver is the magic.
 
The underwater world, when not disturbed by humans is perfect. Perfect in its balance and beauty. It can be powerful and harsh, but it will remain without struggle. When we enter the water we can crash, fight and destroy or we can be part of that same dance with nature. Beautiful, artistic and real.
 
Learning to dive requires reading and memorization, rote skill development for clearing a mask and assembling equipment, quizzes and exams to ensure comprehension. However, the magic of diving requires sacrifice, humility, patience, and respect. The real lessons we learn by studying the magic of diving will teach us mental and emotional strength, problem solving and courage. When you make the journey of the artist you will find the pleasure in the work that gets you to that dance.
 
We are told that diving is a sport, but we have no competitors other than ourselves. When you are underwater there is no one to talk to and ask questions to. The only one you can talk to is yourself. The real you. Your challenge is the competition with yourself and your ego. It is between you and the bubbles.
 
The dance of the underwater artist reflects our best selves. Above as well as below the surface.
The magic is being able to bring it out, always.