Dive

Dive

The picture on the left was taken at Molokini, an under-water crater off the coast of Maui whose water is such irridescent blue that at first it doesn’t seem possible. Crystal-clear, shimmeringly aquamarine, you can dive thirty feet and the colors quiver and hum. The first time I snorkelled in the water off the coast of Maui, it took my breath away. Astounding. A world of psychedelically-colored fish, brilliant coral. The quiet of the ocean, the movement of the water. It is an enthralling visceral experience. I don’t like to snorkel with fins, and I don’t like to wear a wetsuit. I like to be in the ocean as close to naked as possible, with goggles only.

In this category of diving is everything from free diving to scuba. There is something about being beneath the surface of water. I like the way it feels on my skin. Immersion generally in water is restorative, especially if that water is living. There are traditions of ritual immersion in many lineages, from the Mikveh in Judaism to baptism in Christianity, to bathing in the water of the Ganges river in Hinduism.