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.
Sheigra in Kinlochbervie and Stein on the Isle of Skye both proved to be locations where the digital world had yet to arrive
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.
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.
Article ‘The Great Escape’ by Yo-Han Cha first published in SCUBA magazine, Issue 150 November 2024.
Author: Yo-Han Cha | Posted 16 Nov 2024
