What's the one thing during a dive that makes it all worthwhile?

[Buoyant Babe]

Free descending/going down a shot in a pool of obscure green and getting to the bottom to realise the viz has opened out and there is so much to see

[warmwaterdiver]

Originally Posted by pieater

O
M
G

Ladies and Gentlemen, please be seated -

Is that a VR3 I see before me?

it doesn't count, NickB hasn't had the implant yet so the VR3 is still allowed

Originally Posted by ShinyD

What's the one thing during a dive that makes it all worthwhile?

completion of the goal

[nickb]

Originally Posted by warmwaterdiver

it doesn't count, NickB hasn't had the implant yet so the VR3 is still allowed

Whadya mean 'yet'? That implies that it's on the cards.

[nickb]

Originally Posted by pieater

Is that a VR3 I see before me?

You missed that the torch is in my right hand and the deco bottle is yellow

[Kirstie]

Dives that you think are going to be fairly ordinary/average that turn out to be something special.

Tuesday night was the first UK dive after our hols for Turbs and me. I was expecting the usual UK viz at Hilsea Point but, on the surface, I realised I could see the shot lying on the white sand seabed 20m below me. The viz was staggering - I was at 28m, looked up and could see the sun shining on the surface above me.

I love seeing cuttlefish as I get the distinct impression that they're just as interested in us as we are in them. John Dory are a bit special too - love those mohicans!

[frosty the snowman]

Originally Posted by GLOC

Just getting under the surface and seeing the wreck underneath you some distance away.

Oooh yes. I'll never forget the first time I experienced that. It was on the Mohegan. I thought my depth gauge must be wrong. And again on HMS Formidable. Stunning.

Originally Posted by purple vonny

Getting the perfect photo and staying warm. Just knowing that I am in a place that not many people have been.

Yes, that's it for me too. Even a little pootle off Babbacombe can seem special when you know you'll be seeing things that are onle a few metres off the beach but the tourists will never see them.

[ratcliffe]

For me, even the crap dives are special in some way. That is the magic of diving and for most of us, that is why we do it. I don't mind what I see on a dive, rocks, plant life, fish, wreck whatever, I just let go of real life whilst I am underwater, and don't worry about anything going on at home/work etc as there is enough to concentrate on on the dive itself.

However, as a special moment on a dive, it is when something that you weren't expecting looms into view, and you get a "wow" moment. One of the best "wow" moments for me was in Spain last December, when we did a solo dive in a shallow cove, all looking to get some pictures, and everyone dropped in off the boat, and I was last in, and I went down to 3 metres, and sitting there on the bottom missed by everyone else was an Octopus just looking at me. I just hung there looking at it for about 5 minutes, and got some pictures, and then it got bored and just leisurely swam off. Niiiiice

[purple vonny]

I know this sounds a bit simple, but one of my greatest joys is seeing the sun rays through the water on the last few metres of ascent (in the UK!) and seeing them from much deeper in warmer climes.

It's just so beautiful. I'm easily pleased.

[thehappychappy]

The seemingly simple act of removing the weight of the world to experience weightlessness with the amazing feeling of neutral buoyancy.

I'm not a huge fan of being on the surface in full scuba gear, just getting under and relaxing, finding my breathing rhythm, drifting in the space above a wreck or a reef.

Anything else is bonus points!


Davie

[SoggyFox]

getting on a wreck and being able to figure out what i'm looking at and slowly building a picture of where i am and what should be next. All a big game of mystery and surprise, love it.