What I learned about the Fog while diving
I just returned from Clark’s Cay, a small private resort island off the coast of Guanaja, Honduras. I am an avid scuba diver. It is unbelievable how descending into the womb of the Earth brings me peace and joy. There is a calmness that happens at about 30 feet down that I have not experienced anywhere else.
On this dive trip, we experienced weather not typical for Honduras in January. The rain had more intense bursts and the wind was more significant. This made our visibility underwater more like 20-30 feet versus 70-100 feet. It also created more surging of the ocean closer to the surface. This is important because all divers are required to complete a 15-foot safety stop for 3 minutes before surfacing to return to the boat.
On our final dive of the week, we chose to specifically hunt and spear the invasive and reef-destructive lionfish. We had three members of our dive party (of 11) who were certified to spear lionfish (it’s a thing). The rest of us were spotters. We went to a reef that isn’t a specific dive site. We dropped to about 60 feet and went on our search for these lionfish. The reef was very nodular, with lots of crevices, cracks, and overhangs—exactly where the lionfish like to hang out. The visibility was about 20 feet. We were all over the place and at varying depths between 50-80 feet (when diving you have to remember there is a z-axis). We were in and around the nodes. When you found a lionfish, you banged on your tank to get the attention of one of the hunters with a spear.
At one point I realized that the only two people I could see were my dive buddies. I found that calmness and joy faded to concern. I listened for any clanking of tanks, nothing but the sounds of my bubbles going by my ears as I breathed. I looked at my dive buddies and they both were having a similar reaction, “Where did everyone go?”
It was at that moment, believe it or not, that I thought, “This is a Fog moment, what do I need to Consider.” Two things quickly popped into my mind. First, trust your training. Second, follow the bubbles. When visibility is inhibited, it is often better near the surface where there is more light. And, as our bubbles rise, they expand because the pressure decreases.
Side note: if divers are bunched up, by the time our bubbles reach the surface, it can look like the ocean is boiling. Kind of a cool sight.
I looked up towards the surface and sure enough, I saw the bubbles of the other divers and could track them down to where they were on the reef. Soon we were all reunited and ready to rise to our safety stop together. We surfaced and we had 14 lionfish which the chef at our resort turned into some amazing ceviche!
One final note, because I am a Parrot Head, during my safety stop (which often gives you time to think while waiting out your 3 minutes), all I could do was sing Jimmy Buffett’s song Bubbles Up.
Bubbles up
They will point you towards home
No matter how deep or how far you roam
They will show you the surface, the plot and the purpose
So, when the journey gets long
Just know you are loved
There is light up above
And the joy is always enough
Bubbles up