"He lives the poetry that he cannot write"
~ Oscar Wilde

SCUBA is an abbreviation for self-contained underwater-breathing apparatus and scuba diving is one of the most delightful and enticing hobbies one can have. It is extremely popular abroad and is becoming so in India where the islands of Lakshwadeep (in the Indian Ocean) and Andamans (in the Bay of Bengal) offer some of the best diving sites in the world.

From time immemorial man has had the urge to explore. However, exploration of the ocean depths was limited by lack of equipment. Free diving with no equipment was practised by pearl fishers and spear fishers. But the pleasures of the underwater world were denied to the vast majority till SCUBA equipment developed in its present form.

Most popular as a recreational sport, scuba diving has also been extremely useful in oceanography, study of marine life and in underwater exploration. One need not be an expert swimmer. The only prerequisites are good physical and mental health, basic swimming skills and the urge for adventure. Before choosing your dive school, do check out whether it is affiliated to any reputed international organisation. Also check out experiences of divers who have been to these schools and dive locations. Numerous personal dive experiences are now available on the Net.

Imagine yourself in a most spectacular virgin coral reef, embraced by a turquoise lagoon, an original Garden of Eden. Indian locations such as Kadmat Island in Lakshwadeep are home to teeming marine life such as the angel fish and the wrasse, moorish idols, butterfly fish and surgeon fish. Groupers, manta rays, moray eels and multifarious varieties of coral can be seen, as well as the occasional shark if you are lucky. The shark evokes a cocktail of emotional and mental reactions. Of joy at its sheer primeval beauty, trepidation from the fear its name evokes, and a deep sense of saddened realisation that we desperately need to preserve our marine life.

A mystical and spiritual core guides the SCUBA experience and one surfaces fully rejuvenated in body, refreshed in mind and awakened in spirit. So do not wait. Go ahead, dive deep into the waters and change your life forever.