The Wonderful Smells of Diving

The sense of smell can be quite powerful in the human species. It can throw us into the past, bring on thoughts of pleasurable experiences, and motivate us in ways that work in the deep subconscious. I love diving but it is not usually associated with powerful smells that remind us of diving and motivate the pursuit of an underwater experience.

Even still, the fragrances are there - - you just need to notice them. The smell of new neoprene is probably my favorite. It is a new wetsuit in the morning before a dive. Close your eyes and smell the salty sea. How about the subtle but distinctive smell of compressed air blowing through a regulator. Can you smell the Nitrox? Other pre-dive smells may not be pleasant in and of themselves; even so they remind me of diving. It's the diesel exhausts as the motors fire up for a diving excursion.

Pleasant post-dive smells include boiled lobster and drawn butter, abalone or fish on the charcoal grill, or the whiff that hits your nostrils just before you swallow that first drink of a post-dive beer. Post-dive smells can be unpleasant too. Be sure to wash out that not-so-new wetsuit you urinated in or you'll learn about a negative post-dive smell!