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When one expects to see photographs of locals or vacationers flaunt the nationwide gown of a rustic, one imagines people posing towards the backdrop of mountains and monuments, proper? Ehdaa Al Barwani’s Instagram feed (@dive.with.dee) got here in as a nice shock, with footage of her in Oman’s nationwide costume underneath water.
The 33-year-old Omani diver donned the costume final 12 months as a part of the nation’s National Day celebrations, with a mission to lift consciousness on underwater conservation. “The idea to capture the dive in a photoshoot came from the desperate need for us, as Omani nationals, to work towards keeping our seas clean,” says Ehdaa, who can be the proprietor of Aura Divers, a dive centre in Muscat.
She is the primary and solely feminine Omani dive teacher, and aspires to encourage ladies to hitch the ever-growing scuba household. She has travelled to Dubai many occasions for brief stays however is but to dive right here. “I’d love to dive in Fujairah soon,” she provides.
How difficult was it to dive within the apparel?
The Omani gown is flexible and heat. Women used to put on it each day for quite a lot of actions, whether or not tending to the fields or mending fishing nets on the shore. Diving in it wasn’t any totally different.
What is the message you want to ship out?
Reusing and recycling previous objects has grow to be an necessary side of the push to protect the world’s surroundings. The drawback with disposing previous ‘junk’ is that ultimately it leads to a landfill, seeps into our soil, and inevitably into our oceans. This has posed a big decline in wholesome coral reefs, which, in flip, impacts us in myriad methods. During my dive, I encourage divers and college students to select up any plastic or garbage and pop it of their pockets to be thrown away later. This encourages good habits and instills a way of accountability in them. We can’t anticipate individuals to concentrate on the extent of garbage with out them seeing it, neither can we anticipate them to know the fantastic thing about the underwater wildlife with out them with the ability to swim amongst it.
Was the photoshoot one of many first such novel concepts?
I did a smaller sequence celebrating Omani Women’s Day. It was to unfold the concept ladies are able to doing many nice issues. The response was optimistic and supportive. I’ve been working with reclaimed wooden from development areas that’s been washed up ashore. There are so many inventive methods the wooden may be reused and recycled. I’m now engaged on a sequence showcasing this.
When and the way did you determine to grow to be a diver?
I began my open water again in 2011. With Muscat being a coastal metropolis, I grew up near the ocean and was considerably a water child. We used to go to the seashore each Friday for household get-togethers and I might spend the day within the water, so changing into a diver was a straightforward and pure transition. I used to be additionally travelling for some time, and dealing as a divemaster was a great way to earn some cash to maintain my travels. During the course, I realised that being a diver was additionally a good way to satisfy new individuals and immerse your self within the tradition of dwelling and dealing alongside the locals.
Share your most fascinating diving expertise with us.
Diving in Nusa Penida, South Bali was fantastic. I had initially gone looking for the sunfish, an enchanting fish that may develop as much as 2000 kg, however they’re hardly ever seen even through the season. But I did get to dive with large Manta Rays, the spotlight being once I received separated from the group and an enormous manta glided round me. It was fascinating to see one up shut.
What are your favorite diving places?
Scuba diving in Moalboal, Philippines, is various and vibrant. Think large faculties of fish, lovely partitions, canyons and caves, and engaging macro life. Dramatic wall with vibrant mushy corals. You may see faculties of barracuda, lovely caves, reef sharks, and likewise smaller marine life like nudibranchs and frogfish! The Daymaniyat Islands in Oman have a few of my favorite dive websites as nicely; with over 30 beautiful dive websites spanning 9 islands, you by no means run out of latest locations to discover.
Message for feminine divers: ‘You go, girl!’
“Women make great divers. We have better air consumption. This might be due to the fact that we have less lung capacity than men, or because we sometimes have less muscle mass. Either way, we seem to always have more left in the tank at the end of a dive than male divers! We also have better buoyancy due to our higher body fat percentage, and hence are able to swim more efficiently. Women are also generally more patient and understanding — characteristics that are highly valued when teaching someone a new skill. The point is, women are more than capable of being great divers. Each year, more women are leaving their mark in the diving industry. This is just the beginning, we are capable of overcoming our fears, and paving the way for more women to be part of this industry.”
purva@khaleejtimes.com
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