arya@underthejungle.com
CONTACT ARYA
arya@underthejungle.com
ARYA QUICK STATS
• TDI Sidemount, Cavern, and Intro to Cave Instructor
• TDI Air Diluent CCR Instructor
• TDI Air Diluent Decompression Procedures CCR Instructor
• TDI Heliox Diluent CCR Decompression Procedures Instructor
• TDI Advanced Nitrox and Deco Procedures Instructor
• From Finland
• Languages: English, Finnish
WHY I LOVE DIVING
There are endless possibilities for learning and growth in diving. I love the fact that diving has led me to learn about mating behaviour of fish on the Great Barrier Reef, history of naval warfare in the Baltic Sea – and about the geology of our planet. Not only does cave and technical diving appeal to my never-ending thirst for becoming a better diver – critically evaluating my own actions, the infinite possibilities for improvement – but every dive is a source of endless wonder about the beauty and complexity of our planet. In the caves of the Riviera Maya intricacies of different formations and the fascinating fauna leave me in awe every time. I will always be the diver who wants to go at a snail’s pace so as to take in all the tiny details.
Moreover, for me diving is a kind of meditation. Not only is the underwater realm silent but only there I’ve been able to find silence within myself as well. As a person whose mind is always racing being able to be solely focused on the present is invaluable. The precision and concentration required in cave and technical diving leaves no space to be somewhere else with my mind. I am fully present because that is what is required and thus experience a profound awareness of now. Watching that sense of now transition into the very next moment is all that really exists, it is magical.
To me cave diving is a journey not only into the planet but myself.
HOW DID YOU START DIVING?
I didn’t start diving until my late twenties and even then, by accident. It’s funny how coincidences can shape your life in such a profound way. Vacationing in Indonesia at a time when I had discovered the joys of surfing, my boyfriend saw an ad for an open water course somewhere on the side of the road on our way to the beach for yet another day of surfing.
Being the sort of person, who upon finding something interesting tends to forget about everything else and just focus single-mindedly on learning everything they possibly can about their newfound interest, naturally all I wanted to do at the time was surf, all day every day. To me taking a few days off to do something else especially when I was in an iconic surf location seemed like a terrible waste of time. Alas, relationships I’m told require compromise, so I agreed to do the course. “I’ll try anything once.”
In the usual backpacker fashion, without much preparation or planning, we signed up for a course starting the very next day. Our instructor scootered over to bring us the course materials and we spent the evening watching some videos and familiarizing ourselves with basic theory. The next day after some theory we got in the pool and the first time I put my head underwater in that pool I was mesmerized. It was unlike anything I’d experienced before – and however cliché this might sound, my life would never be the same.
MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
In hindsight my knowledge base was slim at best when I started my open water – and indeed some might argue it still was at the end of the course. As an instructor I recognize the need for low threshold entry-level training, without which I and many others would not have found diving at all. But it should not come at the expense of safety or building stable foundational skills and knowledge from where to proceed further to more challenging dives and environments. The same applies to technical and cave diving. It is the entry-level training that is most important, it’s where the foundation for success is laid. The narrative needs not to be how far you’ve gotten but how wide and stable is the foundation of your skills.
After becoming an instructor I’ve been very fortunate to work and dive in many different locations, environments and conditions. I’ve learned a lot and met truly inspiring divers and instructors along the way. With experience and exposure to diving practices adapted to each unique environment, I can only hold tremendous respect for those truly honing their craft. On the flipside however, I’ve always found it baffling how much hubris there is present in the industry. As an instructor I feel it is my duty to show up for my students with only the highest of expectations for each and every one of them, ready to set them up to succeed. That means checking my ego at the door. Training requires not only discipline and consistency but also reflection, humility and curiosity. There is no room for showing off, it is not in anyone’s interest.
