It's quiet and peaceful, and NO frigging PHONES!
The rich density and diversity of life. In a year and a half of diving, and ONLY along the coast of California, I have seen more species of fauna than I have in my entire life, and I've still only seen a tiny fraction of what coastal CA has to offer, let alone the rest of the aquatic world. The life is also more varied and interesting. More niches; more food.
Despite the peace, an endless amount of things to get excited about. I LOVE biology; it's a real passion with me (as you could no doubt tell above), and so I will get excited about almost anything that isn't a kelp rockfish or a blackeye goby. I was ecstatic after my last dive because I (FINALLY) saw my first treefish, and thrilled on a north coast trip because I saw my first China rockfish.
Only time harbor seals can conceivably nip at my toes.
Diving is totally independent of land stuff. It's far more primal and almost natural, despite needing advanced technology to do it. I am mindful that I am not at the top of the food chain so less complacent. Decisions I make and actions I perform matter and may impact my very survival (I know this is true in all cases, but we're used to it and trivialize it, like driving), such as whether to enter the water on a difficult day. In a crisis, I know I must keep a cool head to ensure my survival, and have before. This puts land life in perspective, and enables me to keep a cool head for things that impact my life FAR less than getting bent or smashed to death on rocks would.
I get to impress tourists with my big strapping Sea Hunt style dive knife and tell them I use it to fight off great whites and undersea terrorists.
Using my big strapping Sea Hunt style dive knife for its real purpose - extracting scallops. Yum! And in that same theme, access to fresh abs, crabs, and lobsters as well as any fish I can mooch off spearfishing buddies.
