Diving Into The World Of Subin

Story By: Farhana Begum

Photos By: Sredhar Babu Subin

As he stepped into the sea water for his first dive, 33-year-old Sredhar Babu Subin recalls the first time he set his eyes on one of the most exotic creatures swimming in the sea – the sea snake. It was at that defining moment that he decided that diving was what he wanted to do as a career.

While working in a dive shop as a sales executive, Subin was occasionally sent for diving courses where he learnt search and rescue operations. After months of taking part in these operations, he realized that his interest in diving began to increase day by day, which eventually led to him taking up recreational diving as a full-time job.

"I don’t like to sit in an average nine-to-five office job every day," says the 33-year-old Subin who has always been interested in jobs that were more towards the adventurous side.

Subin with his diving gears

After a year's experience in recreational diving, Subin climbed the corporate ladder and took on commercial diving as a career. Even though being a commercial diver is no easy feat, Subin states that there are moments which he treasures and loves about his job. He recalls one incident where he took on the challenge to complete a project all on his own. It took a whopping four and a half hours.

"I was a walking zombie after that! It drained the life out of me," he gushes.

It was not easy at all but the support that his teammates gave, kept him going. "After I came up, my teammates came rushing to undress my diving suit and there were smiles on everyone's faces congratulating me. That’s the feeling that makes you want to go back and do it because you're appreciated for what you did," he explains.

When asked about how his family and peers feel about his job, Subin laughs and says that his parents were worried and hesitant about the career choice that he made.

"Sometimes, my mum would ask me why I didn't want to take up a safer job. But I'll always tell her that diving is my passion and that's what I love doing." 

His wife, however, has been very supportive since the start. Even though she knows about the downsides and risks of diving, she never expressed it for fear of discouraging him.

Subin with his wife Pravita

"I always make it a point to call my wife before and after I return from a dive just to let her know that I'm safe," says Subin.

He concludes by saying: “As long as you're not faint-hearted and you're ready to handle whatever comes your way, then commercial diving might be something you would want to take up as a career in the future.”