On the 15th of november Dave Allen sacrificed his life for his belief and for the greater cause at The Nalanda Monastery in the south west of France. This post is to honour him and his own chosen outcome.
I´m writing this short post in english in respect to Dave Allen, his family, friends and people around him. Also in respect of our common friends and dive-colleagues.
I first met Dave during my divemaster training in Khao Lak, Thailand at Sea Dragon Dive Center. Later we came to spend many boat trips out to the Similian and Surin Island together during the four seasons I stayed. Being on a liveaboard like that for long periods of days, and sometimes even doing back to backs together, opens your integrity zone. We never spent that much time together on land but on the boats we enjoyed eachothers company. Then again I usually spent on average like 24 days per month at sea.
You know when you have an epic moment with a person, that second freezes as a picture and when you think of them again thats the first picture you see in your head. This is my epic moment with Dave.
The night dive
I looked down at Dave. He was still on the dive plattform of M/S Nangnuan looking up at me with a peculiar smile on his face while I was about to jump of the boat through the rays of moonlight in to the dark mirror that hold the magic of phosphorescence.
We just ended our night dive and all customers where mesmerized by the forty minutes in the water. Both groups only used the torches for the first minutes. The light of the moon was strong enough any way. On top of that the entire bay was booming of phosphorescence. It was mindblowing to see the electric strokes from the fins of people and their movement forward lighting up the shape of them. The topography of the underwater landscape ignited by millions of green lighted dots that slowly faded away to later ignite again on a different location.
During a part of the dive we all kneeled down in a large circle on the ocean floor. We waved at each other igniting even more magic.
Its that smile that comes to me when I close my eyes and think of Dave. That little Mona Lisa kind of smile that he so often expressed. The smile I got just second before getting swallowed by the ocean, disappearing into a green cloud of fireworks.
In the end
This is how I choose to remember you my friend Dave and somehow I think you could have done so much more impact alive, than through sacrificing your life. I painfully respect your decision and I hope you rest in peace now among your loved ones. You will always put a smile on my face when I think of you, and in the end thats all that matters, because you were a great friend, teacher and guide.
We all went through some crazy times in Sea Dragon Dive Center. Both among my best and worse memories derives from here. The Tsunami took all of us in different direction but we all showed up for the season after. As a sublime group therapy act. Even the first trip afterwards which we both were on holds a wide range of feelings, and I wont open that pandoras box now. The picture underneath is from that trip. I remember it as yesterday and I will always remember it.
We will always miss you. Love and safe travels mate – keep smiling / Feffe
