While many Joburg residents were reaching for an extra jersey as temperatures hovered around 14 degrees Celsius, 16-year-old Northcliff resident Shaan Strydom was pulling on his wetsuit and preparing to plunge into the chilly waters of Emmarentia Dam.

The Northcliff High School learner joined Emmarentia-based Normalair Underwater Club for its annual Polar Bear Dive, an event that coincides with the Southern Hemisphere winter solstice and combines adventure with community service by removing litter and unwanted items from the dam bed.

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For Shaan, who turns 17 in November, taking part in the icy challenge had long been on his bucket list. “I’ve always wanted to experience how it feels to dive in such cold water, and now I’ve finally done it,” he said.

Although an experienced diver, this was his first Polar Bear Dive. Armed with his regular dive gear, a warm suit and what he described as “the mentality that the water will be cold”, Shaan entered the murky waters with a smile. “It’s very, very cold,” he laughed.

Visibility underwater was limited, making the experience both exciting and unpredictable.

“You don’t always know which direction you’re going. You start going one way and end up somewhere completely different.”

Part of the day’s mission was to help clean the dam, but Shaan admitted he also hoped to uncover some treasure. He surfaced with a golf ball and a fishing lure. “I guess it’s better than nothing,” he joked.

Diving runs in the family. His parents, Minda and Tjaart Strydom, have been divers since before he was born, and Shaan grew up accompanying them on boats. “My whole life I’ve wanted to do this.”

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One of his favourite memories remains a shark dive in Sodwana Bay last December.

“It made me realise how blessed I am to experience something like that.”

For Shaan, diving offers peace and perspective. “I love the quietness and seeing how fish have a completely different life from ours. It just makes me feel free.”

Although he hopes to study civil engineering after school, diving will always remain part of his life. His advice to other young people?

“Find a hobby and just go for it. It might be nerve-racking at first, but just do it.”

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