ever since i went to Japan 32 years ago, i’ve always been fascinated with the Amasan. i saw photos of how they use to dive like this for abalone and it was my dream to dive with them someday. 
25 year later, my dream came true. the only thing different is that wetsuits were invented. so it meant being warmer and being able to stay in the ocean longer. i dove with these Amasan ladies that were in their 80’s. they used 30lbs of weight, they had no fins, no snorkel, and they could stay down longer than me. and these ladies kept on going up and down and up and down all morning long. i’m not sure how long more Amasan’s will be around, but this is one of the highlights of my life. 
then i found the Amasan’s of South Korea. working hard along the ocean side for decades. this is their life, and this is their place. i couldn’t understand their language, but i could understand their connection to the ocean. it showed in their smiles…
it took me 25 years for this dream to come true. and when that day came, it was well worth the wait. once again, this was one of the happiest days of my life. thank you to the “Women of the Sea.”
