gets inked What better way to present dive tattoos than to actually get one?


Text by Russell Clark Photos by Trisha Stovel Here at DIVER we put our money where our mouth is!


I’ve been a scuba diver for a few years now and to say it has consumed my life would be understatement; I go diving, I work for a dive magazine and then I dive some more. Having a couple of tattoos already, it was inevitable another would find its way onto my person, and what better subject to choose than this exciting new world I can’t live without? The decision to “get inked” isn’t to be taken lightly, it’s a permanent reflection of personality. It makes a statement. Sure removal by laser treatment is an (expensive) option, but I’d rather be sure going in, no regrets later. It had been over a decade since my last tattoo. Reason for the long wait? I just wasn’t inspired enough to get another. Diving swiftly change that. Why a jelly? I love them! They’re fantastic creatures that look like they‘ve jumped out of a James Cameron movie, or teleported from outer space to, well, inner space. For me, they’re beautiful, graceful and a high point of any dive. They represent everything that’s wondrous and mysterious about our oceans. With a lizard tattooed on my left forearm, a memento of my travels abroad, I needed a little balance on the right … hmmm… I decided to get a small three-inch tattoo of a moon jelly. First up was a consultation with the artist, Big J. I visited his studio in Vancouver, took along some reference photos and explained what I wanted. Being a diver himself, his fascination was with the way light plays underwater. Perfect. He began by sketching onto a piece of tracing paper draped over my arm, and what started off as a small jelly, quickly became a larger sea nettle, taking up the entire length of my forearm. Not quite what I had in mind - a lot better! Some folks say getting a tattoo in a visible place is a bad idea. What about job interviews? My attitude has always been that if someone doesn’t want to employ me because I have a tattoo, then we’re not a fit and it’s best we aren’t working together. Today, tattoos are commonplace. They’ve been mainstream in many cultures for hundreds of years. The tattoo stigma is fading fast, as it should. Tattoos are a form of art and, increasingly, a popular form of


Y


es. That’s the answer to the first question most people ask when they see your new tattoo. Yes, it does hurt. But trust me, it’s a small price to pay.


personal expression. Even my mum has considered getting one! A friend of mine once owned a tattoo


studio in which there were two signs. One said: “The difference between a tattooed person and a non-tattooed person is that a tattooed person doesn’t care whether or not you have a tattoo.” The second sign simply said “Good work isn’t cheap, and cheap work isn’t good”. My jelly tattoo was sizeable, requiring two sessions for completion. But I didn’t want to be out of the water for long, so I chose to have it all done in a single four hour period. Easier said than done.


always an experience. The characters that come in and out of such a place are as much fun to watch as some underwater creatures. We’re from all walks of life and income brackets, both sexes, big, small and in between, and of endless ethnic origins. There’s something universal about a tattoo. Lounging in my observation chair for four hours as Big J worked his magic, I enjoyed an immediate connection with fellow customers. They’d want to see my tat. They’d ask, “Why a jelly?” I’d tell them I was a diver and they’d say, “Awesome,” and they’d want to know more. So it would go. Big J is a diver. He’s shared many a


diver experience and that appealed to me in choosing an artist. Of course, four hours in a chair with a guy drawing on you presents a good chance to swap dive stories and tattoo tales. But there’s a level of concentration that must be respected. Tattooing is not easy. A high level of artistry is involved and certainly tattooing a complex sea nettle in multiple colors and the dance of aquatic light is no easy task. At one point he apologized for not talking. “No worries, I said, “You go right ahead and concentrate all you need! The first two hours passed quickly. Toilet breaks and a chance to stretch the legs were welcomed. The third and fourth hours were less comfortable as my arm became increasingly sore. Time to grit the teeth and imagine the end result. It’s remarkably satisfying to watch the


Watching a master tattooist at work is a sight to behold. Command of a tattoo gun is no different than the skill of a painter with his brush. The tattoo artist transfers his design onto carbon copy paper, then rubs it onto the body, in my case the arm, leaving a thin blue guide to follow. And then it beings. Tattoo guns stab you repeatedly with a small needle that embeds ink under the skin. The operative words here are: gun, needle, stab. This helps to explain the part about hurting. But it’s tolerable pain and the instant the gun stops the pain subsides. The level of pain also depends on the


body part being tattooed, the fleshier the better. Part of my jelly is near the wrist. That was painful but the mid forearm work was almost comfortable by comparison. Sitting in the chair of a tattoo studio is


tattoo take form from that very first line to the final shading of the jelly’s bell. The best part of the day is when your tattooist leans back in his chair, looks at the focus of his effort, nods his head and smiles. This is a very good moment. I looked down at my jelly and was immediately delighted. It was exactly what I wanted. I could live with the red and raw for the short time it would last. Apart from the personal pleasure


it provides, a dive tattoo presents the opportunity to excite people with a little ocean wonder and maybe, just maybe, inspire them to take a look underwater. I’ve never regretted my tattoo decisions, never will. My sea nettle’s a part of me now, just like diving.


For more information on Big J and to see a portfolio visit: www.bigjtattoos.com


www.divermag.com 31


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68