As divers, we are infatuated with the underwater world. If that is all you see in a foreign destination, you have missed out on one of the most rewarding parts of travel: cultural exchange.

Exploring the local area and interacting with the populace takes you to a higher level of understanding of just how much we all have in common, and is a two-way street of discrediting any negative beliefs and replacing them with positives you both walk away with.

How many of you know of or have even heard of the Ibadi branch of the Muslim faith? This is a great example of cultural exchange enlightening both sides. On a recent trip to Oman, I added on several days of land tours and local interactions. The friendliness of the Omanis was instantly noticeable. There were many hours of discussions over lunches and dinners with our local guides, restaurant staff and business owners. My days of historical sites and mountain vistas ended at the Grand Mosque in Muscat. First, this mosque is one of the most magnificent ones I have ever seen. It is so large that scale is impossible for your brain to comprehend. The main chandelier is so large it has a spiral staircase inside of it for changing lightbulbs and cleaning, yet the dome it is hanging in makes this look unimaginable.

At the end of your tour through the mosque is a room where the imams invite you in for any questions you may have. While I had read up on the Ibadi branch, I was not sure what to expect from the actual imams in the main mosque of Oman. To my delight, they were as friendly as I was told. There was never any preaching or forced doctrine. They were there for my questions, period. The answers were open and genuine. They just wanted a cultural exchange. They had questions for me about general life in the U.S. compared to what I had been seeing in Oman. It was an amazing discussion.

If you have had local interactions on your foreign dive vacations, then you know they are as curious about us and our way of life as we are of theirs. This is evident with their questions always getting around to whomever our current president is. They realize that the information they get may not be accurate and want to know what we think. I have been asked this on the streets of Sorong, Indonesia, in the mountains of Thailand and on the Nile River. It is never asked in a condescending or defensive tone but out of pure curiosity.

Facebook has been an incredible help in continuing these exchanges. My Facebook friends list includes the many multinational guests I have met on our adventures, local staff, tour guides and random people I have struck up a conversation with at street vendors and airports. I am always pleased when they wish me a happy Fourth of July or merry Christmas, and I return those favors for their religious and national celebrations. Cultural exchange does not have to end when you step back into your home; technology now allows us to make those exchanges every day, even from the comfort of our recliner.

Wayne B. Brown

CEO Aggressor Adventures

PADI Instructor 174820