second reef, Manu and I were the first to get suited up and enter the
water, but I immediately had problems. The valve on my BCD jammed, meaning that
I could not let the air out and was therefore not able to descend. Manu took a
look at it, but was unable to fix the problem.
‘What’s up?’
asked Esteban from the boat
‘His BCD’s
busted,’ replied Manu. ‘We haven’t got any replacement gear on board so I’ll
have to try and fix it, which could take time.’
‘What about the
girl’s vests?’ asked Esteban.
‘Too small,’
replied Manu.
Esteban could
see the disappointment in my face and offered up a different solution.
‘Why doesn’t he
take mine,’ he suggested. ‘He can use the secondary regulator if that’s okay
with you. I’ll see if I can fix his and join you when it’s ready.’
I had no
objections and Manu seemed okay with the idea. It was actually Barrett who
complained. As usual, the American was itching for a confrontation.
‘No swapsies
allowed,’ he said. ‘If he’s broken his kit; it’s tough luck on him. Let him sit
it out with the other girls.’
I could tell
that Esteban was biting down on his lip to keep from saying anything back. Barrett
had annoyed every one of us on this trip and patience for him had worn thin.
‘It’s not a
problem,’ Manu assured the American.
‘What about
Asia?’ asked Barrett. ‘Has she got to miss out too, because these two girls
want to share a dummy?’
‘She can still
come with Ben and I,’ replied Manu. ‘A group of three is not a problem at all.’
I climbed back
onboard the boat where I quickly switched over to Esteban’s BCD and tank before
returning to the water. Barrett and Clay were shaking their heads and I failed
to see what their problem was. Contrary to the latter’s jibes, we would not be
“sharing a dummy”. Each set of kit had two regulators attached so I would not
be using the same one that Esteban had.
Asia joined me
in the water and then Manu led us down to depth by a guide rope. Visibility was
a lot clearer than on the previous dive and straight away I could see more
vibrant colours among the coral and a much greater variety of aquatic life.
Although it was
Manu who was supposed to be leading the dive, Asia was the one who mostly
dictated the underwater route that we took. I followed her as closely as my
limited ability would allow. The more I swum, the more regular my breathing
became and the less resistance I felt from the water. As my confidence grew, I
was able to summon the courage to try some of the spins and rolls that Asia was
so fond of. I looked for her reaction. She responded in kind; setting me
increasingly difficult challenges. Before long we were engaging in a
zero-gravity, mock kung-fu fight. We performed flying kicks, double back flips
and even Matrix style spins; anything was possible.
A flurry of
bubbles escaped from Asia’s regulator as she giggled at my antics, but then the
sound of her breathing abruptly stopped. Her mood changed in an instant and I
realised something was wrong. She was clearly afraid.
I felt a strong
push from behind that knocked the regulator out of my mouth. Escaping bubbles
clouded my vision and I flailed my arms wildly, completely forgetting the
training I had been given just a short while earlier. A second blow sent me
crashing into the sharp coral, which I felt tear through the fabric of my
wetsuit. As my lungs drained of air, instinct told me to reach out for the
regulator. My hand found it and I placed it into my mouth, but could taste
nothing through it but the bitterness of saltwater. The cable connecting it to
the tank had been severed midway.
The primary
regulator that Esteban had used was still fastened to the BCD and I quickly
unclipped it and put it in my mouth. As the bubbles cleared on my inward
breaths I could see Manu swimming towards me with a knife in his hand. I
realised that he must have cut the cable. Why he wanted to drown me was a mystery,
but
water, but I immediately had problems. The valve on my BCD jammed, meaning that
I could not let the air out and was therefore not able to descend. Manu took a
look at it, but was unable to fix the problem.
‘What’s up?’
asked Esteban from the boat
‘His BCD’s
busted,’ replied Manu. ‘We haven’t got any replacement gear on board so I’ll
have to try and fix it, which could take time.’
‘What about the
girl’s vests?’ asked Esteban.
‘Too small,’
replied Manu.
Esteban could
see the disappointment in my face and offered up a different solution.
‘Why doesn’t he
take mine,’ he suggested. ‘He can use the secondary regulator if that’s okay
with you. I’ll see if I can fix his and join you when it’s ready.’
I had no
objections and Manu seemed okay with the idea. It was actually Barrett who
complained. As usual, the American was itching for a confrontation.
‘No swapsies
allowed,’ he said. ‘If he’s broken his kit; it’s tough luck on him. Let him sit
it out with the other girls.’
I could tell
that Esteban was biting down on his lip to keep from saying anything back. Barrett
had annoyed every one of us on this trip and patience for him had worn thin.
‘It’s not a
problem,’ Manu assured the American.
‘What about
Asia?’ asked Barrett. ‘Has she got to miss out too, because these two girls
want to share a dummy?’
‘She can still
come with Ben and I,’ replied Manu. ‘A group of three is not a problem at all.’
I climbed back
onboard the boat where I quickly switched over to Esteban’s BCD and tank before
returning to the water. Barrett and Clay were shaking their heads and I failed
to see what their problem was. Contrary to the latter’s jibes, we would not be
“sharing a dummy”. Each set of kit had two regulators attached so I would not
be using the same one that Esteban had.
Asia joined me
in the water and then Manu led us down to depth by a guide rope. Visibility was
a lot clearer than on the previous dive and straight away I could see more
vibrant colours among the coral and a much greater variety of aquatic life.
Although it was
Manu who was supposed to be leading the dive, Asia was the one who mostly
dictated the underwater route that we took. I followed her as closely as my
limited ability would allow. The more I swum, the more regular my breathing
became and the less resistance I felt from the water. As my confidence grew, I
was able to summon the courage to try some of the spins and rolls that Asia was
so fond of. I looked for her reaction. She responded in kind; setting me
increasingly difficult challenges. Before long we were engaging in a
zero-gravity, mock kung-fu fight. We performed flying kicks, double back flips
and even Matrix style spins; anything was possible.
A flurry of
bubbles escaped from Asia’s regulator as she giggled at my antics, but then the
sound of her breathing abruptly stopped. Her mood changed in an instant and I
realised something was wrong. She was clearly afraid.
I felt a strong
push from behind that knocked the regulator out of my mouth. Escaping bubbles
clouded my vision and I flailed my arms wildly, completely forgetting the
training I had been given just a short while earlier. A second blow sent me
crashing into the sharp coral, which I felt tear through the fabric of my
wetsuit. As my lungs drained of air, instinct told me to reach out for the
regulator. My hand found it and I placed it into my mouth, but could taste
nothing through it but the bitterness of saltwater. The cable connecting it to
the tank had been severed midway.
The primary
regulator that Esteban had used was still fastened to the BCD and I quickly
unclipped it and put it in my mouth. As the bubbles cleared on my inward
breaths I could see Manu swimming towards me with a knife in his hand. I
realised that he must have cut the cable. Why he wanted to drown me was a mystery,
but
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