Fakarava Diving

First dive was a reef. It had the best visibility of any dive site in recent memory. You could see so much. Like the beautiful giant mantas rays headed straight for you! And the sharks in the distance. The coral was not very colorful, it looked mostly dead. But then there were some healthy looking coral heads as well. 

Manta on the First Dive

Second dive was in the pass. It was a drift dive with a strong current. We were told not to dallie on the surface but to head straight down as soon as we hit the water. Get to the bottom and stay together because the current was going to sweep us away. We all prepared to do a back roll into the water at the same time. So, I'm sitting on the gunnell and adjusting my BC, making sure everything is nice and snug, mask on my face, regulator in my mouth. 1-2-3, go! I hit the water on my back, turn over and start to kick ... WTF! I have NO fins on my feet 😱 I can't go anywhere.  I yell up to someone on the boat - I forgot my fins! They quickly find them and hold them up. I am now a ways away from the boat, there's a current, remember. I am panicking. Kicking gets me nowhere. I use a breast stroke as strong as I can muster and get a little closer. It looks like he may throw me my fins, then thinks better of it and motions for me to come closer. I stroke with everything I've got and kick too. I'm sucking air and water. I get close enough to grab the fins being held out to me and I quickly put them on and turn around. I reach for my release valve to make sure that all the air is out of my BC and I can sink down to meet my buddies, but that's going to be way too slow. I turn head down and start kicking but my fins are just grabbling air at this point. Finally I'm under water, kicking and moving down. I see the dive master and my buddies waiting for me. Thank God the current was not so strong here to have taken them away. I'm gulping air as fast as I can. The dive master is motioning for me to come down. Well, yeah, that's what I'm doing! As fast as I can. Oops, don't forget to clear your ears Chris! Luckily I had no problem with that. 

So, all is well and we all take off with the current. At some points, the dive master stops and grabs onto some dead coral to stop his progress. He indicates we should do the same. OK, I grab one likely looking branch and it comes away with my hand. After a couple tries I find a secure handhold. Then we're off again. I see him veer off to the right up ahead, but the current is taking me straight. I make it, but it's a struggle. Wheee, I am flying.

Thank goodness for the video. Looking at that reminds me what a beautiful exciting dive it was. So, I can remember that and not the panic.