We rumbled into the Atoll, and I eased the boat until it stood still. I looked back at Oceana, who was already standing up, ready to go.
"Y'know, that's not safe," I cautioned, walking back to where the air tanks laid securely on their sides.
"Shut up," Oceana laughed, as she crossed the deck and dragged on of the tank upright. She was wearing her typical yellow wetsuit, and I had chosen one of the Cutting Edge variety. I had gotten it as a present from Jean-Eric, for all my "hard work". Smiling, I grabbed one of my own tanks, a standard steel one with some cute bubble decal.
We went through the typical buddy checks, securing each others BCDs and weight belts. I looked out on Gatama Atoll, squinting my eyes against the harsh sun. It was truly was beautiful, with colorful fish darting around underneath the water, and rays of sunlight reflected off the water, patterning the sides of the boat with abstract designs that moved about. I could understand why this was such a popular diving spot for the locals. Even now, several boats lay in wait for their owners,who were no doubt enjoying the wonders of the coral reef beneath.
"Pretty, isn't it?" Oceana sighed, stretching out over the boat railing. "Almost makes me wish I could stay out on the boat forever."
I nodded, and stood up from the position I had been in, slouching over the metal bars that kept passengers from falling of the sides of the boat.
"Yeah," I agreed. "But we'll have to get off this thing sooner or later, I don't really feel like standing around in my weight belt all day!"
Oceana giggled, stepping back from the railing. We put together the gear we needed for the trip, performing all the checks on the tanks and regulators, and assembling them. We pulled on our fins and strapped on our goggles, which fogged up in the heat. After discussing our plans for the dive, where we would go and how long we'd stay under, I helped Oceana get her tank up on her back, and vice versa.
"Ready?" I asked, awkwardly waddling over to the side of the boat, after I had gotten the tank up on my back with a significant amount of effort. Oceana nodded, and we positioned ourselves on the side of the boat, ready to jump.
"Three… two… one!"
We jumped.
The sudden transition of air to water flashed, and a blue landscape materialized in front of me. I steadied myself and shoved my regulator in my mouth, pressing the button in the middle to clear the water out of it. I adjusted by BCD and looked around for Oceana, who was already kicking about merrily around the corals. I waved to her and signaled that I was ready, and with that we swam off.