I sit down at my assigned station. The crew has given us each a number and I have number six. Andrew on one side of me with number five and Hugh is on the other at station number seven. Hugh and Andrew slip their BCDs on easily, immediately starting to tug at their straps. Mine won’t unclip though, so I can’t get it on. Hugh raises his eyebrows at me but makes no move to help me out.

‘Ugh,’ I cry in frustration, after tugging at my buckle for the tenth time.

‘Here,’ Andrew says, leaning over, ‘want me to try?’

I nod.

He unclips it in one go.

‘Figures,’ I mutter.

Andrew laughs. ‘I’m sure you loosened it.’ He flashes me a smile that instantly puts me at ease.

‘Thanks.’

‘Don’t mention it.’ He smiles at me before turning his attention back to his equipment.

After I notch a weight belt around my hips to help me achieve a neutral buoyancy in the water, Miguel and I check each other’s set-up, as buddies are supposed to do. Miguel’s movements are steady and confident as he runs through the checklist. We each have enough air in our tank – about 200 PSI. Our BCDs work, inflating and deflating through a little hose with a red button, which will sink us down underwater and provide a flotation device in case we need it. We’re sitting so close that for the first time, I notice that Miguel’s eyes are flecked with gold. A lock of hair falls forward, escaping from behind his ear, and he tucks it back with a flourish before confirming that our regulators work. We take a test breath, our inhales and exhales sounding like Darth Vader. We check each other’s clips to make sure we’re safely secured into our life vests, and then we’re ready to take the plunge into the water.

‘You got this.’ Miguel smiles at me encouragingly. ‘I’ll be next to you the whole time.’

‘Thanks.’ I meet his eyes, and they are so bright and full of confidence that I glance away, wondering if he’ll see right through me and realise just how anxious I am.

We are all clustered on the front of the boat with our gear assembled. I take a sideways glance at Hugh, who is buddy-checking Vanessa, taking his time checking every buckle on her life jacket. Suddenly, I’m itching to get in the water, to beat him into the waves. Miguel is helping Derek though, so I am forced to wait on the aluminium bench and watch Hugh and Vanessa step into the ocean. I don’t even want to know how happy Hugh is that he’s beating me into the water. I swear I see a triumphant smile peek out at me from beneath his mask before he takes the plunge.

Andrew elbows me in the side. ‘How are you feeling?’ he asks me, beaming.