Tables Turned: First I Pushed Them, Then They Pushed Me

All I had to do was lower myself into the choppy water with a 16-pound weight belt around my waist. And a snorkel and mask on. At which point my instructor would help me put on my Buoyancy Control Device and tank of air. A plan designed to make this first scuba experience easier for me, so I wouldn’t freak out.

I jumped in. The first thing that happened was the little ring that attaches the snorkel to the mask broke and I lost my snorkel. The second thing was that my weight belt slipped off....