I came <this close> to drowning more times than I can count.

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It's those last 10 feet to the surface that always get me.

One time we had just finished a funzie dive and were getting ready to head back to shore, but the anchor of the boat was lodged in the coral below and wouldn't budge.

A few tugs from the motor and it still wouldn't free up, and not wanting to snap the anchor line, I volunteered to swim down and see if I could free it up.

We were only in about 40 or 50 feet of water, so I figured it would be a quick bounce down there, but when I got down there it was really wedged in good.

I positioned myself so I was standing over the anchor, gripping the shaft of the anchor with my arms and using my legs to push off the ground.

It still wasn't budging and in that moment I seriously considered returning to the surface, but I didn't want to see the look of disappointment on the faces of the guys in the boat, so I gave it another shot.

It took every bit of strength that I had (and most of the stored oxygen in my lungs) but I was finally able to pull the anchor loose and bolt for the surface.

Oh yeah...I forgot to add that I was doing this WITHOUT fins...because...well, why not?

Anyway...I get to where I think I see the surface above me and I'm thinking "phew, because I'm completely out of air", but as I get a few more feet up in the water column I realize it was just a mirage and the actual surface was another 10' or so.

I don't remember anything after that except being pulled into the boat.

Good times.
 
It's those last 10 feet to the surface that always get me.

One time we had just finished a funzie dive and were getting ready to head back to shore, but the anchor of the boat was lodged in the coral below and wouldn't budge.

A few tugs from the motor and it still wouldn't free up, and not wanting to snap the anchor line, I volunteered to swim down and see if I could free it up.

We were only in about 40 or 50 feet of water, so I figured it would be a quick bounce down there, but when I got down there it was really wedged in good.

I positioned myself so I was standing over the anchor, gripping the shaft of the anchor with my arms and using my legs to push off the ground.

It still wasn't budging and in that moment I seriously considered returning to the surface, but I didn't want to see the look of disappointment on the faces of the guys in the boat, so I gave it another shot.

It took every bit of strength that I had (and most of the stored oxygen in my lungs) but I was finally able to pull the anchor loose and bolt for the surface.

Oh yeah...I forgot to add that I was doing this WITHOUT fins...because...well, why not?

Anyway...I get to where I think I see the surface above me and I'm thinking "phew, because I'm completely out of air", but as I get a few more feet up in the water column I realize it was just a mirage and the actual surface was another 10' or so.

I don't remember anything after that except being pulled into the boat.

Good times.
Sometimes we do stupid things. Sometimes we get away with it. You are lucky.
 
My day job was disarming underwater mines wearing a rebreather.

I've been lucky more than once.
I'm old. You are bold. Rarely do you find both.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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