Silver Bubbles by Peter Fergus.
Category: Thriller
Paperback: 404 pages
Language: English
ISBN: 1425966527

"I started diving the day my father re-married. I was just fifteen. My new stepbrother, Graham, was a member of the local sub-aqua club. It was a really sunny and calm day, so he and his friends decided going diving was a far better choice than hanging around at a stuffy wedding reception with gronks. Luckily, they invited me. I had no idea that the experience would change my life. I accepted the invitation and hastily wedged myself into the back of a mini van. I can clearly remember the droning big bore exhaust and the smelly fumes, as the back door didn’t close properly.

After the arduous task of carrying the gear down the long precarious cliff path, I was greeted by a calm blue sea, which embraced the rugged coastline. It smelt strangely alien, but exciting and inviting.

I was given an abrupt introduction into this new world, breathing through a demand-valve, how to use a snorkel and how to clear water from a dive mask. Everything had a strong, salty taste to it, but nothing was going to stop me now and before I knew it I was following the two older lads into the unknown.

As I nervously dipped my head below the change in the sound was the first thing I noticed, it was so different from on the surface. The loud fizzing and bubbling was almost scary but soon became insignificant as the seabed started to appear below me. It was getting colder but bearable.

This was the most exciting thing I had ever done! I hadn’t seen the sea more than half a dozen times, and now I was exploring beneath it, with big lads!"