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Swim fins, also of Italian make, were lying on a table. They were the shoe type, put on like a pair of slippers. Rick identified an underwater camera, complete with steering fins and outside controls, and a number of face masks with built-in snorkels. Boxes stacked on the floor carried labels that identified them as midseason suits of French make.
So I'll have to get blue equipment for me. And my snorkel is red, and that just won't do, because..." Scotty held up his hand. "Say no more. I will swap snorkels with you, because mine is blue." "I knew you would when you understood," Barby said smugly. "I don't understand, but I'll trade. Come on. Let's go to Whiteside."
This rather unsanitary-appearing trick was essential, since saliva is an excellent antifogging compound needed to help keep the glass clear underwater. Then he rinsed his mask lightly and adjusted the head straps, leaving the mask on his forehead. The snorkels used by the boys were plastic tubes curved at both ends. At one end was a mouthpiece; at the other was a cage that held a rubber ball.
Instead, they collected masks, snorkels, and flippers for a preliminary dip. They didn't use the lungs; those were to be saved for more important work than casual swimming. For this first swim, each boy selected a spear gun.
Then, heading toward the reef, they started for the surface. Scotty was slightly in the lead, and Rick kept glancing back in case one of the big fish decided to follow. But they reached the surface without incident and broke water about two hundred feet from their floats. There was no boat in sight. Replacing aqualung tubes with snorkels, they swam on the surface, faces down, alert for sharks.
"Let's tie our floats to something," Rick suggested, and Scotty nodded. Aqualung mouthpieces replaced the snorkels, and each boy tested his flow of air, checked to be sure his mask was connected to the lung by a safety line, charged his gun, and set his watch. The watches, designed especially for underwater swimming, had an outer dial that could be set to show elapsed diving time.
A dive or rough wave action floated the ball upward, closing the tube and preventing water entry. Rick and Scotty adjusted the rubber bands of their snorkels around their heads above the mask straps. Scotty was ready.
Knives, masks, snorkels, their favorite guns, fins, and lungs completed their equipment. "Shall we walk up the beach, or swim?" "Swim," Rick said promptly. "This stuff is too heavy to carry comfortably." They launched floats, placed aqualung mouthpieces on top of their masks, and swam parallel to the beach.
To anyone not aware of being tailed, he would have appeared to be with any of the other casual figures that went unhurriedly about their business in the neighborhood. If Scotty hadn't pointed him out, Rick would not have suspected that the shadow had the slightest interest in the Spindrift party. "We going to rig the aqualungs?" Scotty asked. "Let's not bother. Masks, snorkels, and fins.
By using snorkels they avoided the effort of lifting their faces out of water to breathe and conserved the air in the tanks. With effective but effortless leg strokes they moved along rapidly. As they approached the ship rib that Scotty had found they turned and swam straight out toward the reef, crossed it, then came to a halt.
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