Honor Code Anonymous

“A man who trusts nobody is apt to be the kind of man nobody trusts.” - Harold MacMillan

Scuba diving is a special activity - physically demanding yet acutely spiritual. It has its own code of honour that all divers must comply with. It is an incredibly risky sport - in the scuba world not much is your on your sideexcept for your oxygen regulator and mask. There are many things that can go wrong, and hence the diving code. This is how it works: The dive instructor leads the group, closely followed by the dive group leader and then the rest of the dive group.

The dive group leader is usually an acutely aware diver and is supposed to keep an eye out for the rest of the group. After a few tryouts, I was elected dive group leader. Once, we were diving in the turquoise waters at Pirates Bay, a dive spot renowned for its abundant and magnificent marine life. The dive plan was as follows: We were to fin down into the shallows of the coral structure and swim through it to the other side, and then spend the next twenty minutes exploring the reef. As group leader, I performed the usual safety checks to ensure that therewere no oxygen leakages underwater, and we set off without any hiccups.

Our dive instructor started finning downwards. I...