The boat eases away from the harbor and the Atlantic opens up—cool blue that invites closer inspection. On your first shallow descent you get acquainted with weight, breath and the way light fractures through the water at six meters. Sea grasses and black volcanic outcrops slide by; small fish inspect you the way tourists inspect shorelines. After a surface snack and a quick gear check, the second dive pushes to 10–12 meters, where rock ledges and crevices hold octopus, moray eels and inquisitive schools of wrasse.