Freezing lake water was still freezing, no matter how thick the dive suit. I caught myself shivering as I peered through the gloom surrounding me, spotting Anja a few feet away where she gracefully explored the area we'd been assigned, looking more like she belonged underwater than anyone should.

Me? Yeah, no mermaid-like elegance here. I'm sure I was much more floundering fish-out-of-water. I still struggled a bit to control my fins and the work it took to turn, not to ...