We sit on the side of the boat checking our gear one more time. I only have 500 pounds of air left in the tank, not nearly enough. This will be our last chance to find the boat's spreader. The captain had been on his way into Newport harbor, when he somehow dropped the spreader over the side. It's down there somewhere in about 115 feet of water. My buddy and I have been tryingto locate it. This is our third and last attempt. He drops over first, then I follow dragging a 1/2 inch cable behind me. As we descend the water goes from murky green to black, completely dark. Visibility is only about a foot now and we are only at 60 feet and still descending. I can feel the current dragging us, like an underwater river. We reach the bottom, it is completely dark now. I can not see my partner, in fact I can't see anything. In my right hand I am holding on to the anchor line, in my left I have the end of the 100 feet of cable, with the snap. It's heavy and the effort to drag it along the bottom is now becoming real work. My breating is getting heavier, and the air is beginning to taste funny. We stop our progress forward, and I check my gage to the Scuba bottle, it's showing 100 psi. I can feel the air becoming harder to get from the tank. I will have to leave soon. My partner suddenly comes in sight, and reaches for the cable. We have found the spreader! I hand it over and motion that I am going up,,, pulling my hand across my throat, I signal I am out of air! We are 100 feet from the surface. I take my last breath, literally sucking on the mouth piece to draw in the air, and start to rise. I watch the bubbles rising faster than me. I concentrate on blowing out slowly , resisting the temptation to hold the precious air. My kicks are slow and deliberate, keeping my momentum up and steady, while my grip on the anchor line holds me back at an angonizing slow rate of accent. I am fully concentrating now, focused soley on staying slower than the bubbles and blowing the air out at a steady rate. My lungs seem to be getting more air from somewhere. It's the pressure relaxing on them allowing the air to expand, as I rise. The water is changing color, becoming more translucent. The temperature is getting warmer, then suddenly the water brightens up, I can see the surface! In a second, I break through and my face feels the warm sunshine! I spit out the mouthpiece and take a huge breath, then let it out in relief!! That was intense! Time to get on the boat now, I can see my partner swimming over. I watch as gulls fly by the boat. I start kicking my fins, swimming in to the ladder. This job is done.