The sixteen competitors began the competition by jumping off the boat in the middle of the ocean with the bare essentials: two machetes, two cooking pots, two empty water containers, one frying pan, one filet knife, and one magnifying glass. They were divided into two tribes of eight: Maraamu (Tahitian for wind) wearing yellow, and Rotu (Tahitian for rain) wearing blue, and had to paddle two miles to their beaches.