Underwater (sub-aqua) swimming Books

Book SynopsisSituated on the south side of the Firth of Forth, the port of Leith, Edinburgh, is a major harbour for warships and cruise liners. Over hundreds of years it has been a trading port and a military dockyard. With Rosyth Dockyard situated further west, this busy waterway has two historically-important destinations for vessels and over time, many vessels were sunk during storms, failed to avoid collisions or were wartime victims of U-boats or aircraft. From Leith Docks the river widens forming a huge estuary filled with volcanic islands and submerged pinnacles that are blasted by fierce tidal streams, providing an opportunity for some fantastic scenic diving. This is also the final resting place of hundreds of shipwrecks, many of which are of especial historical importance. For the diver there is so much to explore in these new and exciting deeper wrecks that have the added attraction of being little known. These wrecks include an aircraft carrier, a German light cruiser that saw action at the Battle of Jutland, aircraft and even steam-powered submarines are all there waiting to be dived. Unlike the well-documented and dived River Clyde wrecks on the west coast, or those in the English Channel, these in the Firth of Forth are rarely mentioned - although many lie within a 20-mile radius of Edinburgh. The author has dived all the 100 sites and wrecks in the book and as a professional underwater photographer has provided truly atmospheric images that capture the special identity of these East coast wrecks and reefs. As well as his detailed knowledge of the sites, the author has also given his recommendations for dive sites, including their GPS positions, safety, and skill level required. Practical information such as dive centres, dive boats, accommodation and onshore activities is also included. This guide will help divers select the best dives to suit local weather conditions and to find the best scenic sites. It includes all the new and exciting dive sites recently found in areas such as Burntisland, North Berwick, Dunbar, St. Abbs and Eyemouth and information on how best to dive them - an absolute must for divers visiting this area!Trade Review'The author has dived all the 100 sites and wrecks, and as a professional underwater photographer has provided truly atmospheric images of these wrecks and reefs. ... Clearly, this book is an absolute "must" for divers visiting the area.' The Nautical Magazine 'The book covers a hundered dives and full of historic details, including newly-found important shipwrecks with photographs and maps and GPS co-ordinates.' Tanked Up Click on the following to see some great reviews! Finstrokes, Edinburgh Evening News, YD Scuba Community, Conger Alley Scottish Scuba Forum. '...stunning photographs of wrecks he's uncountered there, in a fascinating book which reveals a seabed in rich colour.' Edinburgh Evening News 'This is a well-written and useful addition to the UK dive-guide canon.' Diver.net '...provide the reader with a potted history of some very interesting wrecks. They also provide a useful and informative tourist guide to the area.' Ausmarine

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Book SynopsisIn Deeper into the Darkness Rod takes the reader diving to explore many more famous wrecks around the UK from the Great War. These include HMS Pathfinder and HMS Audacious - the first British battleship to be lost to enemy action in WWI. The wreck of HMS Hampshire on which Lord Kitchener perished on a secret mission to Russia in 1916 is visited along with HMS Vanguard, which blew up at anchor in 1917 in Scapa Flow. The K-class submarines lost in the Firth of Forth during the Battle of May Island in 1918 are dived, along with UB-116, the last German submarine to be sunk in action in October 1918. Rod then leaps forward in time to the Pacific during WWII and visits the American shipwrecks from the Battle of Guadalcanal, along with daring penetrations into the stunning Japanese wrecks lying at the bottom of the Truk and Palau Lagoons. The development of technical diving is brought up to the present day where closed circuit rebreathers utilising mixed breathing gases allow Rod to go deeper into the depths in search of lost shipwrecks. The wreck of the SS Creemuir, torpedoed and sunk off north-east Scotland in 1940, was first dived by Rod in 2012. This exploration reveals the human side of shipwrecks when Rod's team recover the Creemuir's bell and present it to the sole surviving crewman, Royal Navy Radio Officer Noel Blacklock. The latest developments in shipwreck exploration taking place at Scapa Flow are recounted before the book concludes with the scandalous desecration of the naval war graves of many nations at Jutland, the South China Sea and the Java Sea.Trade Review`This book is a must of any divers and wreck explorers and I would highly recommend it to such readers’. Shipping Today & Yesterday -------------------- `The Darkness Below and Deeper into the Darkness complete the trilogy and together take the reader on a spell-binding journey beneath the waves'. Julian Stockwin -------------------- `...these two books [Into the Abyss and Deeper into the Darkness] are very valuable records slowly disintegrating over the years and may soon be gone forever'. In Depth

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Book SynopsisThe popular image of sharks is of a dorsal fin cleaving the surface as it rushes to its next kill, but this is a limited caricature. There are over 500 species to choose from, most of whom are far more frightened of humans than vice versa. In this beautiful book, diving veteran John Bantin recounts many tales of his diving with several species of sharks and other marine animals over the last 4 decades. Accompanied by his own stunning photography, the captivating, spectacular and sometimes shocking encounters show the reader what it is like to get up close and personal to these bizarre and beautiful creatures. The sharks covered range from the great whale sharks to the small blacktip reef shark, in locations extending to all corners of the globe.Trade Review“John’s memory for detail is impressive, and he brings many a scene to life with subtle flashes of colour that many writers in this genre are not capable of summoning. I’d recommend Shark Bytes to anyone with an interest in sharks and diving.” (Scuba Magazine) “Along with his “wow” close-up photographs on nearly every page, Bantin describes his encounters with many sharks”. (Undercurrent Magazine) “Shark Bytes is a wonderful collection of first-hand encounters with sharks by diving verteran John Bantin, accompanied by his compelling imagery”. (Dive Magazine) “Accompanied by compelling imagery, this beautifully written book draws you deep into his underwater world: shocking, inspiring and certainly exciting adventures come to life as the words surround your imagination… Overall, Bantin knows how to tell a story, his thoughts organized, his descriptions detailed, and both a fantastic sense of humour and compassion carries his narrative. Shark Bytes takes the reader on a magical journey to discover the wonderous diversity of the underwater world. This is a must have book!” (Scuba & H2O Adventures Magazine, March 2019)Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1: The Great Hammerhead; 2: Early Experiences in the Bahamas; 3: Whitetip Reef Sharks; 4: The French Connection; 5: Grey Reef Sharks of the Indo-Pacific; 6: Beveridge Reef; 7: Hammerhead Madness; 8: Dirty Rock, Cocos Island; 9: Nurses and Leopards; 10: The Oceanic Whitetip; 11: Photographing Oceanic Whitetips; 12: Bottlenose Dolphin; 13: Silky Sharks and Dolphins; 14: Whale Sharks; 15: Tagging Whale Sharks; 16: Whale Sharks and the Thruster; 17: Safari or Circus?; 18: Bull Sharks; 19: Tiger, Tiger; 20: The Tasselled Wobbegong; 21: Shark Diving in the Golden Triangle; 22: The Sha’ab Rumi Shark Club; 23: Panic at Gordon Rocks; 24: Australian Rules; 25: A Dive on the Wild Side; 26: Maldives After Dark; 27: Manta Mania; 28: Dugongs: Mermaids of Years Gone By; 29: British Sharks; 30: What Eats Sharks?; 31: Shark Feeding: Right or Wrong?; 32: Is the Only Good Shark a Dead Shark?; Tailpiece: Sharks Keep Messing With My Wallet

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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