"The Last Dive"...anyone else read it?

[Curly]

Read "The Last Dive" about a year+ ago, and more recently read "Deep Descent" -- which is another really good diving book. Also, it's better written, and deals with a broader time frame. The history of Doria dives was quite interesting -- as were the numerous characters who made diving the wreck their quest over the years. Highly recommended.

I've heard a lot of good things about Tim Ecott s "Neutral Buoyancy: Adventures in a Liquid World"

Also -- Another book which I've been eager to read is "The Rapture of the Deep: And Other Dive Stories You Probably Shouldn't Know" by Michael G. Zinsley.

Neutral Buoyancy got some good reviews, and the excerpts I've seen are great.


gfe

 

[TigerShark]

I happened to be reading this book,and still in the process ..............i must say i start to think alot more after i started reading this book,not just abt seeing corals and fishes,but also more as in the importance of improving myself and learning more in diving skills.

Not just for myself, but for my buddy as well........

Its a great book !!!

 

[O-ring]

Curly once bubbled...
Read "The Last Dive" about a year+ ago, and more recently read "Deep Descent" -- which is another really good diving book. Also, it's better written, and deals with a broader time frame. The history of Doria dives was quite interesting -- as were the numerous characters who made diving the wreck their quest over the years. Highly recommended.

I've heard a lot of good things about Tim Ecott s "Neutral Buoyancy: Adventures in a Liquid World"

Also -- Another book which I've been eager to read is "The Rapture of the Deep: And Other Dive Stories You Probably Shouldn't Know" by Michael G. Zinsley.

Neutral Buoyancy got some good reviews, and the excerpts I've seen are great.


gfe

I have read all those and here is what I thought...

*Last Dive - great book

*Deep Descent - good book

*Rapture of the Deep - good book

*Neutral Buoyancy - still reading it and have been for 2 months...it is dragging like a crappy instructor's octo right now and I hope it picks up (I am on page 202). I heard a lot of good things about it too, but for some reason I am not enthralled like I was with the other 3.

 

[TCDiver1]

I liked the Last dive, good read. My jaw hit the floor several times over some of the things the Rouses chose to do but ego wins over brains in a lot of situations.

Another good read, "In Harms Way" by Doug Stanton. It's the story of the USS Indianapolis sinking. It's not about diving but the story is amazing. What the survivors went through is unimaginable!

 

[Scubadawg]

I have been diving for about three years and finally deceided to buy this book, ( THE LAST DIVE ) I'm not one for reading..but all i can say is i read it in three days , fought like hell to put it down, i would get up in the middle of the night just to read some more to find out what was next. lucky for me i found it at a factory outlet bookstore NEW for $4.99, im looking into buying some other good reads as well..

Caverns mesureless to man (Sheck Exley)
Neutral Buoyancy
Deep Descent
DIRF
Down Time, and a list of others that have been brought to my attention

Scubaddawg

 

[ColdH20diving]

I read the book last year, it was hard to put it down once I got started.

 

[mddolson]

I also read the book last year.
Same thing, once started I couldn't put it down. I read way too late into the wee hours of the night some evenings.

Comments:
1) It is an excellent history of modern deep diving.
2)Shows good contrast and similarities between cave and wreck diving.

given the deco accidents that occured to the author,the victums and others in the book I have 3 rules.

1) never separate yourself from your deco gas.
2) never dive deep on air
3) never do it without proper training

MikeD

 

[Quest]

I thought "Last Dive" was an excellent book.

The only thing i didnt like about the book was all the emphasis on bickering between chris and chrissy.

Sure it might have been how the two characters were and i toilerated it the first time reading it. But, now 2yrs later i am trying to read it a second time and i just cant stand all the bickering it just annoys the hell out of me.

 

[tinman]

O-ring once bubbled...

I have read all those and here is what I thought...

*Last Dive - great book

*Deep Descent - good book

*Rapture of the Deep - good book

*Neutral Buoyancy - still reading it and have been for 2 months...it is dragging like a crappy instructor's octo right now and I hope it picks up (I am on page 202). I heard a lot of good things about it too, but for some reason I am not enthralled like I was with the other 3.

...I would happily trade my once read copy of Neutral Buoyancy to anyone for a copy of Deep Descent or Rapture of the Deep...

Last year as I read Last Dive, it reminded me of how careful a driver I became after watching a serious car accident unfold in front of my eyes in '77. Although the Bickering episodes were overdone, the author's story is a compelling one that I will re-read to remind me to watch out for Divers with Depth or Treasure fixations - deadly combinations in whatever waters you dive...

 

[raybo]

Quest once bubbled...
I thought "Last Dive" was an excellent book.

The only thing i didnt like about the book was all the emphasis on bickering between chris and chrissy.

Sure it might have been how the two characters were and i toilerated it the first time reading it...

I don't know if it was intentional (but given Bernie's account of his own psychological intropsection of why he took the risks he did, I would think it was to a certain extent) but I got the impression that the focus on the bickering was what contributed to their demise. That combined with the complacency that comes all too easy when you do anyting a long time in a comfortable familiar ritualistic manner.


It was worth reading if for no other reason than to bring to the forefront just how potentially dangerous this passion we all participate in can be.