5 comments about Snorkel Kauai: guide to the beaches and snorkeling of Hawaii (2nd Edition).

1. For those who enjoyed the original Snorkel Kauai, you'll love this new enlarged full color 2nd edition. There are now dramatic beach pictures, as well as colorful detailed maps and lots of underwater photography by an award-winning photographer.
   
   Amazon will soon have Search inside the Book for this title.



2. This guide is indispensable for locating the best snorkeling sites in Kauai. The information on public parking as well as entering and exiting the water at the sites is very helpful. I just returned from a trip to Kauai, and this book was absolutely priceless in helping me choose the best snorkeling sites on the island. If you're a serious snorkeler, this is the book for you! Even if you're interested only in swimming beaches on Kauai, this book is great for getting directions to the beaches and info on public parking.



3. Excellent guide. Gets you there, shows you where to go in, when not to go in, and what to look for. I've been to Kauai snorkeling at least 5 times, and this was the best ever, thanks to this guide. Highly recommended.



4. Very fast transaction! What great pictures! The directions and locales seem clear, can't wait to use this guide!



5. Snorkel Kaua'i has all of the great things we found in the Malinowskis' Snorkel Hawai'i, especially the snorkeling tips, site maps, and the very useful "Sites at a Glance" table. The table saved us a lot of time we put to better use by being in the water. The site descriptions and "how to" hints are written in a such a way that you feel sure the authors have experienced what they're describing. This book has something that the one on the Big Island doesn't -- the delightful color landscape and creature photos by Mel Malinowski and underwater shots by Jay Torborg. Besides being a valuable resource, it's a beautiful book.

5 comments about Manual of Freediving: Underwater on a Single Breath (Freediving).

1. This book is quite large and not quite what I was hoping for. I already knew a few exercises and techniques but found some of the extra ones in this book were awkward and proved to be a waste of time.
   
   The book is quite touchy feely and doesn't excite you as you read. I don't know. You might enjoy it - I did learn some stuff from it, especially if you want to get right into the science of it all. Just didn't give me any improvement over my pre reading performance.



2. great info on breathing techniques, very academic in presentation, a real snoozer at bedtime...interesting history info, lots of drawings of dudes wearing speedos helps to explain the techniques. worth it, no matter what type of diving you're into...



3. It's so helpful for beginner also semi-advanced freedivers. Thanks for to author. But a live excercise video cd can added the book.



4. I like the book. it's very informative and has tons of helpful stuff. Might have too many BIG words, but it still gets the point accross. I would reccomend it for people who are new to diving/spearfishing.



5. This is quite possibly the most informative freediving material I have ever read. There are lots of good exercises and information you can use to improve your freedive skills.

5 comments about The Certified Diver's Handbook: The Complete Guide to Your Own Underwater Adventures.

1. If you only have one book on diving in your bookshelf the "Certified Diver's Handbook" must be a top contender.
   One of the most informative handbooks I have ever read. I no way does Clay Coleman try to overwhelm with a "I know it all" attitude. He gives sound solid advice based on experience and analysis of many years diving.
   Covers almost every aspect of recreational diving in an easy to read and easy to remember layout. A book for divers that have 5 to 500 dives in their logbooks.
   
   Simply excellent!



2. This is a fantastic book. It covers just about every thing and is easy to understand. He even attempts a little humor. Well worth the price!!!!



3. The Certified Diver's Handbook is a wonderful reivew book for all divers, new and old school. This book provides a great reference for new divers to continue improving their diving habits. It's also a good review book for divers who do not have the opportunity to dive on a regular basis.



4. the idiots who put this book together placed a segment of 35 pages in upside down and backwards.... who lets that kind of mistake pass thru quality control. there was no info on my invoice like a number to call or a place to email to complain and return the book. This book was under the description as "NEW." Very upset with Amazon lately.



5. One of the most useful, informative publications I have ever seen on the subject of scuba diving. Coleman has packed a lot of extremely useful stuff into one place. This book is mandatory for all new divers and useful for divers of all experience levels.

5 comments about The Reef Set: Reef Fish, Reef Creature and Reef Coral (3 Volumes) (Reef Set).

1. I am a Brit who has been travelling to the Caribbean to dive with a Rotary group on an annual basis for the past 5 years during which we have dived in the North, East, West and Southern areas. One of my diving colleagues brought along the Reef Set and having looked at it, I was so impressed that I decided to buy a Set for myself - a great reference work for someone who is keen to put names to the things they see underwater.



2. This is a must-have set for the SCUBA diver who is serious about knowing "exactly what is that fish/creature/coral" . And, even for the recreational diver, the books are laid out in a format to allow one's curiosity to help one to learn more about what exactly one can see while diving. Just about every live-aboard dive boat that I have been on counts this as a staple amongst its reference library. It is a nice set to have at home to review before or after diving - or even just to learn more about possibly what one MIGHT see on a future dive!



3. My husband and I are passionate divers! He takes fabulous pictures and I like to identify what he takes pictures of. I have a couple of the plastic i.d. cards of fish, but so many critters aren't on them. However, these books have everything! It's nice to go to a reef and know what everything is and what it might do to you! This set is expensive, but you'll make up the cost by not having to buy multiple I.D. books.



4. Excelent books, complete identification with pictures and full information. Delivered in Brazil on time and without any problem.



5. We have used these volumes regularly to aid in identifying what we've observed when SCUBA diving. Excellent photos and descriptions.

5 comments about Oahu Trailblazer: Where to Hike, Snorkel, Surf from Honolulu to the North Shore (Trailblazer).

1. So far these have been our favorite Hawaii guides and authors. We cranked up the volume here since we only had five days to see it all. It was a tremendously exciting adventure. Independent travelers, this is the book to use.



2. We found this to be an extremely well organized book for getting around and not feeling lost. It's a good one to read well before leaving to get an idea of what's there. Driving can be tricky and their maps inside were much needed.
   
   Places we never thought to explore delivered big payouts. Lanikai Beach for instance, was the most beautiful walk we've ever taken and famous Waikiki was wall to wall sunbathers, what we expected.
   
   This book has plenty of maps and photos, step by step driving directions and was a perfect size for carrying right along on our daily escapades. It was indispensible for our first vacation on Oahu.
   
   Our familly is looking forward to returning to Hawaii for a reunion on the island of Kauai this spring break. The Trailblazer book will be first choice.



3. It was a tremendous advantage having this Trailblazer guide along. The large walking maps of Waikiki and Honolulu were extremely helpful. Not having to drive made this a relaxing vacation since bus and trolly transportation stops were everywhere. Long beach strolls, great little restaurants, surf lessons, free entertainment and shopping were right at our fingertips. They directed us to San Souci Beach and Kapiolani Park where we grabbed a little alone time. They include the island's history, something most guides don't bother to do. There were so many great excursion listings all around the island, we were sorry we didn't have more vacation days.



4. I'm glad we brought this book with us. It's the second in the Trailblazer series that we own.
   
   It's very comprehensive and covers all the highways and offshoots, places that our friends who live there didn't even know about. Everyone knows about Waikiki, but there are better beaches to be found right in this book. The tone is positive and a splash of humor comes along with their valuable advice.
   
   We do a great deal of hiking and this one contains just about every recreational activity you can think of. It sure beats researching on the internet. Having all the info collectively right by our side made all the diff.



5. This is the one with the most adventure outings and the one that is the most accurate. We went to Oahu with another couple and this guide provided all the fun.

5 comments about The Unnatural History of the Sea.

1. This book is a very well written history of the condition and exploitation of the oceans and the fish in them. It also describes how man has consistently exploited and decimated fish stocks.
   
   It wasn't just in the last 50 years that this occurred, but goes back hundreds of years to the destruction of freshwater fishstocks in the dammed up and silted in rivers of England and Europe.
   
   The author concludes by making a persuasive case that we need to avert the "tragedy of the commons", and adopt some commensense restrictions on exploitation of the bounty of the sea. The most significant of which will be marine reserves which enable the natural bounty of the sea to recover and spill over into adjoining areas.
   
   I encourage you to read this book, it will change your view of the world we live in.



2. The problem with the oceans is that you can't see what's going on down there. Foresters can count trees, birdwatchers have "life lists", but fishery managers can only weigh a catch and guesstimate the numbers. That's the fish that are landed - those and other life caught in nets or hooks disappear uncounted and unreported. "Counting" fish has been a problem since ancient times and the sea has remained a realm of mystery right up to the present. Ironically, as Callum Roberts points out in this informative study, it's those who have harvested sea life - often in immeasurable quantities, who have helped reveal something of what goes on beneath the waves.
   
   Roberts understands the need for fishers. Sea life is a substantial form of protein, particularly when land animals are expensive or unattainable. Men have fished from shore, from coast-hugging boats and from ships drawing a wide variety of gear through the water seeking dinner for demanding thousands. Anyone casting into the nearest river or lake will describe fish as "fickle", unresponsive to the most adroitly placed lure. Ocean fishers, however, trailing extended nets or other gear have the same complaint for other reasons. Where have the fish gone? Roberts points out that human fishing of the seas has undergone three revolutions - trawl nets in the 14th Century, steam power, and deep ocean fishing in the 20th Century. Each of these revolutions was a step in finding the missing fish. Each has proven a way to exhaust the ocean's bounty in a short time. The fish have disappeared.
   
   As he tours through time and place, the author portrays the greed and unreflecting view of fishers, government and even science. There's a great irony in this story in the person of Thomas Henry Huxley, Darwin's champion in expanding recognition of the theory of natural selection. Huxley, in a British government enquiry into how "beam trawls" affected fishing, firmly declared that stirring up the bottom with weighted nets actually brought up nutrients for the fish. Their numbers would increase from the practice, not diminish! Such was the state of knowledge of the seas only a century and a half past. Knowledge has improved but little in the ensuing time period, and what has been learned has been even more detrimental to the fish. Powerful ships, huge, heavy nets and sonar have given fishers valuable tools in locating shoals. Yet, the number of fish available is clearly diminishing. Why is that?
   
   The chief reason is failure to understand the ecology of the seas. Counting catch methods tend to focus on single, usually prime species. The effect of removing large numbers of these is too poorly known. It has long been assumed that removing the larger individuals allows more opportunity for the younger fish to feed and breed. Is that a valid belief? In Canada, over a decade after a "moratorium" on cod fishing, the stocks have not recovered. One reason seems to be that older fish, knowing the spawning sites for their group - and each site apparently has its own group - aren't there to show the youngsters the way. Other fisheries have depleted the cod's prey species, keeping the existing fish small and resource deprived. Similar circumstances occur in other locations. The dredging of sea bottoms has turned food chain foundations into oceanic deserts. This seems particularly true around seamounts, which Roberts terms "refuelling stops" for large predator species such as tuna. In effect, present fishing methods are eliminating parts of the food chain - from bottom-feeders to the very top - which includes this reviewer and his readers, you. Modern fishing techniques also produce immense amount of "bycatch", undesired species, along with other animals such as turtles and sea birds such as the albatross. Are there solutions to prevent the elimination of many forms of ocean life and restore those links in the food chain?
   
   Roberts' last three chapters deserve the closest study by fishers, international agencies and everybody who eats fish. The numbers he presents are appalling: three-tenths of one per cent of fish stocks estimated for only a couple of centuries ago. Species counts list one "collapse" after another, and bottom trawling has decimated huge areas. There is, however, a cure in the offing. Diving in various areas, the author has seen what can be accomplished by ocean reserves. Originally founded in some cases by researchers experimenting in selected sites, these areas were banned for fishing, in some cases actually fenced off to intruders. The rebounding of stocks, plus the time granted them to grow to substantial size, shows how effective the reserve can be. Projecting from some suggested proposals, Roberts concludes that ocean reserves be established over 30% or more of the seas. That preserved area, in collaboration with seven proposals for new fisheries management could lead to a fully sustainable recovery of fish stocks. It's a formula that requires immediate attention and implementation. Is your government strong enough to assist in this seas-saving project? [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]



3. This review refers to the paperback version, 2007, Gaia thinking.
   
   The author builds a very extensive window on the condition of all marine life over the past 1000 years. His research is based on ancient texts, skipper logbooks, diaries of explorers and in more recent times more comprehensive fishery data and scientific articles. The book is full with citations from all these sources which give the reader a close look on the experiences of those who where amazed by the marine life.
   
   The bounty he describes in the seas from the past are at times hard to imagine. Sturgeons as big as cows in European rivers, fish shoals who push the river water upwards, uncountable numbers of whales in their breeding bay in California. Although it is clear that the author is passionate about marine life, he presents the facts without bias and the book has an extensive reference list at the end.
   
   The book focusses on the central theme of over-fishing and its detrimental impact on the state of all marine life. As the book advances (into time) fishing effort increases and marine life gradually deteriorates. Reading chapter after chapter makes you sad, helpless and angry to see in what dire state we pushed all the seas of the world.
   
   However, the book ends with three fairly brief chapters to restore the balance. The changes in fishery management that the author proposes are quiet surprising but on the same time elegant and more reasonable to achieve compared to current practices. The final chapter is a documented call for extensive world marine reserves. The abundance he describes in some present day reserves is fuelling hope for better times.
   
   If you love the sea, if you love fish or fishing, please read this book.
   
   Only minor point is fairly few pictures in the book, although the old photographs with huge fish caught make up for most of it.
   
   Read it, be shocked and spread the word, so we can fix what was broken.



4. Too good. Eye opening. Easy to read. It will be kept in my library for references. I learned so much about our oceans and mankind.



5. This is a MUST READ if you are interested in the ocean environment. This book is staggeringly comprehensive in its coverage of the many centuries of fishing as they developed and how they resulted in the ocean destruction that exists today.
   
   Unfortunately it was, to me, so verrrryyyy dry that I really had to work hard to finish. If you like endless excerpts from the old salts journals (with old language styles and the accompanying mispellings), you may have a more favorable reaction.
   
   The facts and statistics of over-fishing will blow you away! It should serve as a clarion call for us to get busy and take measures to focus some attention on this critical ocean world.

4 comments about Dive Atlas of the World: An Illustrated Reference to the Best Sites.

1. Coffee table book. Nicely illustrated and informative listing and overview of dive sites of the world. Lots of vacation ideas, including some I wasn't aware of before.
   Good motivation for new divers as well.
   
   Then, once you're inspired to take your next dive vacation, consult one of the travel guides:
   
   Aqua Quest Diving series
   Globetrotter Dive guides
   Lonely Planet Pisces Diving & Snorkeling Guides
   Periplus Action Guides (Asia/Pacific)



2. This is a really big coffee table size book that is stocked with information about dive sites throughout the world, Some parts of the world (Asia) are given more space than others (Carribbean), but overall, it touches all the bases. I like the way it took individual divesites and broke down the dives with temps, currents, difficultly status, and photos. The maps of the areas profiled is worth the price of the book alone (which is reasonably priced.) If you get one book to get an overview of what's out there, this is agood place to start.



3. Definitely not enough coverage of the Caribbean and Atlantic sites. This book should be named the Pacific and Indian Ocean Dive Atlas. It is a quality written book however that covers the included sites thoroughly. Would recommend it but not for Caribbean reference!



4. This was purchased as a gift for my husband. It was delivered in a very timely manner (the day before I needed it, which was fabulous!!) I haven't really spent much time reading it, but the pictures are amazing!

5 comments about Diver Down.

1. If you have logged only a handful of dives or enough to fill a log book, this book is a must read. Learning from other peoples' mistakes could quite possibly save your life, and this book is full of practical, experiential knowledge that will most certainly help you to become a better diver; more aware of the risks involved and how to avoid them. It's also a good intro for those who might be interested in learning to dive, although it quite possibly might scare folks away from the sport. Probably won't be letting my wife read it either.



2. One of the best diving books I have read. Makes you re-think how you dive.



3. I think among divers it is generally known, that the majority of dive accidents could easily have been prevented with better planning or better reactions to occuring problems.
   Newer divers, and even some experienced ones, however lack certain experiences, that make dives safe while still being enjoyable.
   This book gets you thinking...
   I myself came away from reading it with one or two things that I will do differently in the future...
   I can recommend this book to any diver.



4. Diver Down is an easy to read book that appeals to all divers, expert or novice. The book focuses on mistakes made by divers at all experience, levels which in some cases cost them their lives. Reading this book will enable you to learn valuable lessons without making the same mistakes these unfortunate divers made.



5. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. As someone looking to get recertified in scuba, I learned a great deal on how NOT to be a statistic.

5 comments about Reef Fish Identification - Tropical Pacific.

1. I used this guide while diving in Western Pacific Islands and it was extremely helpful - species easy to pinpoint in the groupings provided and the excellent ID photos made correct species identification very easy. I will strive to buy all the rest of their publications.



2. Easy to use and identify your photographs, particularly for an experienced diver used to identifying many types of fishes



3. This is a very ambitious work - the number of Indo-Pacific fish species illustrated is simply staggering, often showing regional variations and juvenile forms. On the other side, image quality and reproduction are often disappointing, and the minimal texts limit its scope somewhat. It will make an unbeatable identification and learning combo when paired with the equally interesting but infinitely better illustrated A Diver's Guide to Reef Life and A Diver's Guide to Underwater Malaysia Macrolife by Andrea and Antonella Ferrari - both featuring excellent written texts, exquisite color photographs and - in the case of the latter - hundreds of entries for cephalopods, crustaceans, nudibranchs and various other invertebrates. With these three field guides in your library almost no Indo-Pacific fish or critter will be able to escape identification!



4. i have yet to find a fish book that has it all. but from all the fish id book i own this is the most comprehensive one. although there are a few fish found in hawaii thats not in the book.



5. My wife and I are avid divers and this Reef Fish ID book is good. However, it is not quite the quality of Paul Humann's other reef guides.
   On the plus side, there aree hundreds of photos. On the minus side, the photos are rather small.
   
   Additionally, the booklet does a decent job of describing the fish but provides little information about fish behavior.

5 comments about Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II.

1. This is an excellent book. I love John Chatterton and Richie Kohler and have watched all their Deep Sea Detectives shows. This book not only was telling the story of the lost U Boat, it delves into the lives and feelings of John and Richie and their friends. I also purchased Hitler's Lost U Boat on DVD at the same time. Good documentary tying in with book, in fact plan on getting both.



2. Lots of history and excitement! Amazing true story. You will not be disappointed with this book.



3. Short on air, I'll be brief. I took this book to Blackbird Caye Resort, Belize, on a SCUBA vacation. Once started, it hooked me in, to the point I only put it down for meals and to prep for my next dive. There are 248 other reviews to inform you of the story content. Let me just add, if you buy this book, read this book, and don't like this book, you have my permission to flame this review and spit in my dive mask.



4. Yes they identified the U-Who. But they so embellished the rest of the story that another author needed to come out and expose it.



5. This is a wonderfully written tale that not only brings you face to face with deep sea diving and exploration and the dangers that go with it but also the perils faced by WW2 submariners.
   
   If you like a good adventure then give Shadow Divers a read, after a few pages you won't be able to put it down until you finally know who U-Who really is.