Carrie Miller

I love scuba diving. I really, really love scuba diving. If I didn't have to breathe air, I would never come up from under the water. It feels like my place under there. And I'm not picky at all, loving every underwater experience I've had, well, aside from the busting my eardrum one. So when I saw that this book was available, I jumped at it. National Geographic produces gorgeous books and 100 Dives of a Lifetime is no exception. My first thought as I read through this book was, absolutely! Sign me up for every one of these dives. And I meant it, at least until they got to the Cooper River dive that has no visibility and the possibility of alligators. Yikes! On further reflection, I'd probably also skip the dives that require extra weights to get to the bottom fast because of the sheer number of sharks (and I'd only skip those because of my ear pressure equalization problems, not because of the sharks). And I don't know that I'd be all that jazzed to dive in a flooded missile silo. But the rest? Yes, please. Take me there (after I get a few advanced certifications)!

The book is divided into sections based on the difficulty of the dives. There are beginner, intermediate, and advanced dives as well as all skills locations and valuable information in the back of the book not only on scuba resources but on the importance of divers taking the lead in ocean conservation as well. Each of the 100 dive locations listed here is described briefly. All entries have a helpful list of the wildlife divers can expect to see at each location and the statistics on the water (average temperature, visibility, etc.). Many of them also have helpful travel tips and share when during the year the diving is best at each spot or when specific species are in the area. The photographs accompanying the text are stunning, as you'd expect of National Geographic. They range from gorgeous ocean life to aerial shots of the islands and reefs. If you are a diver, this book will add to the list of places you want to explore for sure. My husband and my bank account may not be pleased I have this to consult and to dream over but I am glad I can revisit the pages, at least until I can dive the actual sites.… (més)