Diving the World (Footprint Activity Guide)

Well, I have to disagree about this book.I was given it as a Christmas present by my son before a diving trip to Curacao...Footprint books are normally so thorough. Well, here the pictures are great but it is not "light" on the Caribbean so much as totally non-existant!So give it the title 'Long Haul Diving Destinations' and see if that gets more stars...
For Africa the Tierneys recommend Kenya but diving professionals I know recommend Mozambique,the Quirimbas;Medjumbe and Matemo.

The best way to judge a book like this is to look at areas you do know.

eg Here are their suggestions for Fiji; they recommend only the main islands where I found the diving varied between disappointing and downright dangerous, with the diving pros putting out food to attract sharks.Not my cup of tea.The diving in the outer islands, easily reached by high speed ferry, was however absolutely superb.Can particularly recommend Metamanoa and the Yasawas.

eg2; Western Australia, a wonderful unspoiled coast (10,000 people in 3000 miles of white sand coastline) with superb diving on the worlds longest single reef, the Ningaloo. The clue is that they say 'Some diving is said to be first rate'.This suggests they didnt even try it, but I can say that Coral Bay was a first class diving resort.In the end they say they can't recommend the value in travelling such long distances to get there from overseas ( though WA is closer to Singapore (and Europe) than to Sydney).Instead ,and obviously easier to get to, they recommend the Rowley Shoals a mere 260 km boats trip from WA (yes , the small matter of a "rough 12 hour crossing" just the sort of dive boat trip we like- much better than the 5 minutes to the Nigaloo!!)Also they then suggest the Cocos Islands which mean a flight back over half way towards Java!!

So how can I trust them with areas I don't know...

So , in short, nice photos, but way short of the standards set by Footprint guides.Sorry

Have all the dive books - this one is great (1/2 people found this helpful)

Amazing that after diving all over the world for 20 years, I still look at all the dive guides. I read all the reviews for this one and after buying it, have to say that it is the perfect guide to the best diving in the world - the coral seas. Just like it says in the title. If you are looking for a guide to beautiful diving, in great countries, most of which you can get to pretty easily, buy and read this book. If you want to travel for three days to go on dives in cold, murky water, in places without the incredible coral life described in this book, good luck to you.

Diving The Worlds a must have book (1/2 people found this helpful)

If I ever win the lottery, I know what I'm going to do, I'm going to use this book as a dive planner, pack up my dive kit & never come back! On a serious note this is a FANTASTIC BOOK, I'm lucky enough to have dived some of the worlds best dive sites, of which many are covered in the excellent text of this book, not by a researcher but by somebody who has been there, got wet & done the dive & believe me that makes a difference, the descriptions are spot on. The way the book is written makes you feel like it's a friend telling you about the experience, it's personal between the author & the reader, something you don't often experience in a dive guide & it's all the better for it. Some peoples reviews have said it's missed out some locations & sites, well of course it has, so has every other world dive guide that's ever been written but if I'm going to spend my hard earned cash on a dive trip, I think it's best to start at the top & work down & to do this, this is the book you want. The other thing that is amazing about this book is the photography, it's like a one man portfolio of truly awesome photographs & why Sean Tierney is not spoken about in the same context as David Doublet I'll never know. This book is great, it's the right size, with the right text, the right photo's & the right locations. When you go away make sure you take 3 things with you, your mask, your dive computer & this book, then you won't go far wrong.
Sue

Diving the Tropics (3/4 people found this helpful)

I was disappointed in this book. The authors have done a lot of diving, but world-class dives that they haven't visited or don't like are omitted and some of their comments, notably about Nitrox diving, are very controversial. I'm an underwater photographer and a medical doctor, so I have a little experience in these areas: a book that misses out the Sudanese Red Sea and Bikini Atoll and yet claims to be a guide to tropical diving is incomplete, at best. The authors say "if you really wanted to know about the English Channel, we didn't do it. It wasn't on anyone's list"; maybe, but the Californian Channel Islands, South Africa, New Zealand, Cocos and Malpelo are cool water locations on many divers' wish-lists (and there are some who are even interested in Scapa Flow!).

What's in the book is very good, but to go Diving the World you need to look elsewere. I recommend Monty Halls' "Dive" and Jack Jackson's "Diving with Sharks" as good places to start.

A big inspiration (1/2 people found this helpful)

A friend had this and when I flicked through the contents I realised it covers all the places I want to go, so I got my own copy. It may take me years to reach all these countries but the practical detail is impressive and will help me get there one day. I love the style - very reminiscent of other Footprint guides that I used in my gap year.

Beth Tierney, Shaun Tierney

Reader Reviews:

Wrong title and not up to Footprint standards (0/0 people found this helpful)

Have all the dive books - this one is great (1/2 people found this helpful)

Diving The Worlds a must have book (1/2 people found this helpful)

Diving the Tropics (3/4 people found this helpful)

A big inspiration (1/2 people found this helpful)

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