Summer Reads for Scuba Divers
These beach reads are equally perfect for surface intervals and getaway prep.
Armchair Adventure
Keep the underwater thrills rolling during your surface interval.
From left: Little, Brown and Co.; Pegasus BooksTake a vicarious escapade with either of these real-world tales.
In Oceans Deep: Courage, Innovation, and Adventure Beneath the Waves
Author Bill Streever
Price $17.99 USD
Release Date July 2, 2019
A former sat diver himself, Streever traces humanity’s underwater presence from its inception to today, examining developments such as submarines, saturation diving and recreational gear. Along the way, he grapples with the impact of remote operated vehicles and underwater cameras on in-person exploration. In today’s high-tech world, what role do divers have in oceanic exploration?
Expedition Deep Ocean: The First Descent to the Bottom of All Five of the World’s Oceans
Author Josh Young
Price $27.95 USD
Release Date December 1, 2020
Victor Vescovo became the first person to visit the five deepest points of every ocean in 2019, revolutionizing our relationship with the ocean’s hadal zone at 6,000 to 11,000 meters deep. Expedition Deep Ocean reveals the painfully intricate political and technical tightrope required to pull it all off—and the exciting discoveries made along the way.
Fiction
Wonder doesn’t stop at the shore when you’re immersed in a good book.
From left: Swimpruf; Gallery / Saga PressThe ocean's depths conjure new worlds in these fiction reads.
Depth Charge
Author Jason Heaton
Price $14.99 USD
Release Date April 24, 2021
Underwater archaeologist Julian “Tusker” Tusk becomes ensnared in a scheme simmering since World War II when, while working in Sri Lanka, an old friend is killed in a research boat fire. In a tale set squarely in the world of technical diving, Tusker faces classic villains and orchestrates narrow escapes—all revolving around a long-lost wreck that harbors a shocking secret.
The Deep
Authors Rivers Solomon with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes
Price $14.99 USD
Release Date November 5, 2019
Yetu is the historian of the wajinru, a mermaidlike race born from pregnant Africans thrown overboard slave ships. Alone she is charged with preserving the collective memory of her people. But her task overwhelms her, just as surface-dwelling two-legs disturb wajinru existence in their search for oil, and she rebels against her responsibilities. The story is rooted in the modern mythology of underwater people descended from drowned slaves created by Drexciya, a ’90s techno group. In 2017, Chicago Public Radio program This American Life hired clipping., an experimental rap group fronted by Hamilton star Daveed Diggs, to write a full song about the society, which in turn inspired Solomon’s fantasy novella.
In the Field
Get more out of your dives with these hands-on guides.
From left: Reef Smart; Mutual PublishingNavigate the wrecks of Nortwest Florida and the nighttime animals of Hawai'i like a pro.
Reef Smart Guides: Northwest Florida
Authors Ian Popple and Peter McDougall
Price $34.99 USD
Release Date May 25, 2021
Reef Smart’s third Florida guide covers 127 sites across six counties in the Panhandle, with 60 described in detail. Nearly 50 original 3D maps highlight points of interest, compass bearings and some suggested routes. Bookending these site briefings are operator contact information and more than 30 pages of local species identifications.
A Field Guide to Blackwater Diving in Hawai'i
Author Jeff Milisen
Price $19.95 USD
Release Date October 15, 2020
Featuring original photographs of more than 250 animals, this guide provides a research overview and observations on everything from miniscule baby squids to 40-foot jellyfish. The first half details jellies, ctenophores, crustaceans, worms and mollusks. The rest is devoted to adult and larval fishes.
