Customer Reviews

An American Underwater Odyssey: 50 Dives in 50 States

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Diving in missile silos? Picking up dinosaur shark teeth out of riverbeds? Utah Hot Springs? Missouri mine tunnels?
Needless to say, the author strove to create some dive sites, but this Odyssey across the states is not only a great travelogue, it is also a great reference book should one ever travel to... let's say, Oklahoma, with a scuba tank.
Definitely one to enjoy and put on the dive book shelf.
Mike Zinsley, author of "The Rapture of the Deep."

Charles Ballinger proves that you can dive in all 50 states, and the variety is amazing! He dives a volcanic crater in Utah with 90+ degree water, and a missile silo in Texas. In between that there are plenty of lakes and quarries, but all of them provide a reason to get wet.

In some places, the pickings are slim. Plus, this was a man on a mission and a deadline. If it was a bad day to dive, then it was a bad dive. No going back for better luck. The hurried pace shows in the book. What you get are snap shots of each dive and destination. Often you long for a longer description, or more detail.

But he makes his point and does a good job of giving one a sense of the places he has visited and not just the dive itself. It should also put ideas in peoples head. If you are visiting your Aunt Judy in New Mexico, you might want to try a dive in the Blue Hole in Santa Rosa. If you find yourself in Iowa, check out Lake Okoboji! People who restrict their diving to the warm waters of the southern climes are missing out.

This book takes a fresh look at the adventure of diving, discovery, and dive travel in every American state. It's amazing how many different types of dives the author came up with! Sort of "On the Road" with a scuba tank...

Charles Ballinger's 50 Dives in 50 States is an honest description of Dive operations and dive conditions at various spots in each state. I kept wondering if he would make his goal to dive 50 states in one year with bad weather conditions, broken down boats, getting lost on the road and a multitude of mishaps. Each state held a surprise, my favorite was the missile silo. I hope he writes another dive book. I will be in line to buy it.