A diving guide to Sardinia which begins with a description of the island, its Mediterranean setting, and its principal underwater ecosystems. Three chapters, each dealing with one section of the coastline, present a total of 31 dives, with details of marine life and, where relevant, wrecks.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
A Book for those who like "Gobbledegook",
By Ned Middleton (British professional underwater photo-journalist & author) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)
This review is from: Sardinia Diving Guide Pb (Paperback)
Even before I had finished reading the very first page, it was quite clear that either something has been lost in the translation or the Author does not understand how to use words. Two examples from the book are; "There are evident signs of the sea level pulsating against stable land where volcanic tumult ended far back in geological time." and "Although the Mediterranean Sea is substantially homogenous from the biogeographical perspective..." Not exactly what a diver expects from a "Diving Guide!"The contents page reveals a layout which includes an Introduction, 3 areas for diving (the divisions being the Eastern, Southern and Western coastlines) and, finally a Brief Guide to the Flora and Fauna. A map of Sardinia showing the location of the 30 numbered dive sites is neatly placed on the facing page to facilitate a quick cross-reference. Curiously they have reverted to the Italian spelling - "Mar di Sardegna" for this map. An overall description of the country, the people and their customs is an essential ingredient to any dive guide and this vital element of the book is sadly missing. Similarly, whilst some diving facilities are mentioned under "acknowledgements," their contact details (and those of airlines, hotels, ferries, nearest recompression facilities, electricity, etc) are all omitted. Instead, the Introduction contains information which most divers will pass straight over without bothering to read. Another example of the prevailing "Gobbledegook" is as follows; After having described (in far too technical a manner) the salinity levels and surface temperatures of the sea, the very next line commences: "At present the sea around the island contains all groups of species typical of the entire Mediterranean. Endemisms, which derive from Tetide Sea species, and Atlantic species constitute the majority." Only after you have reached for your dictionary and studied the word "Endemism" (a derivative of Endemic) will you begin to understand what the author is trying to say. Sadly he has failed completely and, in so doing, is turning the reader "off." Having given the dive sites numbers and shown these on the contents page and map, they are not used again. Also, none of the chapters are numbered - all of which makes finding a specific dive site most frustrating. As for the self-imposed divisions, the map clearly shows Dive Sites 12 and 13 midway down the eastern coast of Sardinia and 21, 22 and 23 almost on the northwest corner of the island. These particular sites, however, are included in the section headed "The Southern Coast." Each of the 3 sections commences with it's own two-page introduction and with the diving all around Sardinia being "much of a muchness" these further introductions are quite superfluous. Each site commences with a double-page artist's impression of the whole site followed by a two page description of the site. Sadly, the overall standard of artwork has noticeably declined since this range of books first appeared and, yet again, some illustrations look as though they might have been drawn by schoolchildren. One dive site comprises a flat seabed with some rocks, a rope, a piece of netting and a bottle in amongst a quantity of Pinna Shells - all at a maximum depth of 10m. In some instances - such as the shipwreck called "KT of Orosei," we are treated to four pages of narrative and photographs. Unfortunately, a study of this particular shipwreck reveals an appalling lack of knowledge of the subject and an equal lack of information. What looks to be an Armed Freighter (apparently lost in 1943), this ship is variously described as a Warship, Tanker and Landing Craft (all on the same page.) whilst her actual name and technical details are not mentioned at all and the letters "KT" are not explained. In summary, this is a book which needs to be translated from "Italian English" into "English English." It is over-technical on matters of little importance and lacking in areas where information is vital. The overall standard of photography is quite excellent (for which the book retains it's one-star rating) - but I do feel this is used to mask what is, generally speaking, a very poor product. Quite frankly, it's enough to make you throw this book into the sea and get on with your diving. NM
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