Customer Reviews

Shipwreck Diving, A Complete Diver's Handbook to Mastering the Skills of Wreck Diving

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

 

 

This book is a long way from what its title leads you to believe. Sure its a great book for new divers but I've been diving for ~15 years in a recreational capacity and spent lots of the time diving wrecks all over. I've recently wanted to learn more technical diving and real penetration skills. I thought this book would describe "in detail" the gear needed and the proper configuration. Its an overview book to be sure and was written in 1991 so the material is definately dated when it comes to equipment. If your new to wreck diving.. good book. If you looking for preparation prior to a technical wreck class.... save your money.

I was very disappointed with this book. Most of it deals with how to strip and preserve wreck artifacts, rather than how to safely dive wrecks. If stripping portholes from wrecks is your bag, this is the book for you.

In recent weeks I have become most concerned about 2 books by Capt. Dan Berg because the content simply does not match their titles.

This is my review of the second of those books and I repeat; I have been an active diver for well over 30 years and am regarded as something of a shipwreck authority within the UK. In short, I study and then write about shipwrecks for a living. I do not, however, claim to know anything about any shipwreck - anywhere in the world, which I have not studied in great detail. Sadly, the modern shipwreck diver is being openly ripped off by so-called authors who get into print without checking every single fact before so doing.

That said, the diver can still enjoy a great shipwreck even if the guidebook does have the tonnage, names, year lost and other details recorded incorrectly. What cannot be allowed to pass without comment is for a book to describe itself - in it's own title, as being "A Complete Diver's Handbook to Mastering the Skills of Wreck Diving," when it is not.

My big fear is that those who are new to wreck diving will finish this book believing there's simply nothing to it - because this book suggests there is nothing to be learned. It does not even begin to cover the complexities involved with wreck diving.

Wreck diving is an incredible aspect of scuba diving. It is exciting, enthralling, compelling. It can also be very, very dangerous. This is especially so when the diver is deep within the wreck and cannot simply "surface" because he (or she) has encountered a problem. But every diver who ever wanted to see a ship's engine room must go deep inside - because that is where they are found.

Clearly this so-called author would be better employed on the beach cleaning whatever artefacts have been retrieved by those who know about their wreck diving. Truth is, the content is so far removed from the title of this book - I can only suggest any disappointed reader asks for a refund.

NM

Novice divers will appreciate the no nonsense approach and clear explainations, while more advanced divers will benefit from its thorough approach. Daniel Berg covers all the bases, including gear, navigation, even salvage law. All in an easy to understand format that always empahasizes safety. A great resource for any diver.

A Good book, details, helpful in gear selection and configuration,covers (like others) from dive planning to getting out of the water, good hints and tips, it's in my shelf.

This was an informative book that I will probably consult again when it comes to preserving artifacts. I expected more on the subject of how to safely wreck dive but instead found more on the subject of what to expect from wreckdiving. I still found the text readable and will use it to select gear and preserve artifacts but would not recommend it as a guide to wreckdiving. Good book which contains valuable information, just not the info I was looking for.

The author, Dan Berg, has also been the operator owner and Captain of the local dive boat 'Wreck Valley'. He has lots of experience in potentially dangerous wreck diving and shares his techniques here.
P.S. The Wreck Valley is a great dive boat