The Taming of the Slough [Paperback]

Sheck Exley (Author), Gerald J. Murphy (Author), Michael Poucher (Author), Sandra Poucher (Author), Sandra Poucher (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2004

This is Sheck Exley's exciting story of the discovery and mapping of the beloved Peacock Springs Cave System - at that time thought to be the world's longest underwater cave.

His manuscript was incomplete when he met his untimely death in 1994 on a dive in Mexico. It has now been completed and expanded with the many new sections he had planned:

1. History of Peacock Slough including a social history plus the creation of a state park to preserve the cave and its surroundings as Exley had hoped.

2. Florida geology and biology.

3. Cave diving eqipment.

4. Peacock Re-Survey, a five year project that updated Exley's original map.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Exley is the author of "Caverns Measureless to Man". Recognized worldwide as a leader in cave diving who set the records, developed new techniques, and maintained the highest standards of excellence and safetly. He trained hundreds of other cave divers by conducting regular training classes to share his expertise and experience. Founder of Cave Diving Section of the National Speleological Society, the world's largest cave diving organization. He's the author of several cave diving training texts including "Basic Cave Diving" and "NSS Cave Diving Manual" (with India Fuller).

Product Details

• Paperback: 170 pages
• Publisher: National Speleological Society (April 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1879961199
• ISBN-13: 978-1879961197
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 7.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #413,278 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Peacock Springs, August 13, 2006

By 

Thomas J. Manning (Valdosta, Georgia United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Taming of the Slough (Paperback)

It is what it is - a detailed book about Peacock Springs and some of the other U/W caves of north Florida. It is detailed, well researched book on a specific cave system, from a scuba divers point of view. If you want to learn about this area - might be the ONLY book you can get - hence it is invaluable. Has sections on the biology of caves, geology, maps of caves, past explorers, etc.
I wish they'd spend more time on specifics of all the divers who died in these caves - just to keep the many amateur divers out of them and alive!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A true classic, May 14, 2007

By 

A. Triantopoulos (Athens, Greece) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Taming of the Slough (Paperback)

The Slough was unfinished and it is not as good as the Caves Measureless to Man as a result of this. However it is considered a classic as a standard textbook for underwater cave exploration techniques.

5.0 out of 5 stars amazing story, October 4, 2011

By 

Gregfl "Gregfl" (Florida) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Taming of the Slough (Paperback)

Sheck during his life used to frequent my local dive shop and dive with the owner quite a bit. Back when I was a cave diver he was idolized by the entire cave diving community. This book is fascinating as it chronicles the early formative years of cave diving. Too many of Shecks contemporaries died in caves. No one thought Sheck would, but he did while making a dive that seemed pointless. I am glad I gave up cave diving, but I respect immensly those of my friends who still do it. I especially respect those that provide scientific data to those who would save our fragile aquifer.