Customer Reviews

Tropical Shipwrecks: A Vacationing Diver's Guide to the Bahamas and Caribbean

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I have read almost all of the Bergs books and those penned by Daniel Berg solo. The Bergs are well known wreck divers. The book has many really exellent photos and hits most of the highlights of Island wreck diving. It is broken down by Islands and gives a little blurb about history and conditions for each wreck. What the book lacks are, the exact locations of the wrecks and the accessability, e.g. shore dive, dive charter, 1 hr. trip or 2 hr. trip? A good photo book to get psyched up for your vacation.

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

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.

The work of this author is full of factual, grammatical and other errors. Even the names given to several species of fish are simply wrong.

Any person purchasing a book with the title; "Tropical Shipwrecks: A Vacationing Diver's Guide to the Bahamas and Caribbean," would expect to learn far more than is provided by this so-called author. Truth is, he appears to have rushed into print with a little information picked up from somebody who heard it from someone else who got the whole story from yet another person.

Instead of using this product as an opportunity to "teach" the vulnerable diver (i.e. the diver who is hungry for information) something about the subject, Mr Berg has revealed his complete lack of knowledge by simply repeating false details which may have been published elsewhere. I would suggest Mr Berg's time would have been better spent in learning something about the basic fundamentals of shipwreck research.

NM

This book had some nice photos and did include a bit of information on the wrecks and dive sites, but is definitely not a book for a serious wreck diver. For example, no information is given on the locations of the wrecks so anyone interested in seeing the wrecks is forced to find a local dive operation. Since most local dive trips cater to casual, recreational divers who normally follow the recommendations of the operator and have little input on the destination anyway one wonders about the usefulness or potential audience for this book.