The Unofficial Guide to the World's Best Diving Vacations [Paperback]

Jean Pierce (Author), Brenda Fine (Author)

Book Description

Series: Unofficial Guides | Publication Date: March 29, 2001

This new and exciting guide will help both novice and experienced divers plan the underworld trip of their dreams. All types of diving environments are included, from coral reefs and kelp forests to shipwrecks, caverns, and caves. It includes exciting dives for advanced divers and also features:

• The best places to get certified and the top-rated dive centers worldwide
• Diver-friendly lodging from affordable to luxurious, plus other adventures to take while on shore

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The Series with More Than 4 Million Copies Sold! From the publishers of The Unofficial Guide^® to Walt Disney World^® "A Tourist's Best Friend!" —Chicago Sun-Times "Indispensable" —The New York Times The Top 10 Ways The Unofficial Guide^® to the World's Best Diving Vacations Can Help You Have the Perfect Trip:

1. 18 premiere worldwide diving destinations described and evaluated including the Caribbean, Hawaii, Australia and beyond
2. Over 200 fantastic dive sites, from coral reefs to shipwrecks
3. Regional profiles of each destination, including history, statistics, and advice on international travel and local customs
4. Destinations are rated for water and weather conditions, dive site conditions, and abundance of marine life
5. Dives for every experience level and inclination
6. Extensive information on protected marine parks, refuges, and reserves
7. Details on dive services and packages, including resorts that cater to divers
8. Dive shops near every dive are rated for service, equipment, and facilities
9. Local medical facilities and how to access them in emergency situations
10. Lodging, dining, and entertainment options for your time back on land

Get the unbiased truth on hundreds of hotels, restaurants, attractions, and more in The Unofficial Guide^® to the World's Best Diving Vacations—the resource that helps you save time and money, and makes your trip the best it can be. An Unofficial Guide Great trips begin at frommers.com

About the Author

Author Jean Pierce has been diving since 1985. She now works as a divemaster with her husband Kris Newman. Reeldivers, their California dive business, provides dive support to underwater film productions, such as the Warner Brothers movie Sphere. In addition to being a PADI divemaster, Pierce is Nitrox-certified with the International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers and cave-certified with the National Speleological Society/Cave Diving Section. She has written for scuba magazines like Dive Training and Sport Diver, and she authored the dive guide Diving and Snorkeling Cayman Islands. She is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers and is a recipient of a Lowell Thomas Award, a Maggie Award, and the Bahamas Discovery Award. Pierce and her husband are also avid underwater photographers, supplying much of the photography for their published work.

Contributor Brenda Fine wrote the chapter on Fiji Islands diving. Also a member of the Society of American Travel Writers, she has been diving since 1986. Her byline appears regularly in a variety of national travel publications.

Product Details

• Paperback: 506 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (March 29, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764562207
• ISBN-13: 978-0764562204
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,762,088 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Right On Information!, October 21, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Unofficial Guide to the World's Best Diving Vacations (Paperback)

I found this book to be incrediably useful. I purchased the guide book before my trip to North Carolina and found the detail about Nitrox availability, camera friendly dive boats, and dive shops to be right on the mark! I've never seen this kind of detail available in any other diving guide book.
I definatley recommend this book to any diver planning a diving vacation.
Kuddos to Jean Pierce for this great guide book!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars SUBJECTIVE VIEWS, INTERESTING CHOICES, GOOD SUGGESTIONS, September 19, 2002

By 

"earthvolunteer" (Atlanta, Ga. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Unofficial Guide to the World's Best Diving Vacations (Paperback)

A diver for just two years, I have already used this Unofficial Guide on at least three occasions. Yes, the choices presented are highly subjective (as most diving guides tend to be), but there are a wide range of locales and choices to get one started. I have begun all of my diving vacations by referring first to this guide...then researching more thoroughly on the internet. Usually, I end up using one of the dive operators and diving resorts which the book has suggested and finish the process by making reservations via the internet or by phone. If you enjoy reading more comprehensively about diving before making your decision, look elsewhere...if you are like me and prefer to glance at something more condensed or capsulized, check out "World's Best Diving Vacations."

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and Informative, July 21, 2002

By 

Patty McClellan - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Unofficial Guide to the World's Best Diving Vacations (Paperback)

This book is a must have for anyone traveling to diving/snorkeling destinations. My husband and I recently used it while traveling to Long Island Bahamas. Information on lodging, restaurants and points of interest were right on the mark. We have recommended this book to friends who found it very useful also.

Divers and non-divers alike would benefit from this guide. The author writes in an informative and interesting style, giving personal and historical information. It is enjoyable and easy to read. I pick it up for pleasure to read about places I want to travel to in the future.

This guide makes it possible to travel with confidence to completely unfamiliar places, knowing what to expect when you get there. Don't go diving without it.