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Book Review of Sports Illustrated Skin Diving and Snorkeling (Living World Books)

Sports Illustrated Skin Diving and Snorkeling (Living World Books)
reviewed on


The excitement and adventure of the underwater world are accessible to anyone willing to learn the simple disciplines of skin diving and snorkeling, which Barry Allen presents here in a basic and lucid text.

Written to supplement the guidance of a certified instructor, this book covers all aspects of the sport. Mr. Allen begins with a water-skills test, he offers advice on the selection of good but economical gear and he describes how to use that gear. All the necessary skin-diving skills are covered in full, including breath holding, handling the pressure, entries, surface dives and ascents. These are followed by a thorough explanation of required surface abilities - among them snorkel floating, vest floating, drownproofing, ... procedures and in-water first aid. The book concludes with the techniques of skin diving in open water, from dive planning to cold-water exposure protection. Simple, easy-to-follow illustrations are used throughout.

Barry Allen is a certified instructior in skin and scuba diving with fi... years of diving experience He now teaches diving at Harvard University, Wellesley College and Boston University.