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Rating: 
Summary: An excellent book from two experts.
Review: The word "California" conjures up all manner of images from sun-drenched beaches to Hollywood - rarely making one think of the offshore islands that have so very much to offer the visiting Scuba Diver."Diving Offshore California" measures 10" x 7" and is another guide in the medium size format favoured by Aqua Quest. These particular publishers set high standards and demand all contributing authors/photographers maintain those standards at all times. This is, therefore, another worthy addition to the series. The book is well laid out thus ensuring every page has the right mix of written information and visually informative colour photographs or maps. Commencing with an overview of the past and the present, the book then goes on to include all that useful information required by any potential visitor - weather, access boat diving, preservation, visibility, photography, currents and much more besides. We are then treated to a map of California showing the location of the offshore islands roughly situated between Santa Barbara and San Diego. The next 13 chapters are then dedicated to each of the featured islands - and one of them even includes diving around oil-rig platforms. A total of over 90 individual dive sites are included and each of these contains all the information the potential visitor will wish to know. With a final chapter devoted to Marine Life, the book then concludes with a number of Appendices containing that all-important emergency information and useful numbers such as Charter Boats and Dive Centres. Altogether, this book contains all the information the potential visitor will require for contemplating such a trip. My only criticism is reserved for a couple of the photographs which are not quite sharp enough and might be replaced at the next re-printing stage. NM
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent book from two experts.
Review: The word "California" conjures up all manner of images from sun-drenched beaches to Hollywood - rarely making one think of the offshore islands that have so very much to offer the visiting Scuba Diver. "Diving Offshore California" measures 10" x 7" and is another guide in the medium size format favoured by Aqua Quest. These particular publishers set high standards and demand all contributing authors/photographers maintain those standards at all times. This is, therefore, another worthy addition to the series. The book is well laid out thus ensuring every page has the right mix of written information and visually informative colour photographs or maps. Commencing with an overview of the past and the present, the book then goes on to include all that useful information required by any potential visitor - weather, access boat diving, preservation, visibility, photography, currents and much more besides. We are then treated to a map of California showing the location of the offshore islands roughly situated between Santa Barbara and San Diego. The next 13 chapters are then dedicated to each of the featured islands - and one of them even includes diving around oil-rig platforms. A total of over 90 individual dive sites are included and each of these contains all the information the potential visitor will wish to know. With a final chapter devoted to Marine Life, the book then concludes with a number of Appendices containing that all-important emergency information and useful numbers such as Charter Boats and Dive Centres. Altogether, this book contains all the information the potential visitor will require for contemplating such a trip. My only criticism is reserved for a couple of the photographs which are not quite sharp enough and might be replaced at the next re-printing stage. NM
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