The Caribbean Dive Guide

Rating:
Summary: Less than Mediocre!
Review: This book does not reach the standards demanded by today's discerning Scuba Diver. It is also very difficult to see where this particular publisher is coming from with a title "Caribbean Diving Guide" on the cover of a book which does not include so many of the very best diving destinations within the traditional Caribbean islands. In short, it is difficult to match the title with the content.

A glance inside reveals a selection of 28 dive sites in 9 countries. Whilst the choice of country might be questionable, at least we should expect to find the very best diving from those chosen locations. Sadly, they are simply not there!

Not for the first time, this particular publisher appears to have cobbled together the work of several contributors to produce a disjointed book from whatever information and photography was available - rather than commissioning somebody to go out and produce something far better. In short, they have gone for the cheaper option and this is reflected in the final product.

Beginning with a very disappointing selection from the Bahamas - where any mention whatsoever of the Blue Holes (for which the Bahamas are world-famous!) is studiously avoided, we are then taken to the Florida Keys, only to realise that the first two countries visited are not even "in" the Caribbean.

After a trip to Cuba, where we are treated to 3 very low-grade sites with maximum depths of 20m, 15m and 10m (yes 33 feet!) respectively - and you begin to get the idea! These are followed by Cozumel (wrongly spelled Cotzumel) where, yet again, the best sites are avoided. Four sites in the Caymans - predictably including "Stingray City" (yawn!), are followed by three in Belize - where the Author attempts to rename the "Great Blue Hole" the "Giant Blue Hole." After visiting Honduras, we are suddenly treated to a 1,600 mile journey right across the Caribbean from west to east, to Guadeloupe and Martinique for 2 dives each before rounding off the diving in continued disappointing fashion with the last 2 underwater sojourns being a further 500 miles away in Curacao.

Whilst claiming to be a guide to the "Caribbean," Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, BVI, Cayman Brac, Grenada, the Grenadines, USVI (to name but 8!) are not mentioned at all.

As always, Kurt Amsler's photographs are very good (and this earns the book its one Star) although a number of other images are under-exposed and not up to the standard expected in this day and age. The 24 pages of drawings of common fishes at the end is useful - and perhaps they should have concentrated on that particular theme instead of producing a book which is of little value to any serious diver.

NM

Rating:
Summary: Less than Mediocre!
Review: This book does not reach the standards demanded by today's discerning Scuba Diver. It is also very difficult to see where this particular publisher is coming from with a title "Caribbean Diving Guide" on the cover of a book which does not include so many of the very best diving destinations within the traditional Caribbean islands. In short, it is difficult to match the title with the content.

A glance inside reveals a selection of 28 dive sites in 9 countries. Whilst the choice of country might be questionable, at least we should expect to find the very best diving from those chosen locations. Sadly, they are simply not there!

Not for the first time, this particular publisher appears to have cobbled together the work of several contributors to produce a disjointed book from whatever information and photography was available - rather than commissioning somebody to go out and produce something far better. In short, they have gone for the cheaper option and this is reflected in the final product.

Beginning with a very disappointing selection from the Bahamas - where any mention whatsoever of the Blue Holes (for which the Bahamas are world-famous!) is studiously avoided, we are then taken to the Florida Keys, only to realise that the first two countries visited are not even "in" the Caribbean.

After a trip to Cuba, where we are treated to 3 very low-grade sites with maximum depths of 20m, 15m and 10m (yes 33 feet!) respectively - and you begin to get the idea! These are followed by Cozumel (wrongly spelled Cotzumel) where, yet again, the best sites are avoided. Four sites in the Caymans - predictably including "Stingray City" (yawn!), are followed by three in Belize - where the Author attempts to rename the "Great Blue Hole" the "Giant Blue Hole." After visiting Honduras, we are suddenly treated to a 1,600 mile journey right across the Caribbean from west to east, to Guadeloupe and Martinique for 2 dives each before rounding off the diving in continued disappointing fashion with the last 2 underwater sojourns being a further 500 miles away in Curacao.

Whilst claiming to be a guide to the "Caribbean," Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, BVI, Cayman Brac, Grenada, the Grenadines, USVI (to name but 8!) are not mentioned at all.

As always, Kurt Amsler's photographs are very good (and this earns the book its one Star) although a number of other images are under-exposed and not up to the standard expected in this day and age. The 24 pages of drawings of common fishes at the end is useful - and perhaps they should have concentrated on that particular theme instead of producing a book which is of little value to any serious diver.

NM