Rating: 
Summary: The Last Dive, by Bernie Chowdhury
Review: This book is a "must" read for anyone who scuba dives. And non-divers will be moved by it as much as any other classic adventure story such as "In Thin Air" or "The Perfect Storm." Homer Hickam Jr., writes, "Bernie Chowdhury has written a book that seems to explore diving and the deep, cruel sea; in reality he has written a book about exploring a place even deeper and far crueler, the human psyche and our often unfulfilled souls." Two of my favorite quotes to ponder: "Every diver benefits when all of us know not just how we dive but why." pg. 329 "Identifying with a particular diving community -- whether recreational or technical -- and internalizing that community's standard of behavior is a phenomenon...found strongest in the divers who dived most frequently and who were most active with things like diving clubs and organizations; their identities as people were closely connected to their status among their fellow adventurers." pg.334 I've been diving 31 years, know several of the divers in the book, and have dived the Empress of Ireland (1970, '71, '72). Author Bernie Chowdhury makes technical subjects understandable for a layman, but doesn't "dumb" it down for us divers. He skillfully interweaves with the story of the Rouse father and son team, a brief history of hard hat, wreck, cave and technical diving. Founder and co-publisher of IMMERSED, the international technical diving magazine, Chowdhury reveals his soul to take the reader on a psychic dive to unimaginable depths. A must-have book for every home library!
Rating: 
Summary: A Compelling Descent Into Adventure Diving
Review: This book is a fascinating read. Chowdhury draws on his own experiences as a technical diver as he tells the story of a father and son, Chris and Chrissy Rouse--"the Bicker Brothers." The Rouses' heavy involvement in SCUBA diving led them to pursue becoming part of the diving community's elite. The author relates his own experiences, both diving with the Rouses and doing the same kind of extreme diving the Rouses, and he, were compelled to do. As he relates these experiences Chowdhury lays open his own soul so the reader can glimpse inside the minds of those who reach into the watery depths. Was it merely a father and son adventure, the thrill of doing something few others dared, or the siren song of mystery that led the Rouses' to the U-WHO and ultimately their deaths? In all probability it was a combination of the three. The author examines the controversies over deep, technical, wreck, and cave diving. He also show how these various communities draw an uncommon type of person. While these may be thrill seekers, they could probably be described more as hard-driven adventurers. These individuals want to reach past the ordinary and excel in the process. Sometimes the drive exceeds judgement. When that happens fatal results can and do occur. Chowdhury is in effect eulogizing his friends, but he also is exorcising the demons of "survivor's guilt." Just a year prior to Chris and Chrissy's fatal dive the author had a similar experience with aborted decompression and being evacuated by the Coast Guard for recompression therapy. Chowdhury barely survied his ordeal. Fate was not so kind for the Rouses. The Rouses went from being open water divers, to cave divers, then to extreme wreck divers. They made dives on the "Everest of Diving" the Andrea Doria and the Empress of Ireland. They were using cave diving techniques to push the edge of technical wreck diving, often to the disdain of "pure" wreckers. Each of the extreme diving communites--deep, wreck, or cave--have strongly held opinions about the way in which a dive should be conducted. What is ironic is the fact that the arguments are still going on among the various diving "communities." For anyone interested in adventure, irony, or tragedy--The Last Dive will draw you in and leave you gasping for air. While much of the book examines technical diving it does not dwell on the technology of diving as it does the psyche of diving and, for that matter, any adventure sport. There is one factual misstatement about cavern diving depth limits being 130 feet. Actually the cavern diving depth limit is 70 feet and total depth plus penetration into a cavern shall not exceed 130 feet. Also, toward the end of the book, there is strong speculation about Sheck Exley's death. Exley was someone that Chrissy Rouse admired. Chowdhury stated that Exley had miscaluated the amount of gas needed to make the dive and when he realized this he tied himself into the line so his body could be recovered. Reports that I read stated Exley's body was entangled in the line. Exley knew his gas consumption rate and meticously planned each dive. He should have had enough gas with him and he certainly cached enough extra gas for stage decompression. No one knows why Exley died--equipment problems, narcosis, or oxygen toxcity. The author was speculating here, but the text makes you think he had inside knowledge. (Note: I have learned that Exley would wrap the line around the valves of his tanks in order to rest--this is exactly how he was found.) Aside from these two problems I found the book compelling. A must read for the techinal diving crowd. The book is also an insightful, introspective look at why people love high-adventure. If adventure novels are your primary reading genre pick up "The Last Dive." It contains as much drama, but with added facet of being a true tragedy.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book!
Review: I picked this book up with no intention of buying it whatsoever. Once I began reading it in the store I knew that it was one that I wouldn't be able to put down. I bought the book and finished all 350 pages in a night. It was a gripping story with the author paying excellent attention to the history and detail of scuba diving. As a recently certified diver, I found myself realizing things that weren't apparent to me before. The stories within this book will forever stay in my mind..both in the water and out
Rating:
Summary: The Last Dive
Review: The liner notes say "Like `A Perfect Storm,'" and that's not a bad comparison. It has a similar feel to it, although the author(s) aren't quite as gifted writers as Junger, they tell the story well. Stories probably is a more accurate description, since the father-son tragedy may be the centerpiece of the book, but there are many tales related about the (crazy) pioneers of technical diving. If you read "The Right Stuff," you might recall the constant refrain about test pilots crashing and "being burned beyond recognition." In The Last Dive, it's divers constantly getting bent, drowning and other awful tragedies. It's a very personal story for Chowdhury, a friend of many of the victims, and one himself. His exploration on what drives people--including himself--to risk their lives diving for artifacts on wrecks 200 feet and below is fascinating. All in all, an excellent book for anyone who pushes the envelope, especially divers. After reading this, I think I'll stick to rec diving.
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Summary: A diver's must-read
Review: As a wreck diver and technical diver in training, I jumped at the opportunity to read The Last Diver. I could not put it down, partly because of the gripping narrative, and partly because I had done so many of the things writting about in the book. But unlike the divers in the book, I am not a cowboy and I am SAFETY all the way. The lesson of the book is that both recreational AND technical diving is still relatively safe as long as you obey the rules of the game. The divers who lost their lives in the book The Last Dive all violated the rules - big time. Do that, and sooner or later you are going to pay the price. Its a lesson that we all need to learn again, whether we are doing our first dive or our thousandth. Dive safe, D. Keith Lamb
Master Diver
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Summary: Taking the Plunge
Review: Scuba diving at the extremes...taking the big plunge. This book was a fascinating look into the world of "tech diving." Chris and Chrissy Rouse were lured into the underwater realm and we are lucky enough to get to follow their adventures. The father and son team consistently strived to be the best, and ultimatly paid the price. This book not only chronicles their story but also gives history of how scuba diving developed and the current advancements. The descriptions of diving theories and principles are explained very well and offer the non-diver a good background. The Andrea Doria, a shipwreck that lies at 250 feet below the surface of the Atlantic is considered the "Mount Everest" of scuba diving is pictured and beautifully brought to life in this book. The hunt to disclose the identity of a mystery U-boat discovered in the Atlantic is the scariest part of the book, and as an outside observer you will find yourself yelling "turn around, turn around!" The description and harrowing bravery displayed in this book will make shudder. A must read for non-divers and divers alike, it just may make you think twice next time you want to "take the plunge."
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Summary: Fascinating stuff
Review: I read the excellent book Shadow Divers after hearing Dick Estelle read from it weekday evenings on public radio, and wanted to know more about Chris and Chrissy Rouse. "The Last Dive" covers their story plus many stories about the history of diving and the stories of many other wreck and cave divers. I did some easy warm-water recreational dives in the 1990's and my instructors and dive masters always spoke of cave diving as being extremely hazardous and something to stay away from. Without intending to, this book strongly reinforced those admonitions.
Although I loved both of these books, I have to strongly question the judgement, common sense and responsibility of the people described in them. Was it really that necessary that all of those hazardous dives be made on the unidentified U-boat, even after three people had died trying? Maybe instead of calling the boat the "yoohoo" they should have called it the "who cares?"
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Summary: Wreck Diving at a Price
Review: As a life long wreck diver this book, though a bit uneven, riveted me from start to finish. The author furnished a lot of information that was new to me, primarily about cave diving and the Rouses. Some of the other players were people I knew or knew of which made the book doubly fascinating.
One phrase that constantly ran through my head (a hundred times) as I read the book was "Gee, that was stupid". Stupid and diving don't mix.
It was fascinating to read about the dysfunctional Rouses and their motivation for this type of diving. Diving for fame or recognition is asking for trouble. It is like flying, the best pilots and divers are those who pursue their avocation because they love it, all else being secondary.
When I got to the end of the book and read the part about the Rouses fatal accident my skin literally crawled and I cringed in an empathy of pure terror. I know what it is like to be trapped in a wreck with zero visibility. I also know that panic equals death in diving and it must be controlled at all cost. Part of a good divers job is to work diligently at extrication from a problem right up to the end, calmly, and then if you have to die, to die quietly. Reading between the lines a bit I feel that the younger Rouse, after being freed from entrapment by his father bolted from the U-boat and went straight up in wild panic. The father followed.
Also sad was the author's thoughts on the last pages of the book on an expert cave and wreck diver whom he held in high regard as a personal friend. After the book was published this diver, too, died cave diving. By himself.
The book is an utterly fascinating litany of everything not to do as a diver or a dive boat Captain and belongs in the library of every serious scuba diver.
Rating: 
Summary: Feels empty
Review: Bernie does a nice job of documenting the lives of the Rouses and the events that surrounded their tragic deaths. However, this book reads more like a report than a story. The writing lacks depth and it's nearly impossible to establish a connection with the characters. Non-divers will probably find it unappealing and bland. If you are looking for a book that you have a hard time putting down, where you feel your heart pounding as you read it, where you can experience the emotions and tribulations of the characters, then this IS NOT it.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Story
Review: Stirs up my desires to dive deeper, but reinstills the fear of what is possible. Bernie does an excellent job of tying in some history with cave and wreck divers into this excellent account of father and son, as well as his own brushes with disaster and death. I would recommend this book not only to scuba divers, but to any adventure enthusiast. However, I would say his writing techniques leaves something to be desired. I had just finished reading the Stand by Stephen King, and the writing abilities were in stark contrast. Nevertheless, I couldn't put this book down, a great read.
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