# Scuba diving novel suggestions?



## cperfumo (Apr 15, 2011)

Hi!

I love scuba diving and I love finding good novels where diving plays an important part. Are there other divers/readers around here? Any books you would like to recommend?
I'll start by suggesting "The nautical chart", by Arturo Pérez Reverte, one of the best Spanish authors alive.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Nautical-Chart-ebook/dp/B004H1U1XE
Needless to say, if you speak Spanish, read the original version (which, funnily enough, isn't available for Kindle).

Cheers.

Cristian


----------



## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

I'd recommend the four mysteries written by Kathy Brandt. The main character is lady scuba diver for a police department in the Caribbean. I really liked them, but they aren't Kindlized yet.

First one:



I think I picked each of them up at used book stores for less than $5.00 each.

Mike


----------



## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

I remember enjoying Peter Benchley's _The Deep_, but I read it not long after it came out, so I can't comment on how well it holds up now over 30 years later.


----------



## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

How about _The Devil's Deep_ by Michael Wallace? I haven't read it yet but have been eyeing the cover and the blurb sounds facinating. http://www.amazon.com/The-Devils-Deep-ebook/dp/B004K1F0E6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308720645&sr=8-1


----------



## Guest (Jun 22, 2011)

For older thrillers, Desmond Bagley's "The Vivero Letter" involves scuba diving in South America (in a Mayan Cenote), and is a good thriller/pulp. I seem to recall it's also in his book "The Golden Keel", but it has been a while since I read it.


----------



## WrongTale (Feb 16, 2011)

Apparently it has not been kindlized yet, but I quite liked it, for the action packed thriller (read: not much reality) - but the main character is a diver and uses his skills several times.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Double-Cross-Patrick-Woodrow/dp/0099478595/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260361980&sr=1-1


----------



## jason10mm (Apr 7, 2009)

Shadow Divers.

http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Divers-Adventure-Everything-ebook/dp/B000FC1RSC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1308743340&sr=1-1

I've not read it yet but it is supposed to be an absolutely riveting recounting of a deep water tragedy.

FWIW, I think a SCUBA focused tale would be awesome. I think niche areas like this is where the Kindle and indie authors can really shine. Naturally I'd prefer thrillers more like Peter Benchley's "The Deep" and "The Island" rather than a throbbing romantic tale of Caribbean love. I confess I can't think of many plots beyond sunken treasure/Atlantis, but perhaps the urban fantasy writers can switch to tropical fantasy and toss in some mermaids and krakens in place of vampires and fairies 

The novelization of Cameron's "The Abyss" has some nice technical writing WRT deep-sea diving equipment, particularly the liquid breathing apparatus. I've not seen "Sanctum" yet but I imagine that topic could make for an excellent novel as well. Then of course there are just oceanic themed works like Clive Cussler, sci-fi like SeaQuest DSV (and the histerical SeaLAb 2021) and 20K Leagues, as well as Bernard Cornwell's contemporary sailing thrillers.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Pretty sure there's diving of one sort or another in almost all of Cussler's novels.


----------



## cperfumo (Apr 15, 2011)

> FWIW, I think a SCUBA focused tale would be awesome. I think niche areas like this is where the Kindle and indie authors can really shine. Naturally I'd prefer thrillers more like Peter Benchley's "The Deep" and "The Island" rather than a throbbing romantic tale of Caribbean love. I confess I can't think of many plots beyond sunken treasure/Atlantis, but perhaps the urban fantasy writers can switch to tropical fantasy and toss in some mermaids and krakens in place of vampires and fairies


I have read a couple of Cussler's books and they are entertaining but sometimes I find them too far fetched. All of the other suggestions you guys have made seem nice. For the ones that aren't kindelised yet, I'll try my luck at the local second-hand bookstore.

Please keep posting scuba-related novels as you discover them!

Cheers.

Cristian

_--- edited... no self-promotion outside the Book Bazaar forum. please read our Forum Decorum thread._


----------



## Casper Parks (May 1, 2011)

Clive Clusser has series about an ocean going investigator.


----------



## cperfumo (Apr 15, 2011)

> Clive Clusser has series about an ocean going investigator.


I think pretty much every Cussler novel is scuba related.

Hey! I found this link with lots of other scuba-centered novels:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-118330.html

Cheers!


----------



## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

May or may not be on Kindle:

Shark Lake by John McKinna.


----------



## Lursa (aka 9MMare) (Jun 23, 2011)

cperfumo said:


> I have read a couple of Cussler's books and they are entertaining but sometimes I find them too far fetched. All of the other suggestions you guys have made seem nice. For the ones that aren't kindelised yet, I'll try my luck at the local second-hand bookstore.
> 
> Please keep posting scuba-related novels as you discover them!
> 
> ...


I was going to suggest Cussler as well, but I havent read any of his books in more than a decade. He wrote good stories but just got too misogynistic for me to take.


----------



## Jasonmh (May 7, 2009)

I love diving (probably obvious from my pic) and reading.
I really liked:
http://www.amazon.com/Raising-Dead-Story-Survival-ebook/dp/B002RI9OVY/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1310088498&sr=8-12
and
http://www.amazon.com/Last-Dive-Father-Descent-Oceans/dp/0060932597/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1310088570&sr=1-1
And Shadow Divers, etc.
One thing I find is that it is hard for me to read books that have a good amount of diving in it, written by someone who gets it all wrong and has probably never dived.
Things like "She grabbed her flippers and her oxygen tank and entered the dark, scary water". A small thing, but it is a pet-peeve of mine.


----------



## Lursa (aka 9MMare) (Jun 23, 2011)

Jasonmh said:


> I love diving (probably obvious from my pic) and reading.
> I really liked:
> http://www.amazon.com/Raising-Dead-Story-Survival-ebook/dp/B002RI9OVY/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1310088498&sr=8-12
> and
> ...


Heh, I'm like that too. I havent run into it in the few scuba-oreinted books (fellow diver here) I've read, but it's _terrible _ in books with horses...drives me nuts! Happens alot in romance novels...all those heroines riding off on fiery stallions...yuh.


----------



## cperfumo (Apr 15, 2011)

> One thing I find is that it is hard for me to read books that have a good amount of diving in it, written by someone who gets it all wrong and has probably never dived.
> Things like "She grabbed her flippers and her oxygen tank and entered the dark, scary water". A small thing, but it is a pet-peeve of mine.


+1


----------



## The Big Glen (Jul 2, 2011)

Yep, as others said, Clive Cussler books are abound in scuba diving. I read them all growing up (though he still "writes" them with other co-authors). They're typical page-turner thrillers, if that's what you're interested in. Among them, the best Cusslers that star a great deal of diving are 'Night Probe!' and 'Inca Gold'. 'Pacific Vortex' has a lot of diving in it, but that one was a bit too silly for me, and I read it in 7th grade (it was also the first book he ever wrote, but it was like forth or fifth to get published... do the math). 'Inca Gold' was probably the best book he ever wrote, so that's the one I'd recommend. And its probably one his most down to earth stories.


----------



## MonkeyScribe (Jan 27, 2011)

One thing that's hard to capture unless you've done it is the atmosphere of diving. It is always a little surreal to me down there and time takes on a different meaning. I'll check my tank and be surprised that I've used so much air, or conversely, that I've used a lot less than I'd guessed.

I've been around water all my life, but I had a hard time on my first dive after writing The Devil's Deep. I was in Costa Rica, where the diving part of the book takes place (although on the Caribbean side, instead of the Pacific) and when I started following the rope down, I felt like I was hallucinating. Strange and unsettling.


----------



## kmmkiwi (May 13, 2010)

jason10mm said:


> Shadow Divers.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Divers-Adventure-Everything-ebook/dp/B000FC1RSC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1308743340&sr=1-1


I second Shadow Divers. That book is fantastic, I couldn't put it down and neither could my husband. I am a scuba diver myself (took my avatar picture on one of my dives) and was captured by the story of divers discovering an old sunken German WWII sub off the US coast that no one knew was there.

This book is a true story. Terrible tradgedy what happened down there, but fascinating story about how they discovered the identity of the sub.

By the way I think this is a great thread. I'm bookmarking this page so I can use it to read more scuba books.


----------



## cperfumo (Apr 15, 2011)

I came across this title:

Risky Business, by Nora Roberts. It was also published as the first one in the 3-in-1 "Dangerous".

Apparently it's a romance (but I haven't read it myself).

Just thought I'd add it to the list.

Cheers!


----------



## john triggerfish (Apr 16, 2013)

Google search for 232 Bars and Produce Another Dumb instructor. Comedy adult humour about the PADI system. 232 Bars is set in Thailand and Produce Another Dumb Instructor is set in Mexico.


----------



## john triggerfish (Apr 16, 2013)

sorry, forgot to add that for non fiction, raising the dead by philip finch is exquisite and every scuba diver should read this. An awesome account of human capability.


----------



## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

jmiked said:


> I'd recommend the four mysteries written by Kathy Brandt. The main character is lady scuba diver for a police department in the Caribbean. I really liked them, but they aren't Kindlized yet.
> 
> Mike


Update: These are all now available on the Kindle, for around $2.00-$3.00 each. The first one is:



Mike


----------



## Debbie Bennett (Mar 25, 2011)

This was quite good with lots of diving - if you like conspiracy thrillers


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

jmiked said:


> Update: These are all now available on the Kindle, for around $2.00-$3.00 each. The first one is:
> 
> 
> 
> Mike


that one looked good so I clicked through and it turns out I already have it!  Guess I should move it up the TBR list!


----------



## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> that one looked good so I clicked through and it turns out I already have it!  Guess I should move it up the TBR list!


It's gratifying to learn I'm not the only one who does that. 

Mike


----------



## mom133d (aka Liz) (Nov 25, 2008)

My co-worker likes this book, and has gone diving several times with the author. He likes to leave copies near dive sites. Not available on Kindle though.


----------



## cperfumo (Apr 15, 2011)

Just finished Kathy Brandt's "Swimming with the Dead" and liked it a lot.


----------

