The Last Dive audiobook

If you have not read Shadow Divers and are planning on it, read this book second. If you don't do it that way, you have to read a very brief, depressing version of the deaths all over again. I love that they have some decent books about scuba diving out there. This book makes you see everything they went through in their diving careers and how all of your training can still fail when you make one mistake diving. Also, no matter how much you know how you are supposed to react in an emergency situation, you heart will not allow you to save yourself when the fate of your own flesh and blood is impacted as well. I dive with my father a lot as well so this book hit close to home. Beautifully written and I read the last 50-100 pages with tears streaming down my face. A must read for any scuba diver!

What I learned from this book...#1 When you're underwater no one cares how big you think your balls are#2 Things can get out of hand very quickly#3 Live to dive another dayGood book, sad book. It does a really good job at describing technical diving, even in a way that a non-diver can understand.

Mais fundo do que os oceanos nos quais imergem os mergulhadores perscruta o livro de Bernie Chowdhury. Ele desce aos abismos da psicologia humana.Dentre outras coisas, ‘The Last Dive’ retrata a história da família Rouse e de seu envolvimento com o mundo do mergulho, até o fatídico dia em que Chris e Chrissy — pai e filho — perdem a vida ao tentar recuperar algum artefato que pudesse identificar o então recém-localizado “U-Who”, um submarino alemão da 2ª Guerra posteriormente revelado como sendo o U-853. Contudo, mais do que um relato sobre aventuras subaquáticas e, principalmente, sobre o desenvolvimento, entre as décadas de 80 e 90, do mergulho esportivo de ponta (e que viria a ser denominado de “mergulho técnico”), Chowdhury esmiúça a personalidade e as relações psicológicas que também entram em jogo nas ações e atitudes entre aqueles que decidem ingressar nesse esporte.O autor foi parte importante da formação do mergulho técnico tal como é conhecido hoje, além de estar envolto na teia de todos os grandes nomes que deram a esse esporte o seu aspecto atual. Entretanto, apesar de bem escrito, explicado e detalhado, não creio se tratar de uma leitura trivial para não-mergulhadores. Certos conceitos são complicados até mesmo para mergulhadores que não tiveram alguma orientação sobre assuntos voltados ao mergulho técnico. O fato de o livro ter sido escrito à luz do melhor conhecimento sobre mergulho disponível à época, descobertas recentes não o diminuíram. Na verdade, só fortalecem a ideia de que este é um esporte que flerta com o desconhecido em todos os frontes, e que muitas discussões ainda seguem em aberto. Além disso, há insights poderosos na observação de como os mergulhadores de então percebiam as coisas.Por fim, o que mais me cativou na leitura de ‘The Last Dive’ foi reconhecer que os medos, as dúvidas, as racionalizações, os egos… são todos elementos comuns aos mergulhadores de ontem e hoje, e que constituem, simultaneamente, sua perdição e sua possibilidade de salvação (ou seria redenção?).Muito mais do que equipamentos, tanques e lastro, levamos para baixo d’água nossos medos, nossos assuntos mal resolvidos, nossas angústias… e também nossas paixões, nossos desejos e nossas esperanças. Em meio a tudo isso, é um verdadeiro milagre sermos capazes de flutuar, tão levemente, na imensidão azul.

Whoah. Totally opened my eyes. I have a way deeper understanding of , the history of SCUBA and especially technical diving, the bends, decompression issues, the psychology involved in diving, etc. Looking forward to Tiger Beach in 6 weeks and feel more prepared overall for future diving. I also realize just how lucky I was in the Galapagos to have come back home totally healthy!

Awesome book, picked it up last weekend and didn’t expect to get sucked into it. Great telling of an incredibly tragic sequence of events. Even though they had their flaws, I was a fan of the Rouses. Full of historical and contextual information on all types of diving. Definitely recommend

Great example of a true story done well. History of diving, history and personal stories of the Rousses, all terms and scuba practices explained - just excellent at pulling the world into the world of scuba diving without leaving the reader at a loss. Made me want to try it, but also respect the folks who dive and understand the dangers that come with the sport. If you're looking for something eloquent or fancifully written, this isn't it, but if you're looking for something informative, touching, an captivating, "The Last Dive" is a good bet.

A fascinating book telling the story of a talented diving duo’s romance with the underwater world. It simultaneously covers a wide range of topics, from the history of scuba diving in terms of skills, equipment and technology, to the naval battles and operations of WW2, the psychoanalysis of adventure diving, etc. The story is quite gripping, despite the fact that you knew from the beginning that the heros would die in the end. However, I wouldn’t describe the book as an “easy” read. There are numerous flashback and flash forwards in each chapter, and countless names of personalities in the diving world which you should remember as they are constantly referred to throughout the book. Additionally, in some parts the text gets too dry and technical for a book like this. All in all, I really enjoyed Bernie’s detailed depiction of his friends’ enthusiasm for diving and the community’s ambitions, obstacles, struggles, and rivalry in late 80’s and early 90’s.

Way more than I had bargained for with this dive book. I expected a great story and it delivered. I mean the Rouse are legendary for helping bring technical diving to the recreational diver. What I did not expect was the history and psychology lessons. There is so much diving history packed in here it is unreal. I would also go so far to say that the experience of reading this book will make you a safer diver. If you scuba dive you must read.Understanding the psychology behind why we do things and how we react in my opinion goes far beyond diving. So whether you scuba or not, this may very well be worth a read for you.

Great story about the history of diving overall and cave and wreck diving specifically told alongside the tale of the Rouses and others who had been on the cutting edge (at least the emerging edge) of the sport. It is, at times fascinating, thrilling, humerus and heartbreaking. The author paints an indelable picture of the Rouses, although their story is only a small part of the bookJust remember the book ends with the Rouses in 1992, 25 years ago, so a lot has changed since then. I learned only a handful of years after they died, and even then things had changed significantly. Its hard to hear about the risks divers were willing to take.

A well written tale which manages to combine the excitement of treasure hunting, with the pressure of the deep and the fear of being out of control.I read Shadow Divers some time back, but this book really gets across the scare factor of deep diving and risk taking. It is on one, obvious level, a tragic story but, on another, the writer clearly gets the reader to understand the emotional connection with this most demanding of pastimes.Instantly engaging, even if some of the characters are people I would probably not have got along with, and an amazingly powerful story. A great read, but not for the claustrophobic.

Great book if you’re into technical diving. Chris & Chrissy Rouse got into technical diving big time in their four or so years. (1998 - 1992) They got into cave, mixed gases, and deep wrecks diving and training with many important diving greats including Sheck Exley, Gary Gentile, Chatterton, etc. They wanted to really prove themselves by finding an artifact inside a unidentified WWII German sub dubbed the U-Who. Ultimately they both died quite dramatically. I’d read this shortly after it came out in 2002 and pulled it off my shelves when I ran out of library books to read. 4****