Book Review: Dive as Deep as you Dare
Dive as Deep as you Dare
Dave Blackmore, KAB Publishing, 197 pages
The book is an autobiographical account of Dave Blackmore's years as a BSAC diver from the 1970's to date. It is easy to read and runs to 197 pages in largish text, there are also a number of photos to bring the characters and places to life.
Dave is a lifelong BSAC member and diver, joining the club in 1982. The book describes his diving exploits from this date forward, a lot of the diving is along the south coast and Scapa Flow but there are some overseas episodes in the Red Sea, Malta and Florida's Blue Holes.
The early years were fascinating to me, as I was also a BSAC member in the early 80's. It was a grim reminder of what we used to do with very basic kit, a lot of enthusiasm and very high tolerance of cold water.
As the book unfolds and Dave becomes more experienced the dives get deeper and deeper, initially on air then mixed gas. The dives on HMS Hampshire were deep and at the time at the forefront of deep wreck diving.
The Scapa Flow trips are a great insight to the live aboard life in Scapa and endless drives up and down the UK.
The locations become a bit more exotic as the book progresses with trips to the Red Sea and the famous wrecks in the northern area.
I enjoyed the book and more so because Dave is a "BSAC diver" through and through with serious diving combined with the compulsory post dive visits to the pub and that unique "BSAC Diver" personality you will know what I mean when you get to a chapter called "DIY Underwater Torches".
Review by Andrew Reay-Robinson
Dive as Deep as you Dare is available from Amazon at amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0956811507/scubanews-21 and also direct from Dave Blackmore: e-mail daveb.bristol@gmail.com.
See also our interview with Dave Blackmore