Recently, I had the chance to read The Art of Diving. Written by Nick Hanna and photographed by Alex Mustard, The Art of Diving is absolutely mesmerizing. I took it to the beach. I read it in bed. I examined it over coffee. I was totally enthralled. Never before has a book about scuba diving been so beautiful, so literate, and so spot on. I can come up with at least 10 reasons why this book belongs on every diver's shelf.
1.) Hanna is gifted when it comes to describing the sensation of scuba diving and what's so special about it. Non-divers will want to sign up for lessons, and old hats will want to call their dive shops to reserve a spot on the next boat.
2.) The marine life in the book is wonderfully photographed. Mustard's images are vibrant, bold, and unusual; he's truly gifted at capturing behavior shots. It was sometimes hard to concentrate on the text, because I was distracted by the images.
3.) Although not really a technical manual, the book provides tips on how to get the most out of a dive. Less about Doing-It-Right and more about Enjoying-It-More, the tips are easily implemented and can be put into practice by divers of all skill levels.
4.) The book provides a number of tips on how to have fun underwater. I can pretty much guarantee that there are several in there you've never thought of before. (Have you ever tried walking underwater?)
5.) Hanna's history of scuba diving is fascinating. Rather than explain how people changed the sport, Hanna focuses on how the sport changed people -- people whose souls, passions, and outlooks were altered simply by venturing sub aqua and letting the sensation of diving overcome them.
6.) The pair devotes a chapter to freediving and explains how bubble blowers can learn something from this subset of underwater explorers.
7.) For those divers who want to nurture the ego-shedding side of the sport, rejoice! Hanna and Mustard describe how to use diving to connect directly to the spiritual side of your self.
8.) Hanna and Mustard provide an excellent overview of the underwater world and explain clearly why it's important to protect it. Share the news with your friends.
9.) Hanna and Mustard provide tips on how to find marine animals and figure out what they're doing. Although it's not a marine guide, reading The Art of Diving will help you get more out of your next dive. If you're an underwater shooter, you'll treasure the tips.
10.) People who purchase The Art of Diving are provided a code that unlocks the Members Area of TheArtofDiving.com. Offering behind-the-scenes access to the making of the book, technical details about each and every image in the book, and plenty of photo tips to help you create your own shots, the careful student can learn a lot. The book is worth the price of the tips alone!
For a more "traditional" review or to peek at some of the images in the book, check out Wetpixel. The Art of Diving is available through Amazon.co.uk for £13. It's also available in German. The perfect coffee table book, and the perfect justification for why you simply must go diving this weekend, pick up a copy for yourself and you'll see that The Art of Diving is the most magical, most beautiful, most insightful book ever written about scuba diving.
