The smaller print on the cover reveals that when Will Appleyard says “Discover UK Diving”, he means “Discover English Channel Diving Between Cornwall And West Sussex”.
The scope of the book is therefore limited, especially as only so many dive operators are suggested as contacts for each county (Cornwall is pretty much all Porthkerris Divers’ territory, for example, and Devon effectively means Lundy).
We must remember, however, that the author’s declared target audience is new divers looking to organise their own trips, and even non-divers seeking inspiration, and that the book is a personal view of what makes home-waters diving so appealing.
So perhaps there’s no need to bombard readers with any more choices than the easily dived Channel sites contained here.
Of course, the South and South-west does cover the majority of England’s best diving, and Will Appleyard has a pleasant way of describing the various locations, and avoids getting bogged down in detail.
Some general diving advice is included, the book is well laid-out and the underwater photography is generally OK, if inevitably green in parts. To attract new UK divers, however, a more colourful cover wouldn’t have hurt.
Steve Weinman
Red Flannel Publishing
ISBN: 9780956134639
Softback, 118pp, £9.99
