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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Water sports & recreations > Swimming & diving
A special 3rd edition has been released to mark the 100th
Anniversary of the scuttling of the German Battle Fleet (16th June
1919). This definitive guide to Scapa Flow has been expanded and
updated. Scapa Flow has international acclaim as one of the top
five wreck diving locations in the world. Lawson Wood's anniversary
edition has been fully revised and updated to be the most
comprehensive guide to Scapa Flow. The shipwrecks are a mixture of
battleships, cruisers and destroyers from the German High Seas
Battle Fleet scuttled towards the end of WW1. The direct action of
the British Admiralty saw a further 43 ships sunk during both world
war conflicts to block the entrances to Scapa Flow. For divers
travelling to Scapa Flow this is an essential guide containing
information on all the dive sites together with a complete
historical guide. Visitors to Scapa Flow will find Lawson's guide
an invaluable investment.
Since before the turn of the twentieth century, ocean swimmers have
had aspirations of "Swimming the Light." The route chosen by these
early adventurers, and dreamers, went from the bridges in
Charlestown to the Boston Light, on Little Brewster Island, in the
outer Boston Harbor, a distance of twelve miles. In 1907, a Boston
Light Swim Race was inaugurated. Of the twenty-seven swimmers who
dove in at the Warren Bridge in Charlestown that year, not one
succeeded in touching the shore of Little Brewster Island. The very
first known, and documented, swimmer to succeed in reaching Boston
Light from Charlestown was Alois Anderle, in the Boston Light Swim
Race of 1909. Anderle was 40 years old and a native of Austria,
then living in New York City. His time was 5 hours, 40 minutes.
Once other swimmers learned from Anderle's success that this
marathon swim was possible, others followed with successful swims
to Boston Light. Even though victory became more common after 1909,
however, most of the contestants still failed to stay the whole
course. In fact, of 435 starters of the Boston Light Swim Races
between 1907 and 1941, 363 failed to reach the Light, most defeated
by the cold and choppy water, and the seemingly endless distance
involved. This book covers the Boston Light Swim Races for the
years 1907 through 1941. After the race in 1941, the event was shut
down for the duration of the war. Even though World War Two ended
in 1945, the swim was not restarted until 1976, when Boston
marathon swimmer, Jim Doty, took it upon himself to reorganize it.
The Boston Light Swim Race continues, alive and well, to the
present day. The percentage of contestants finishing the grind
nowadays is much higher than that of the early era. This may be
attributed to several factors, not the least of which is the
shortening of the course to eight miles. Other factors may include:
a greater knowledge of tides, currents and other conditions; the
evolution of more efficient swimming styles and strokes. The swim
is considered an excellent test for the aspiring English Channel
swimmer. The conditions of both swims are similar, with cold and
choppy water. The two main differences are the shorter distance,
and the scarcity of stinging jellyfish in the Boston swim.
Nevertheless, many swimmers have based their decision to make the
trip to England upon their experience in the Boston Light Swim.
Neither swim is a test for the faint of heart, and the simple
attempt at either one is, in itself, a significant measure of
success.
This manual contains vital information for parents including:
*How to select a qualified swim instructor and what to expect from
the instructor.
*What makes a successful swim program and how to locate one near
you.
*Determine the proper age to enroll children in swim lessons.
*Benefits of small group and private lessons.
*Advantage and disadvantage of parental involvement with
lessons-parent /child instruction.
*Getting what you pay for.
*The importance of follow-up lessons for several years including
stroke instruction classes.
*Water safety tips to prevent fatal accidents.
*Disadvantages of floatation devices for young children.
*Proper diving safety tips.
*Caution when allowing children to visit someone with a pool or
body of water nearby.
This manual will inform parents on how to eliminate the anxiety and
discomfort often associated with swim lessons. Parents must
understand that the first phase in preparing their child for a
successful experience with swim lessons is to accept responsibility
in the child's learning process. This manual will help prepare the
parents with that responsibility.
Leisel Jones is rightly regarded as one of the greatest
breaststrokers ever. At just fifteen, she won two silver medals at
the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000; she went on to win gold at Athens
and Beijing, and at London 2012 became the first Australian swimmer
to compete at four Olympics. For the first time, Leisel candidly
describes what it's like to be thrust into the limelight so young.
She reveals the constant pressure she was under - from coaches,
from the media and from herself - to be perfect. Despite the highs
of her swimming stardom, she suffered depression, and at one time
planned to take her own life. In London, criticised in the media
for her weight, and appalled by the bulling and dysfunction in the
Australian swim team, Leisel nevertheless handled herself with
great composure. She has emerged with maturity and good humour,
having finally learnt how to be herself and live with confidence.
Body Lengths is the inspiring story of an Australian sporting hero,
told with humour, optimism and style.
This short story is about a recreational diver who spends a long
weekend in Key Largo, Florida at the Jules' Undersea Lodge.
Adventure and reflections follow.
Clues and evidence discovered at an underwater park in the Puget
Sound of Washington State lead divers and police officials to the
conclusion that the accidental death of a diver was no accident at
all. While the murder may be fictional, Bruce Higgins Underwater
Trails in Edmonds, WA is the largest volunteer diver constructed
and maintained underwater park on the west coast. The backgrounds
on the local sea creatures will bring new divers up to speed
quickly on cold water species, and hopefully the information will
be found to be interesting to seasoned divers. Hopefully, this book
is best read between dives, while crossing on a ferry, while on a
live aboard vessel, before visiting the Puget Sound, or just when
you feel like diving, but can't get the time off from the real
world.
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