As long-time water sport enthusiasts, author Lee E. Pate and his sister Deb decide to get certified as scuba divers. During the training, Lee asks the instructor about sharks and is told, "You're privileged to see a dangerous shark-it's very rare to see one. You do see small, docile sharks often, but the biggest ones you'll usually see are only about three or four feet, if you're lucky."

Discounting the possibility that they'll ever see a shark, Lee and Deb start diving on their own along with their brother David, who was already a certified diver. They were diving in the daytime at first, then started night diving, deep diving and finally night deep diving. Lee and David started diving deep, at night at Redondo Beach, a popular Los Angeles County Beach, often. One particular night that happened to be Friday the 13th, after having car trouble, they were late. They hurried up, drove to the beach, got in the water, went down and out along the bottom as fast as they could, ending up a few feet from a large, dangerous shark. With fear rising in his throat at a depth of ninety-one feet, Lee has only one thought-I'm dead

In his memoir "91 FEET: "You're Privileged to See a Dangerous Shark,"" Lee recounts his thrilling scuba diving experiences.

This is a translation of a scuba diving manual originally published by the publishing house of the U.S.S.R. Ministry of Defense. The manual contains information, practical recommendations and informative data on underwater exploration and repair of various types of scuba diving equipment; the technique of water safety and the execution of underwater work; medical precautions and specific illnesses of scuba divers; the method of instruction, including the technique of underwater swimming and the execution of light diving work, underwater hunting, photo- and cinematography. The manual was designated for divers of the Soviet Army and Navy and the transportation and commercial fleets. It is also of interest to a wide circle of readers interested in problems of the underwater sport.

"Mind Training For Swimmers" is truly everything you ever could want to know about positive thinking and how to improve your swim or sport performance. Written by Craig Townsend, Australia's Swim Guru, it is filled with examples and teaching points that are sound, thorough, and based upon solid scientific thinking. The author is the Director of It's Mind over Matter in Sydney, Australia; and he has worked in the area of mental training for swimming, sports and personal development for over fifteen years He possesses a Diploma in Clinical Hypnosis, and for over twenty years he has researched and experimented with various methods of tapping the potential of the human mind. His program has received world recognition, and has now been put into book form. Bellissima Publishing, LLC is proud to have Craig Townsend among its writers. This is a must read book that should be required reading for every swim coach and swimmer It is a book that can help anyone move towards positive thinking and self-recognition.

Part aspirational, part instructional, this book is for competent divers who wish to extend their horizons or push themselves to the limit. Diving with Sharks and Other Adventure Dives covers diving with Great White, Hammerhead and other sharks, diving with gentle giants such as mantas and whale sharks, cave and wreck diving, and diving in strong currents and under ice. Each chapter is a combination of specialized technical and environmentally aware diving advice, site information and stirring anecdote. The dives featured range from established, accessible schemes such as the dolphin dives in the Bahamas to exceptional expeditions such as an unrepeated cave-passage exploration. Celebrating the diversity of diving as much as encouraging the pursuit of new challenges, this beautifully illustrated guide is a must for every qualified diver's bookshelf.

At age forty-four, Penelope Niven was at a turning point in her life. In need of a change for both body and spirit, she decided to learn how to swim. While discovering the restorative effect of the water, she also began to notice that the lessons she was learning in the pool drew remarkable parallels with the lessons of life. The way in which you first get into the water, for example, is similar to trying anything new-you can jump in feet first, or dive in headfirst, but first you have to have some idea of what you're actually getting into. From floating to treading water, forward strokes to the backstroke, Swimming Lessons combines the familiar lessons of swimming with personal anecdotes and apt observations to stirring effect. Sensible, touching, and personal, this appealing book will be invaluable to any reader facing a life change or simply looking for a little bit of inspiration.
A Harvest Original

Swimming is one of the most beneficial and refreshing ways to exercise. However, many swimmers miss the greatest benefits of the sport. These swimmers train by swimming continuously for an allotted time or for a specified distance. By organizing and structuring their time in the pool, swimmers can greatly increase the benefits and enjoyment they derive from their workouts.

This book provides comprehensive coverage of dive sites along the entire South African coast, from Kosi Bay in the east to the West Coast, as well as the most popular inland dives. Colour photographs of the dive sites and magnificent underwater world enhance the informative text throughout the book. A variety of topics are discussed, with the introduction covering general diving conditions in South Africa, learning to dive, tips, techniques and equipment. More than 180 dive sites are described, providing practical information on bearings, access, depths and temperatures, as well as colour maps, interesting features and information boxes, and handy directories at the end of each region. Other topics include marine conservation, wreck diving, safety measures and first aid, and underwater photography and video.

This guide offers information on the best places to witness the underwater wonders of the Virgin Islands, covering the region's dive sites. Each regional chapter also includes a directory which provides essential information on resorts and useful addresses and telephone numbers.

Dive instructor Greg Dombowsky introduces the first of a series in practical, well-illustrated, regional guides to the best dive sites on the B.C. coast and Puget Sound. In his debut book, Greg offers guidance to over 50 dives in surrounding Victoria, B.C. These dives offer high visibility waters, with outstanding sealife. This is the most functional guide available for these waters. Diver's Guide, Vancouver Island South is fully illustrated with Greg's own computer-generated maps, based on his personal exploration of these underwater environments. Includes excellent photos taken on these dives. To further appreciate the calibre of this book, visit Greg's website at www.dive.bc.ca.

The essential Swimmer is every swimmer's guide to a successful swimming program. Fitness and competitive swimmers alike will benefit from its concise, practical advice on everything from basic stroke technique to advanced training programs. The Essential Swimmer will not only teach you how to identify your own stroke, kick, body position, and breathing flaws, but it will also prescribe remedies in the form of new and innovative drills. This helpful book contains chapters on: swimming's many benefits; basic & advanced freestyle technique; perfecting your freestyle technique; drills, drills, and drills; butterfly, backstroke; and breaststroke; swimming aids; setting up your training program; practical swimming tips; flexibility training; strength training; nutrition for swimming and life; and cross training. With over fifty precise, east-to-follow line drawings, The Essential Swimmer guarantees results and is a must for each and every active swimmer. (5 1/2 X 8 1/4, 176 pages, diagrams, charts)

This book puts an end to the drudgery of merely counting laps by showing you how to create your own individual fitness program--and have fun doing it!

Learn how to:

• Determine your own fitness level
• Choose an appropriate training program and build upon that program with a variety of innovative workouts
• Use a timing clock and interval training to increase your speed and endurance
• Use various training equipment, such as kick boards, hand paddles, and swimming fins to strengthen stroke technique
• Improve your cardiovascular fitness, muscle tone, and flexibility

Included for quick reference are tips for streamlining strokes, checklists for proper stroke execution, and a helpful glossary of training terms as well as a section on the joys and challenges of open water swimming.

The Definitive Guide to Scuba Diving and Snorkeling in The Grand Cayman Islands "The collection of Reef Smart Guides is a great resource for the touring diver. Incredible detailed 3D maps and up to date editorial content based on information from local dive experts, these cutting edge guidebooks are a must have for all scuba divers before they travel." Clearly Cayman Dive Resorts #1 New Release in Scuba Travel Guides, Caving & Spelunking, and Swimming For Lonely Planet fans comes a unique and essential scuba, snorkel, and surf travel guide. A great Caribbean travel book. The ultimate guide for beach and marine activities in the Grand Cayman Islands. The detailed descriptions and illustrations of beaches, coral reefs, shipwrecks, and other dive spots are ideal for divers, snorkelers and surfers. Make the most of your time on the Island and in the water. Detailed descriptions and map art. Reef Smart catalogues the beaches, surf spots, and dive and snorkel sites in the Cayman Islands. With the help of Reef Smart's unique 3D-mapping technology, learn all you need to know about the regions' top dive and snorkel sites. These maps provide useful information such as depths, currents, waves, suggested routes, potential hazards, unique structures, and species information. Don't go diving without it. This indispensable resource will help you plan and execute dives without a hitch. Pack this guidebook with the rest of your scuba gear. Guidebook provides: The best locations for diving, snorkeling, and surfing, and how to access them Detailed 3D maps, graphics, and information to help you plan your time in and out of the water Species guide to help you identify and understand the marine creatures in the Cayman Islands and its surrounding areas And much more! A unique and comprehensive SCUBA diving book. Also look for Reef Smart Guides Florida: Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, and Deerfield Beach; Reef Smart Guides Barbados; and the best-selling Reef Smart Guides Bonaire.

In The 100 Greatest Swimmers in History, John Lohn profiles some of the biggest names the sport has ever seen, from Mark Spitz and Tracy Caulkins to Katie Ledecky and Michael Phelps. Each swimmer is ranked based on achievements such as Olympic medals, world and European championships, and world records. Lohn provides insight into how these swimmers became the best in their sport by detailing their accomplishments, finest performances, records, and noteworthy biographical information. This new, updated edition contains results from the two most recent World Championships and the 2016 Olympic Games, and while many athletes further cemented their top-100 status, some newcomers also made their way into the rankings-including Katie Ledecky, who launched herself high up the list with her dominating performances. The 100 Greatest Swimmers in History also features a new section highlighting the top coaches in the sport and includes multiple appendixes that serve as wonderful references for information such as world and Olympic medal counts of the profiled swimmers. Fans, coaches, athletes, and sport historians alike will find this an indispensable resource.

How do you invent an Olympic sport? For Katharine Whitney Curtis, it took the right idea, great talent, some good timing, and the determination to make it happen. The originator of synchronized swimming as we know it today, she even wrote the first book on the subject in 1936. But there was much more to her life and career. After the start of World War II, Curtis became a recreational director in the American Red Cross and followed the troops wherever the course of war took them, serving under Generals Patton and Eisenhower, before becoming a director of travel for the U.S. Army in Europe during the Cold War. Unbound by fear or the narrow expectations of society, this was a woman who lived ahead of her time, making things happen along the way. As her first biography, this book generously features Curtis's own words, selected from more than 2,000 pages of letters, and contextualized by her surviving friends and family members.