The full visual history of the special forces combat diver from World War II to the present day. Combat divers are an elite within an elite. Every special forces combat diver is required to pass selection twice - first into the elite military unit and then a combat diving qualification. The combat dive units themselves are tiny and the operations highly classified. The role of a military diver is inevitably a lonely and a dangerous one, whether clearing mines or striking from the sea against enemy-held targets. Fully illustrated with rare and unusual images, Combat Divers reveals their little-known yet fascinating operations, from Dutch Special Forces combat divers covertly operating against Somali pirates to the actions of Soviet Spetsnaz divers in Swedish territorial waters during the Cold War. It also examines how the most famous units, such as the US Navy SEALs and the Royal Navy's SBS, are currently operating and adapting to threats in a multitude of theatres. Combat Divers gives an insight into specialist kit and vehicles presently used and equipment that is being developed and trialed throughout the world. Covering a variety of kit, from dry deck shelters to mini-submarines and swimmer delivery vehicles, former Royal Marines Commando Michael G. Welham draws on his own extensive diving experience to reveal exactly how this equipment is used by special forces dive teams. As their kit and equipment constantly evolve, so does the nature of their work and even the team element. Combat Divers also details the first female combat divers and includes their own first-hand accounts about their groundbreaking roles within their respective units to create a fascinating history of these elite special forces operatives.

This fully updated 6th edition has had a complete facelift and is now published in full colour in a new format. Throughout, the work has been updated, and in places expanded. It now includes a list of useful waypoints and routes ofr the entire Mediterranean which are shown on overprinted charts folded into the back of the book. The Mediterranean Cruising Handbook is a constant companion to the Imray Mediterranean Almanac and provides information on climate, equipment, radio, naviagation, routes to the Mediterranean, history, marine life, food and basic information on each Mediterranean country.

The true story of the tragic round-the-world yacht race - now the subject of The Mercy, starring Colin Firth and Rachel Weisz In 1968, the Sunday Times organised the Golden Globe race-an incredible test of endurance never before attempted-a round the world yacht race that must be completed single-handed and non-stop. This remarkable challenge inspired those daring to enter-with or without sailing experience. A Race Too Far is the story of how the race unfolded, and how it became a tragedy for many involved. Of the nine sailors who started the race, four realised the madness of the undertaking and pulled out within weeks. The remaining five each have their own remarkable story. Chay Blyth, fresh from rowing the Atlantic with John Ridgway, had no sailing experience but managed to sail round the Cape of Good Hope before retiring. Nigel Tetley sank while in the lead with 1,100 nautical miles to go, surviving but dying in tragic circumstances two years later. Donald Crowhurst began showing signs of mental illness and tried to fake a round the world voyage. His boat was discovered adrift in an apparent suicide, but his body was never found. Bernard Moitessier abandoned the race and carried on to Tahiti, where he settled and fathered a child despite having a wife and family in Paris. Robin Knox-Johnston was the only one to complete the race. Chris Eakin recreates the drama of the epic race, talking to all those touched by the Golden Globe: the survivors, the widows and the children of those who died. It is a book that both evokes the primary wonder of the adventure itself and reflects on what it has come to mean to both those involved and the rest of us in the forty years since.

Erik Petkovic's Lake Erie Technical Wreck Diving Guide is packed with tales of sailing ships and steamers that foundered, succumbed to storms, collided and were engulfed in flames. Ships that sunk more than once, or were involved in wars, slave escapes and catastrophic collisions on the shallowest of the Great Lakes. There are some whose full story is still a mystery waiting to be discovered. The author's original research reveals daring tales of deep salvage, valuable cargo, submarines, experimental engineering, unknown wrecks, and missing, yet-to-be-discovered vessels. This new guide brings to life the lost history of the ships, passengers and crew. Then there are the dives themselves. Some of the wrecks are remarkably intact for their age. Features which can be seen include complete wooden ship's wheels, standing masts, rudders, propellers, portholes, boilers, and steamship hogging arches. As well as a description, each wreck's current condition, location, dimensions, hazards and highlights are given. Photos and archive materials also help bring these rarely dived wrecks to life.

The Diver's Tale is an unvarnished account of real British diving, based on the author's 40+ year experience. Britain is an island nation so, unsurprisingly, scuba diving is a popular British pastime enjoyed by thousands of keen participants and just as many of the armchair variety. A carefully-structured programme of training ensures that UK divers are well-prepared for the challenging conditions which may be encountered beneath our seas. Or does it? How many trainee divers were taught about the perils of high-speed testicular trauma during descent? Or the dangers of having sex in a tent with a deaf person? Why bacon should be in your first aid kit. How to build a space shuttle using salvaged ammunition? Or why the name Valerie is so very special? During a 40-year plus odyssey through the strange and exotic world of British diving, Nick Lyon and his disparate collection of buddies have answered all these questions from personal experience, and many more besides. It may not be pretty, it may not be painless, but it is real British diving. The Diver's Tale is not a diving manual - quite the opposite. How not to do it, why not to do it, when not to do it and who not to do it with.

Plans included: Chioggia (1:30 000) Venezia (1:50 000) Approaches to Grado (1:25 000) Monfalcone (1:30 000) Trieste (1:24 000) For this 2015 edition the chart has been fully updated throughout showing changes to depths, navigational aids, areas and limits where appropriate. Construction works for the MOSE Project tidal control barriers are shown at Venezia and Chioggia, as are harbour developments at Monfalcone and Trieste.

It has been 12 years since the author published the 3rd edition of the Swimming Faster series and time has not stood still. Research has continued at a rapid pace, using increasingly sophisticated methodology to improve our knowledge of the training process. In this book, the author shares what he learned with members of the competitive swimming community throughout the world. The title of this book was changed to reflect his purpose in writing it. It is a source for coaches and athletes to improve their knowledge of the scientific aspects of training. It should also help readers become familiar with the sometimes confusing terms used by sports scientists so they can read the results of their studies with understanding. Furthermore, this book informs the readers' enough in the areas of physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology as they pertain to the training of athletes. It is the author's hope that they will be able to evaluate the validity of that research and decide for themselves if it has merit. Finally, this book provides the readers with the knowledge to apply the information they gain to their own unique training environments. This is so they will not have to copy the training of successful coaches without understanding why it was beneficial and how it might be modified to become even more useful within their surroundings.

Plans: Approaches to Brindisi Approaches to Otranto Approaches to Gallipoli Approaches to Crotone

What makes the perfect swim? It's all about the most magical locations (and how to protect them), finessing your kitbag, keeping yourself and others safe ... and maybe discovering a nice place for a warm-up cuppa and cake. Whether you're a seasoned dipper or a fledgling, The Art of Wild Swimming is the ultimate guide to becoming an awesome, joyful and responsible swimmer. From the dramatic Atlantic bays to cascading waterfalls and secret pools, the rugged Causeway Coast to the secluded loughs of the Wicklow Mountains, locals who know the secrets of their patch share over 100 spectacular swim spots across Ireland and Northern Ireland. Now they are yours to explore too.

"Having raced twice around the world myself, I can appreciate the stresses and trials that Jeff has endured traversing the Southern Ocean and rounding iconic Cape Horn. His writing conveys a great Corinthian spirit of adventure, and is a tribute to all the sailors that have dared this passage. In human history it wasn't so long ago that rounding cape Horn was akin to going to the moon, and many never returned. Jeff brings that spirit of adventure to the pages of this book." -Bruce Schwab, Around Alone Racer "Sailing around Cape Horn alone is not everyone's "Milk shake." I had decided to do it because after 60,000 miles of sailing ocean passages they were becoming too familiar. My wife Debbie and I had sailed clear of Ecuador and down to Peru. It was on that passage that I realized just how close to the Horn I was and realized I just needed to give it a "Shot." Debbie felt no need to try it so she volunteered to become my shore side support. Now most people don't realize the problems of going West to East around the "Horn," and I was one of them. With nearly 45-years of sailing experience under my keels and Sailors Run a 40ft. Baba Ketch, I felt confident that the 5,000 NM passage was doable. What I did not know is that the worst storms occur in the summer season. I also learned that the Humboldt Current runs up the coast of Chile at nearly two-knots. The wind also comes up from the south, so you must set sail from Peru heading SW and eventually you will end up 1,000 NM off of Chile (at 45 South) before you can start your run in towards the "Horn." You experience a severe low just about every three days with storm force winds. Anyone who thinks going West to East is easy, best try it before they make that claim. In this book, you will not only experience what it takes to sail in the Southern Ocean, but you will get an in-depth look into the life of a sailor who had to overcome insurmountable "road blocks" to live out his dream, a life of freedom upon the sea.

Most of us never realize how many words and expressions used in everyday English have a fascinating nautical origin. This charming pocketbook explains the practical ship-board beginnings of over 200 such phrases--colorful, bizarre and surprising--and how they came ashore. For anyone with an interest in the sea & its traditions--landlubbers, boaters, historians, linguists.

At the peak of their careers, Anne Brevig and Martin Vennesland made the decision of their lives: they chose freedom and a highly uncertain future on the high seas instead of secure jobs and the safety and comfort of life ashore. In order to finance their dream, they sold their house and most of their belongings and moved onboard their 40-foot sailboat, "Nor Siglar." She became their one and only home for 15 years. Neither imagined that they were going to spend 9 years on the 7 seas and sail more than 56,000 nautical miles around the world, visiting 76 countries and island nations Anne and Martin's bluewater adventure was not about breaking any records. Its main focus was meeting people from different backgrounds and cultures - encounters that take on entirely different dimensions when sailing off the beaten track far away from the traditional tourist routes. Their 9-years on the 7 Seas circumnavigation onboard "Nor Siglar," which is truly a once-in-a-lifetime adventure packed with drama and excitement, has been documented in books and magazine articles and is now available in the "Seven Seas Adventures Series." In the first book of the Series, the career couple describe the planning, the panic and the last minute preparations before cutting the ties with jobs, home, friends and family and setting out to fulfill their dreams. They share their very first ocean passage, the exhilaration of making land fall, the many chores and routines onboard a small sailboat at sea, how they deal with seasickness, lonely night watches and nature's unforgiving elements so close by. The book is also about guns and patrol boats, "bandidos" and "friendly inspections," a close call with a freighter, chilling distress calls, rough weather, accidental jibes and injured crew, helpful natives, rickety docks and squalls in the night, enchanting encounters and trading with natives in remote villages deep in the Panamanian jungle. "Why are you rushing through Paradise?" squatters on a paradisiacal island asked, a question which became a motto for Anne and Martin during the rest of their voyage. Slowing down to smell the roses, they were able to establish personal contact with locals and gain experiences they would otherwise never have had. The books in the Seven Seas Adventures Series are not just any old travelogues for adventurers. Rather, it is a collection of highlights from encounters with "ordinary" people from different cultures and backgrounds who live a life much different from what most of us are used to. Anne and Martin certainly learned that what we take for granted is an elusive dream for others. The books "answer" a multitude of questions posed by travellers in general as well as prospective offshore sailors. Read how they had survived serious dangers, break-ins and a dramatic grounding, escaped close encounters with pirates, witnessed life-saving bravery and enjoyed heart-warming personal meetings on all five continents.