Review: The Last Dive

[jim T.]

When Bernie Chowdhury first digressed into his own DCS misadventure I was wondering if this was necessary, but I think because it turned out to be a very vivid warning about being too cocky wreck diving, now matter one's level of experience and just how scarey and screwed up it can be it was a good precurser to what eventually happened to the Rouses. I don't think non-diver readers would've understood the fatalities as well without that.

It also was the only account I've read of how the rest of a diver's family feels after a bad DCS hit to their spouse and parent. Valuable food for thought. I also thought that the psychological study he participated in regarding risk behaviors was of value to all divers-at least as food for thought. So...I found it to be forthwhile to the story as well as a little break from the Rouse's admirable yet "yahoo"-ish approach to life. In the end, I didn't mind Bernie's own experiences and in fact thought them even more valuable on the 2nd reading. It brought home/reminded us that whether we're "yahoo"-ish or conservative in our diving the same things can happen to us. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

plankspanker, Unfortunately I never got (or even knew about) to dive the N.J. wrecks when I grew up there, but as an old "Jersey Boy" I can tell you that those cartoonish/macho behaviors were/are very common amongst blue collar Jersey/N.Y.C. guys. That nonsense and the never ending sarcasm as humor thing got old for me at an early age-but it's depiction in "Shadow Divers" with the Atlantic Wreck Divers is VERY typical. I still have boyhood friends who behave that way! So...it was realistically portrayed in the book.

 

[EricQ]

It seems to have become fashionable to criticise Bernie Chowdhury's writing style.
I will repreat my observations of a few years ago in another forum.TLD begins so gung-ho and testosterone and ends in every divers nightmare.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

I really appreciated the fact that he went into such detail and such depth, describing what getting bent feels like, what ran through his mind, how he felt as he was making his recovery, what being in the chamber is like... The whole issue of DCS is one that few divers ever seem to discuss in any depth. I don't know if there's a reluctance to discuss it for fear of being "jinxed," or what... Aside from the DCS forum here on SB, it's like the one issue that most divers never even mention, outside of the classroom.

 

[almitywife]

It seems to have become fashionable to criticise Bernie Chowdhury's writing style.

oh come on... i havent read it since late last year but isnt it about page 233 that when describing young Chris' new love interest its along the lines of "caring for eachother like intensive care patients".. or something gut wrenching like that... i'll will look for the exact paragraph when i get home.

on a postive note, i did like reading about early opinions on nitrox/trimix as its so common place for me to see/dive with it these days.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

oh come on... i havent read it since late last year but isnt it about page 233 that when describing young Chris' new love interest its along the lines of "caring for eachother like intensive care patients".. or something gut wrenching like that... i'll will look for the exact paragraph when i get home.

Yeah... I agree. That part was a little overwrought, but it was only a tiny part of the book. Like I said, if you want to see truly atrocious writing, get, "Adventure On Dolphin Island." Even my 8-year old daughter said, "How much longer do we have to read this, Papa?" LOL

 

[almitywife]

Yeah... I agree. That part was a little overwrought, but it was only a tiny part of the book. Like I said, if you want to see truly atrocious writing, get, "Adventure On Dolphin Island." Even my 8-year old daughter said, "How much longer do we have to read this, Papa?" LOL

hehehehe - i was saying the same thing about Bernie! i think come page 370something Chris and Chris were still happily diving the quarry and the book was 3/4's over.

 

[plankspanker]

oh come on... i havent read it since late last year but isnt it about page 233 that when describing young Chris' new love interest its along the lines of "caring for eachother like intensive care patients".. or something gut wrenching like that... i'll will look for the exact paragraph when i get home.

I will find some of the paragraphs in SD and we can see which ones are more cringe inducing (though if you are correct about the intensive care line then you are already ahead)

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

She is. I remember reading that sentence and rolling my eyes. LOL

 

[mike_s]

As far as The Last Dive goes: I really appreciated that it was written by another diver, and written about people that he obviously knew and cared for.

Though his writing style wasn't "my favorite", I got to agree with your above post. I'd rather have it written by a diver instead of having it authored by some famous somebody who didn't know what they were talking about...

 

[fookisan]

I agree with Plankspanker. "The Last Dive" was written by a diver, and the writing style, was readable; and the story was riveting. "The Shadow Divers" was written by a professional writer, not a diver, and that shows in the way it doesn't really put you in the moment, which the "The Last Dive" does. The two stories were really about two different things, and they just came together at the incident that resulted in the deaths of Chris and Chrissy Rouse. If you read "The Last Dive" and have not yet read "The Shadow Divers", there is a picture in "The Shadow Divers" of Chrissy Rouse's line badly fouled in the sub.

By the way, Fookisan, the guys on "Deep Sea Detectives" are indeed John Chatterton and Richie Kohler - the same guys from "The Shadow Divers".

I'll have to check out shadow diver.

Thanks