Chris and Chrissy Rouse, an experienced father-and-son scuba diving team, hoped to achieve widespread recognition for their outstanding but controversial diving skills.
Obsessed and ambitious, they sought to solve the secrets of a mysterious, undocumented World War II German U-boat that lay under 230 feet of water, only a half-day's mission from New York Harbor. They paid the ultimate price in their quest for fame.
This gripping narrative recounts the Rouses' growing lust for what many consider the world's most dangerous sport -- as well as for the cowboy culture of the deepdiving community. Father and son were only eighteen years apart in age, and their constant battles of will earned them the nickname "the Bicker Brothers." Many friends wondered which would win out if it came down to a life-or-death diving situation: Chris's protective instincts or Chrissy's desire to surpass his father's successes.
In the surreal topographies of underwater caves and shipwrecks, divers can encounter the unfathomable. Some get lost until their air expires, some get hopelessly tangled in cables, some are drawn to deep chambers from which they never emerge, and some make simple human errors. The sport's best may eventually find themselves in silt-filled water, dark as night, and pinned by dislodged wreckage. If they panic and use up their air, they put themselves at risk of drowning or of what divers fear the most-decompression sickness, or "the bends."
Author Bernie Chowdhury, himself an expert diver and a dose friend of the Rouses', explores the thrill-seeking world of deep-sea diving, including its legendary figures, most celebrated triumphs, and gruesome tragedies. By examining the diver's psychology through the complex father-and-son dynamic, Chowdhury illuminates the extreme sport diver's push toward -- and sometimes beyond -- the limits of human endurance.
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Harper; First Edition edition (October 3, 2000)
Language: English
Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1.2 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
Reviews
"Yes, the author goes into a lot of detail. And yes, if you are not a diver, you'll find the book a bore. Having said that, as a diver you'll find the stories of diving in the '80's and 90's very interesting. These are the guys who paved the way for tech and deep diving. And through their trails and errors, others have learned a lot. Yes, Bernie Chowdhury also writes a lot about his own experiences, but I'm glad he did, as his own story is just as interesting as the story of the Rouses."
- Priscilla V. Rooyen
"Don't listen to some of these negative remarks, unless your not a diver, and then they probably apply to you. This book is written by a diver, for a diver. He does not posses the fluidness that a good author has. Having said that I will say that I thouroughly enjoyed this book, and literally learned more about diving than anything else I've ever read. Tons of good info, you will feel like a smarter diver having read it, and the history, stories, and dive facts are very interesting."
- Hecklermtbr
"This book was a great read. As someone new to diving I thought I would read something on the subject. I imagined it would be the simple documentation of a tragic event. Instead I found an amazing story about not only the Rouse family and their journey into the world of diving and the subsequent tragedy but also the authors own story and his insights into this world. The Last Dive is one of those books you can't put down and it's also incredibly educational on the sport of diving. If you have an interest in diving this is a fantastic book for you."
- Six
"I found this book interesting as is told a story but also had a lot of information on the metamorphosis of technical diving. As a diver, I enjoyed this book and always learn something from other people's stories. Te characters were introduced and developed throughout the story in a way that made the reader feel they had met them in person. Bernie Chowdhury included personal experiences and accounts that seemed well researched and communicated the facts and offered several explanations for the events as they transpired allowing the reader to reach their own conclusions, knowing that we will never know what truly happened as is often the case in accidents such as this. I took away from this story the reminder to be open minded with respect to new practices and ideas as well as an interest in learning more about the psychology of what motivates an individual to dive and select what type of diver they are and aspire to be."
- Monica Schandel
"Good background information into the many complications arising from descending deeper into ocean. Certainly made it easier for me to understand the risks involved with learning new gas mixtures. I also came away with how the desire to get one more thing,becomes.which leads to foolish decisions and how this is a death trap, and also the desire to put one's own life on the line, at the risk of losing your own life."
- Ralph W Kornburger Jr
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