Dorset Dives

Will Appleyard is a diver who has a passion for the waters of the UK. He communicates his passion through his photography and writing. His first book Discover UK Diving has become a best-seller and raised awareness of the many dive sites off the south coast of England. Will's diving trips also regularly take him to Europe, the Red Sea, Canada and to Thailand, but he is always pleased to return to home waters. As a keen climber, Will can also often be found scaling the heights as well as descending the depths - his climbing activities have taken him from the cliffs of Portland to the summit of Mont Blanc.

`This is an attractive book, a modern if much-simplified successor to the long-established but now out-of-print Dive Dorset. It covers generally well-known dives out of Swanage, Poole, Portland and Lyme Regis, either by hardboat or club RIB. It is bright and colourful, thanks to the generous supply of photos, mainly by Will Appleyard and Rob Roslyn. The topside shots are evocative of summer days in Dorset, while the underwater photographs are generally of good quality, though inevitably laced with a smattering of the green and backscattered. The descriptions of the 50 sites, of which about 60% are wrecks, are breezy, economical outlines. They are accompanied by concise notes on location, access, depth, things to look for and what to do if the dive is blown out (a feature that could get quite a lot of use). There are three helpful location maps at the start. This overview of Dorset dives has been well thought-out and produced, and is an easy read'- DIVER magazine.