If you've ever had the urge to submerge, I recommend plunging into the Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving Multimedia. Don't let the dry title fool you. Published by the dive-training specialists at PADI - the Microsoft of scuba - the three-CD Encyclopedia is the next best thing to getting your feet wet, with the possible exception of watching the late Jacques Cousteau. So, where do you want to dive today?
Click on a site on PADI's world ocean map for an annotated video tour of the local flora and fauna you're likely to encounter on a dive. Or immerse yourself in the virtual California kelp forest via QuickTime VR - watch out for the garibaldis! Phylum-impaired fish fans can make IDs using the handy taxonomy guide.
With a range of graphics from Mr. Wizard-esque animations to US Navy film clips, the Encyclopedia explains the physics and physiology of diving in a way that's easy to understand. Curious why your ears "squeeze" when you dive to the bottom of the pool, or what causes "rapture of the deep" - the euphoric feeling that divers experience that's described as roughly equivalent to drinking one martini for every 33 feet they descend? You'll find all the answers here. There's even a virtual tour of a recompression chamber in the unlikely event you wind up "bent" with decompression sickness.
Techies will appreciate the extensive time line that traces the evolution of diving technology from wooden diving bells used in Aristotle's time to the latest electronic rebreathers favored by underwater filmmakers. Also included are short profiles of nearly three dozen diving pioneers, along with clips from the world's first underwater documentary, circa 1939, and an old Sea Hunt episode.
The only feature that lacks depth is the limited keyword search that is supposed to help navigate the encyclopedia's media-rich shoals. However, consumers seeking to book a tropical-island adventure will have no problem. The marketing mavens at www.padi.com have integrated a one-click Web browser that links to their online dive-reservation system. Margaritas are not included.
Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving Multimedia: $39.95. PADI: (800) 729 7234, www.padi.com.
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