Almost Tranquilo (An Insider's Irreverent Guide to Love and Scuba Diving)

Scuba diving, like all tourist industries, has a happy facade. But diving differs from, say, a museum tour in that a very real risk of a seriously gnarly death lurks just below the surface, awaiting a mistake or complacency by the diver €“ or by his guide, divemaster or instructor. Is that funny? It can be absolutely hilarious.

Here€s an inside look at the recreational scuba diving industry, presented by a writer who is both a journalist and a full-time professional scuba instructor. Set in Central American countries where he€s worked, A. Yarom Lee delivers a humorous, no-bull eye-opener about what happens to professionalism and safety in quirky Third World cultures when there is no urinalysis testing, no liability lawsuits, and no consequences for trading certifications for sex, pretending to be an instructor, or for showing up drunk to captain the dive boat.

Not a disgruntled kiss-and-tell €“ Lee is still actively teaching scuba €“ the author takes us behind the glitzy scuba marketing to show us the realities (€œQ: What€s the difference between a divemaster and a large pepperoni pizza? A: The pizza can feed two people.€) and the oddball characters attracted to the €œdive-party-repeat€ lifestyle of Central American diving.

Woven throughout is a story of lost love, new beginnings and the tough choices that life throws at us. The author€s conversational style is keenly analytical and he speaks directly to the reader, presenting some technical subjects such as gas physics, dive physiology and reef ecology in layman€s terms. The traveler will find his first hand descriptions of daily life in Central American cultures €“ why you must NEVER talk on your cellphone in a bank, for example - far more useful than any travel book tips.

More than that, "Almost Tranquilo" is also a glimpse into a life of adventures, loves and obstacles that reflects back to readers their own experiences, strengths and hopes. By the last page, you€ll realize you€re actually living a life of adventures too, and that no matter how low you may get, the horizon always lies there in front of you. All you need is the courage to go toward it.

You don€t have to be a scuba diver to understand the author€s search for personal tranquility in a high-stress world of contradictions, conflicts and lies the TV tells us. But if you€re planning to dive in Central America, toss out those glossy scuba magazines, put aside "Lonely Planet" and read "Almost Tranquilo" before you go.