Discover the pioneering days of spearfishing and scuba diving, read about the sports early spearmen and women and the founding fathers of scuba diving in Australia. This book takes you month by month from 1917 to 1997, through the good and bad times, the discoveries, the tragedies, the undersea explorations, as well as instructor organizations, diving achievers, and a number of important events which together comprise the history of underwater diving in Australia. Within the pages of this book is a large section dealing with the Chronicle of Sport Diving, events reported as though they had recently happened, recapturing all the important occurrences that took place during 80 years since Alex Wickham first speared fish in Sydney Harbour. Special features include newspaper reports of early spearfishing, the establishment of the first spearfishing association in 1948 and the appearance of the first home-made scuba regulator. There are thrilling and sometimes tragic stories of shark attacks. A woman skin diver was lost at sea for nearly three days and nights, and survived. There is the story of Australias first and so far only world champion spearfisherman and that of two scuba divers who swam with a white pointer shark for half an hour in open water, yet were not attacked by the beast, the devastating deaths of four scuba divers in a sinkhole at Mt. Gambier, the rapid advance of underwater technology in Australia and much more. This is the only book of its kind dealing with the history of spearfishing and scuba diving in this country. For some, it will bring back old memories, for others a readable and authoritative history of spearfishing and scuba diving in Australia. For every diver, man or woman, it cannot fail to stir emotions as it recaptures exciting and historical events. At the end of the Second World War, a Frenchman, Michel Calluaud brought plans of the Gagnan-Cousteau regulator to Australia and he built one of the first in the world here. Australians could then use this equipment for work and pleasure and it has furthered their knowledge of life in the sea. As we push beyond the boundary of seashores and venture further under water we begin to discover many things that were once beyond our grasp and it is the aqualung that has enabled us to journey beyond the confinements of land. THE HISTORY OF SPEARFISHING AND SCUBA DIVING IN AUSTRALIA not only deals with the scuba diving, but also, as the title suggests, with a wealth of information concerning spearfishing and related underwater activities.

This volume offers new insight into an important and largely under-examined area of marine leisure and tourism: scuba diving tourism. Knowledge of scuba diving has long been hidden among broad discussions of water-based sports and activities and this focused book aims to shed further understanding and knowledge on this popular international activity. The book examines the current issues central to research into and management of scuba diving Tourism from multidisciplinary perspectives such as health and safety, climate change, policy and regulation and the recreation/leisure context. It further reveals critical management issues of economic, environmental and socio-cultural impacts related to scuba diving tourism which extends to the influence of climate change on the industry’s operations and future. This significant volume which conceptualizes the issues surrounding scuba diving tourism now and in the future is written by leading experts in this field and will be valuable reading for all those interested in marine leisure and tourism.

This handbook is unique in its consideration of social and cultural contributions to sustainable oceans management. It is also unique in its deconstruction of the hegemonic value attached to the oceans and in its analysis of discourses regarding what national governments in the Global South should prioritise in their oceans management strategy. Offering a historical perspective from the start, the handbook reflects on the confluence of (western) scientific discourse and colonialism, and the impact of this on indigenous conceptions of the oceans and on social identity. With regard to the latter, the authors are mindful of the nationalisation of island territories worldwide and the impact of this process on regional collaboration, cultural exchange and the valuation of the oceans. Focusing on global examples, the handbook offers a nuanced, region relevant, contemporary conceptualisation of blue heritage, discussing what will be required to achieve an inclusive oceans economy by 2063, the end goal date of the African Union’s Agenda 2063. The analysis will be useful to established academics in the field of ocean studies, policymakers and practitioners engaged in research on the ocean economy, as well as graduate scholars in the ocean sciences.