Lake Erie Technical Wreck Diving Guide

Description

Erik Petkovic’s Lake Erie Technical Wreck Diving Guide is packed with tales of maritime disasters: sailing ships and steamers which foundered, succumbed to storms, collided or were engulfed in flames. There are ships which sank more than once, were involved in wars, slave escapes and catastrophic collisions, plus daring stories of deep salvage, valuable cargoes, submarines, experimental engineering and unidentified wrecks. The guide brings to life the rediscovered history of the ships, passengers and crews.

Then there are the dives themselves. Some of the wrecks are remarkably intact for their age. Amongst the features which can be seen are wooden ships’ wheels, standing masts, rudders, propellers, portholes, engines, boilers and steamship hogging arches. Each chapter describes the history, current condition, location, dimensions, hazards and highlights of an individual wreck. The author’s original research, full-colour contributor photos and archive materials help bring these 19 enticing, challenging, rarely dived wrecks to life.

Reviews of Lake Erie Technical Wreck Diving Guide

‘A necessary tool for any deep water diver preparing to explore these Great Lakes shipwrecks, and it is a brilliant edition to any serious marine historian’s collection.’– Gene Peterson, gue.com

‘Erik Petkovic has done a brilliant job of researching the diving and history of these shipwrecks… Lake Erie Technical Wreck Diving Guide presents dossiers on each wreck dive with practicle and valuable information… an indispensible and much needed diving companion that will help you plan and execute these dives safely.’– Wreck Diving Magazine

‘The stories in this book paint a fascinating picture of two centuries in the life of the North American continent. They’re also a page-turning collection of adventures from a part of the world little-known to UK divers. Even if you have no intention of visiting them, it’s well worth diving into Erik Petkovic’s tales of the shipwrecks of Lake Erie.’– BritishDiver.co.uk

‘As captivating as it is comprehensive. Equal parts historic compendium and dive guide, the book weaves these subjects together to form an all-encompassing narrative, which draws the reader in and provides the right degree of details and facts without dragging out its pace. This is a must for wreck divers, maritime history enthusiasts, and anyone interested in delving into an era gone but not forgotten.’ — John Tapley, SCUBA and H2O Adventure magazine

‘Erik researches a story the way a detective examines a crime scene, then tells it in a way that makes you feel as though you were there. This book is the blending of his investigative talents and some of the world’s top wreck diving photographers, about Lake Erie’s most mysterious and beautiful deep-water shipwrecks. This is not just a diver’s guidebook but includes facts that have never been published before as only Erik can uncover, and the tales to go with them, uniquely bringing to life what must have been going through the minds of people onboard when all hope was lost. Any technical diver considering diving on any of these wrecks should first read this one-of-a-kind book!’–Joe Porter, Publisher, Wreck Diving Magazine

‘Even if you don’t dive, the book is an exciting read with Erik’s in depth and meticulous research taking the reader through the fascinating history of each wreck and the crew…. I am not a technical diver but, even so, read the book with intense interest from cover to cover. This book is far greater than a list of technical information on how to dive these particular wrecks. It is a template for all wreck diving, technical or not. If you want more from your wreck diving than just bringing up old bits of brass or rusting iron then this book is an absolute must.’– Scubaverse

‘Meticulously researched, nicely composed, beautifully illustrated. I wish I had written this book.’– Gary Gentile

‘The writing is clear and descriptive, factfiles and safety tips are helpful and there are quite a few greenish underwater photos and illustrations. Nice cover too. Up for something new?’ – Diver magazine

The Author of Lake Erie Technical Wreck Diving Guide

Erik A Petkovic is a technical wreck diver and maritime historian specializing in shipwreck research. He has been published in multiple international dive magazines and is the author of Shipwrecks of Lake Erie: Volume One (2018). A highly sought-after speaker, Erik is available for presentations and seminars. He currently works in Washington DC and resides in Southern Maryland with his wife and two sons.

Contributors

The book was supported by many top contributors – for instance, the cover shot of the John J Boland is by Becky Schott. There are also contributions by Vlada Dekina, Steve Gatto, Gary Gentile, Cris Kohl, Garry Kozak, Paul Lenharr, Warren Lo and Tom Wilson.