Collection Development "Water Sports": Everyone Into the Water!
By Christina L. Hennessey -- Library Journal, 6/1/2007
As the days grow longer and warmer with the approach of summer, our thoughts turn to the outdoors and the clear blue of water sports. While recreational choices range from in-the-water activities like water polo to under-the-water sports like free diving and on-the-water diversions like water skiing, this article will focus on three of the most popular: swimming, surfing, and scuba diving.
| See the Water Sports Web Addendum |
Whether as a competitive sport or as low-impact aerobic exercise, swimming can be enjoyed by people at many skill levels and ages. According to USA Swimming, the governing body for the sport, the United States has been ranked as the top swimming nation for over 40 years. Today, over 270,000 swimmers participate in “age group swimming” (up to age 18), which is organized at the high school level or the club level and administered by USA Swimming. Those over the age of 18 who want to compete, train for triathlons or open water swims (in oceans or lakes), or just workout can join “Masters swimming” programs—there are some 450 clubs in the United States with 40,000 members; links to their web sites can be found at the U.S. Masters Swimming site (listed in the following bibliography).
For the novice swimmer or parents teaching their babies to swim, print resources are few (see Rob and Kathy McKay's Learn To Swim, DK, 2005): the general expectation is that these beginners will take a class at the local pool. Competitive swimmers will turn to training guides, preferably illustrated with photos or drawings demonstrating the key four competitive strokes: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. These titles can also be used by casual swimmers wanting to add new workouts to their routines. When available, accompanying videos/DVDs should be purchased so strokes and techniques can be studied more closely. Other videos are available from the web site of Swimming World magazine (listed below).
When deciding what to weed, remember that over the past few decades there have been changes in stroke technique, turns, kicks, starts, wall touching, and breathing rules. For example, breaststrokers can now put their head completely underwater, a move that resulted in disqualification back in the 1970s but has now led to an entirely new type of stroke called the “wave” breaststroke. Likewise, swimmers and coaches constantly look for new ways to swim faster within the rules. Check www.fina.org and www.usms.org for updates.
Surf's up
In 1959, there were only 5000 surfers worldwide. Today, the sport invented by native Hawaiians attracts an estimated 17 million to 23 million people globally. In the United States, there are some 2.3 million surfers. While California and Hawaii remain the primary surfing states, the East Coast, especially Florida, also attracts surfers. Because one can learn the basics of surfing in a short day-long class and experience the thrill of surfing at a low-cost and -commitment level, the sport is drawing a wider variety of participants, including more women. Indeed, boards and equipment are now designed for female figures, and there are surfing schools and tours that cater specifically to women,
In building a surfing collection, buy guides that offer advice on purchasing equipment, improving technique, and finding the best surfing places. Color photos showing technique and identifying beautiful surf spots are essential ingredients of these titles, but be aware that many surf books are primarily picture books with minimal text. Also consider surfing anthologies, as even nonsurfers will find reading about big-wave surf experiences thrilling. Because the key to the sport is just to get out there and do it, there are fewer “how to surf” DVDs than there are documentaries that highlight surfing stars or surf culture.
Discard those older sexist titles that refer to girls as too delicate or petite to surf. Books should also keep up with the latest in surfboard technology. For the most part, however, most surfing titles are timeless and can be retained.
Don't get the bends!
Once a military-like, male-dominated sport, scuba diving has become a mainstream activity practiced by all ages (12 and up) and by both genders. In the United States, 8.5 million people are certified divers—certification is a requirement if divers want to rent equipment and go on commercial dive trips. Check out www.padi.com (see below), www.naui.com, or www.ymcascuba.com to identify certification courses. And even if your library is landlocked, dives take place in lakes and other deep water so having a few scuba diving titles in your sports collection is vital.
For novices and intermediate divers, purchase manuals and textbooks that include sections on choosing the right equipment and how to dive safely. Divers are also looking for where to execute their next dive, so guidebooks with color pictures and descriptions of dive spots and the marine life to be seen are essential, along with advice on the appropriate dives for various skill levels. Where there's interest, include titles on cave and wreck diving. For snorklers, some of the titles listed in the following bibliography indicate if a dive spot is also appropriate for their pastime. Scuba diving equipment is ever-evolving and increasingly complex, so for safety reasons it is necessary to weed books that discuss older equipment.
Publishing champs
The top publisher on water sports is Human Kinetics, with consistently high-quality, well-laid-out titles authored by respected coaches and athletes. DK Publishing (formerly Dorling Kindersley) dependably offers quality products with gorgeous pictures and a good balance of informative text. And Lonely Planet publishes many travel guides on diving in specific regions of the world. Starred [
] titles below are essential for all public library collections.
Swimming: Books
Dean, Penny Lee. Open Water Swimming: A Complete Guide for Distance Swimmers and Triathletes. Human Kinetics. 1998. 223p. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-88011-704-3. pap. $19.95.
Although almost a decade old, this is still the best reference for those interested in the increasingly popular sport of open water swimming. A former open water swimming world record holder covers what equipment you'll need, technique, training (body and mind), workouts for open water, and major events in the sport.
Goldstein, Mel & Dave Tanner. Swimming Past 50. Human Kinetics. (Ageless Athlete). 1999. 203p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-0-88011-907-8. pap. $17.95.
Focusing on the needs and concerns of older swimmers, this guide by two Masters swimming coaches explains age-appropriate workouts, realistic goals, tips for preventing injuries common to the older swimmer, and personal profiles of over-50 swimmers. All the photos are of over-50 swimmers.
McFarlane-Mirande, Tracey with Kathlene Bissell. Championship Swimming: How To Swim Like a Pro in Thirty Days or Less. McGraw-Hill. 2005. 180p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-0-07-144730-0. pap. $14.95.
For postcollege intermediate and competitive swimmers who want to improve technique and speed or for those who haven't swam since age group days, this guide by a two-time Olympic champion offers an excellent place to start. Reminding readers that strokes and turns have changed in the last few decades, McFarlane-Mirande offers a month's worth of workouts and drills that take swimmers from Week 1 (basic freestyle, breathing) to Week 7 (butterfly workouts), with 12 additional regimens in the final chapter.
Maglischo, Ernest W. Swimming Fastest. Human Kinetics. 2003. 790p. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-7360-3180-6. $45.95.
For the intermediate swimmer or coach who wants to understand the science and stroke mechanics of swimming in order to improve performance, this revised edition of Swimming Even Faster (1993) is an excellent resource, with drills and workouts included. Not for beginners.
Sweetenham, Bill & John Atkinson. Championship Swim Training. Human Kinetics. 2003. 301p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-0-7360-4543-8 . pap. $24.95.
Successful Australian swim coaches Sweetenham and Atkinson advise coaches and intermediate swimmers on how to improve strokes and techniques for stronger performance. Benchmark tests help readers determine their current fitness level before beginning. Groups of workouts make an entire program.
The Swim Coaching Bible. Human Kinetics. 2001. 361p. ed. by Dick Hannula & Nort Thornton. illus. ISBN 978-0-7360-3646-7. pap. $23.95.
With chapters contributed by the sport's leading coaches, this guide addresses the particular concerns of swim coaches: administering a program and practices, marketing a team, coaching with integrity, and the art of coaching and developing talent.
Swimming: Periodicals
Swimming World Magazine. m. $29.95. PO Box 20337, Sedona, AZ 86341; 928-284-4005; www.swimmingworldmagazine.com. ISSN 0039-7431.
The “bible” of competitive age group swimming (eight through college) features swim news, age group meet results, training and sample workouts, and upcoming events. The web site supplements the print issue with the best online coverage of age group competitive swimming news, along with searchable event results, searchable workouts by ability and length, and an RSS feed for swimming news.
USMS Swimmer. bi-m. $19.95 (free for USMS members). 8730 Stony Point Pkwy., Suite 250, Richmond, VA 23235; FAX 804-272-1694; www.usmsswimmer.com. ISSN 1554-284X.
The official publication of U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) includes features, results, health tips, and training and technique for Masters swimmers.
Swimming On the Web
United States Masters Swimming (USMS)
www.usms.org
The official site of USMS includes news, event results, workouts, training articles, and information on how to join a local Masters club.
World Championship Sports Network (WCSN)
swimming section
www.wcsn.com/sport/index.jsp?id=34001
For U.S. swimming fans, WCSN delivers live and archived video of national and international events. The production values are of Olympic quality. Much of the archived video is free, and watching live events can be purchased for a monthly or annual pass ($4.95/$49.95). This site also has current international competitive swimming news.
Surfing: Books
Baker, Tim. Go Surf. DK. 2007. 160p. illus. ISBN 978-0-7566-2628-0. pap. $16.95 with DVD.
By focusing on technique, not surf spots, this entry in DK's “Go” series offers all the instruction a beginner needs to start surfing. The accompanying DVD is fully integrated with the text—an icon in the book indicates when to watch the technique just explained in the text on the DVD, and these icons are found on most pages. Numerous photos supplement the text.
Kampion, Drew. Stoked! A History of Surf Culture. 2d ed. Gibbs Smith. 2003. 224p. photogs. ISBN 978-1-58685-213-9. $39.95.
Surf journalist Kampion delivers the essential history of surf culture, covering its major points and changes over the years, from its Polynesian origins through the 1960s California scene to today's international pro circuits.
Marcus, Ben. Surfing USA! An Illustrated History of the Coolest Sport of All Time. Voyageur Pr. 2005. 208p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-89658-690-1. $36.95.
Marcus, the former editor of Surfer magazine, captures surfing culture and history with the appropriate balance of text and photos of surfers, surf collectibles, decals, album covers, advertisements, surf movie posters, and surf boards through the years.
Southerden, Louise. Surf's Up: The Girl's Guide to Surfing. Ballantine. 2005. 272p. photogs. ISBN 978-0-345-47661-6. pap. $14.95.
The former editor of an Australian surfing magazine for girls has written a beginning surfing book that offers teenage girls sound advice without being condescending. She covers not only the basics but offers practical tips that male surfing instructors wouldn't know about, such as how to keep bikini tops from falling off or how to change at the beach or how to choose the right board for a petite surfer. The relaxed layout presents lots of pictures and sidebars, all featuring women surfers. (LJ 2/1/05)
Warshaw, Matt. The Encyclopedia of Surfing. Harcourt. 2003. 768p. photogs. bibliog. ISBN 978-0-15-100579-6. $40; pap. Harvest: Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-15-603251-3. $24.95.
Authored by a former editor of Surfer magazine, this landmark reference, the first comprehensive encyclopedia on the topic, features 1500 amazingly detailed A-to-Z entries that cover surfer biographies, techniques, terms, equipment, geographic areas, and more. A joy to browse. Essential for any sports reference collection.
Zero Break: An Illustrated Collection of Surf Writing, 1777–2004. Harvest: Harcourt. 2004. 384p. ed. by Matt Warshaw. photogs. ISBN 978-0-15-602953-7. pap. $19.95.
When surfers can't ride the waves, they love to read about surfing. This anthology includes fiction, essays, verse, cartoons, and screenplays, all about surfing. Other recommended collections: Big Wave: Stories of Riding the World's Wildest Water, edited by Clint Willis (Avalon, 2003), and The Big Drop: Classic Big Wave Surfing Stories, edited by John Long (Falcon, 1999).
Surfing: Periodicals
The Surfer's Journal. bi-m. $56. PO Box 4006, San Clemente, CA 92674; 800-666-2122; www.surfersjournal.com. ISSN 1062-3892.
This “National Geographic for the surfer set” includes lots of beautiful pictures but also in-depth articles about surfing history, the love of surfing, and surf travel. In a departure from most other surfing mags, it does not include stories on competitions, and it is mostly reader-supported (only six pages of ads per issue).
Surfer Magazine. m. $14.97. PO Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235; 800-289-0636; www.surfermag.com. ISSN 0039-6036.
Published since 1960, this legendary surfing periodical includes hundreds of glossy surfing photos, travel features, interviews with competitive athletes, and equipment reviews. There are plenty of ads of surfing and for items to support the surfer lifestyle, and it is often difficult to tell the ads from the editorial. The well-produced web site complements the print with extra features, video, photos, travel information, and event coverage.
Surfing: DVDs
Endless Summer Collection. color. 262 min. Image Entertainment. 2004. $44.99.
Considered the classic surf documentary, Bruce Brown's Endless Summer (1966) follows two young surfers in their journey around the world in search of the perfect wave. Brown retraces his steps in Endless Summer II(1994), capturing the world surf culture of the 1990s. The final feature, Endless Summer Revisited(2000), is a “making-of” documentary of the first two films and includes unused footage from the previous productions. All the films feature spectacular cinematography.
Riding Giants. color. 101 min. Sony Pictures. 2005. $24.96.
Director Stacy Peralta (Dogtown and Z-Boys) captures the feeling and thrill of looking for and catching the “big wave.” Dividing big-wave surfing into three eras, her documentary focuses on one big wave rider for each one (Laird Hamilton for the last). The DVD includes director, editor, and surfer commentaries.
Step into Liquid. color. 87 min. Lion's Gate, www.stepintoliquid.com. 2004. $14.98.
Dana Brown, son of Endless Summer's director Bruce Brown, visits beautiful surf spots and captures Millennial surf culture with breathtakingly beautiful cinematography. The two-DVD set includes plenty of extras that will appeal to the surfer, including commentaries and deleted scenes.
Surfing on the Web
Surfing: A Surfer's Directory
www.isurfing.com
This international directory of surfing web sites offers links to over 2500 weather sites, surf shops and equipment, associations, schools and camps, and surf entertainment.
The Surfing Handbook
www.surfinghandbook.com
This easy-to-follow online beginner's guide includes sections on equipment, ocean safety, tips for avoiding shark attacks, and more.
Surfing Live
www.surfinglive.com
Surf buffs can find live video of popular competitive surfing events, as well as surf cams to check live surf worldwide.
Scuba Diving: Books
Ange, Michael R. Diver Down: Real-World Scuba Accidents and How To Avoid Them. International Marine/Ragged Mountain: McGraw-Hill. 2006. 210p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-0-07-144572-6. pap. $15.95.
Scuba diving is a dangerous sport, but participants can lessen the risks if they understand what can go wrong. Diving safety expert Ange, a contributing writer and technical editor for Scuba Diving magazine, presents 20 diving incidents that ended in serious injury or death and performs accident analysis on each so the reader can learn from these mistakes. Each analysis includes “strategies for survival.”
Coleman, Clay. The Certified Diver's Handbook: The Complete Guide to All Your Underwater Adventures. International Marine/Ragged Mountain: McGraw-Hill. 2004. 374p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-0-07-141460-9. pap. $22.95.
Once you are certified and no longer attending a regular diving class with a coach, it is easy to lose skills or lose interest in diving before you have a chance to take your first dive trip. Coleman, a 30-year diving veteran, advises on what the individual diver can do after certification to transition to a “lifetime of diving,” including buying or renting the right equipment, planning dives, finding dive sites close to home, and more.
Dive Atlas of the World: An Illustrated Reference to the Best Sites. Lyons Pr. 2003. 300p. ed. by Jack Jackson. photogs. maps. index. ISBN 978-1-59228-206-7. $39.95.
With contributions from diving experts, writers, and photographers, this atlas offers an excellent photographic tour of the world's best dive spots. For each one, the book presents colorful maps of where to dive, describes how far down wrecks or marine life can be found, if snorkeling is possible there, and all relevant travel information. However, this is not comprehensive; coverage of the Caribbean is weak compared to the sections on the Pacific and Indian oceans, and only a few sites in the United States are listed.
Down Time: Great Writers on Diving. 2d ed. Look Away Bks. 2001. 288p. ed. by Ed Kittrell & others. ISBN 978-0-9658344-4-5. pap. $15.
This varied collection of scuba diving writing includes contributions from Peter Benchley, Dave Barry, Tim Cahill, Clare Booth Luce, and works from many time periods.
Graver, Dennis. Scuba Diving. 3d ed. Human Kinetics. 2003. 209p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-7360-4539-1. pap. $23.95.
This colorful beginner's guide is used for many diving classes, including the YMCA Scuba Diving program. All the basics are covered: why dive, equipment, diving science, and what you might see on a dive.
Halls, Monty. Go Scuba Dive. DK. 2007. 160p. illus. ISBN 978-0-7566-2627-3. pap. $16.95 with DVD.
Like the Go Surf volume above, this handy guide covers all the basics for beginners, and the accompanying DVD, featuring live-action coaching, is fully integrated with the text. Lots of photos accompany the text, which focuses on technique, not dive spots.
Keatts, Henry & Brian Skerry. Complete Wreck Diving: A Guide to Diving Wrecks. Aqua Quest. 2002. 271p. illus. index. ISBN 978-1-881652-30-4. pap. $17.95.
For the diver interested in wreck diving, biologist/oceanographer Keatts and underwater photographer Skerry give you the tools to find popular and undiscovered (virgin) wrecks, including techniques and fundamentals of wreck diving, researching sunken ships, finding a charter boat to wreck spots, and taking photographs of wrecks.
Scuba Diving: Periodicals
Scuba Diving. m. $16.97. 6600 Abercorn St., Suite 208, Savannah, GA 31405; 800-666-0016; www.scubadiving.com. ISSN 1553-7919.
This periodical features reviews of gear and equipment, dive spots, aquatic life, and diver technique and safety, along with stunning photography. Its well-designed web site offers extra features on travel, gear, and training, online free videos, and an active “Diver to Diver” message board.
Sport Diver. 11/yr. $29 (free with PADI membership). 460 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 200, Winter Park, FL 32789; 800-879-0478; www.sportdiver.com. ISSN 1077-985X.
For divers and dive instructors, this official publication of the PADI Diving Society (see below) offers articles on diver education, gear and equipment, dive travel, and photography. The web site focuses on scuba dive travel and updated diving news. A scuba gear guide is available, along with quality streaming videos about travel, instruction, and equipment.
Scuba Diving on the Web
Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI)
www.padi.com
PADI is the world's largest recreational diving organization. This provides information on what you need to start diving, keep diving, and teach diving; advice on equipment; and a list of organized dive trips.
| Author Information |
| Christina L. Hennessey, Serials Cataloging Librarian, Loyola Marymount Libraries, Los Angeles, is a former competitive age group swimmer who spent most of her formative years in the pool and who completed her first open water swim event last summer. She has reviewed sports books and videos forLJ since 2003 |
