’ make sure it’s still there. In a

- even breaststroke my way

Down into the depths we go once more. This
week, however, not into the depths of Alexander’s
basement (seeking out surplus hardware for the
spring garage sale), but into the more exhilarating
depths where Betty Pratt-Johnson spends quite a

lot of her time.

I enjoy swimming, provid-
ed I can occasionally touch
the bottom with my big toe to

pool with a competent-look-
ing lifeguard on duty, Pil

happily to the deep end once
in a while. But I’ve never
mustered much enthusiasm
for the idea of putting my
head -- let alone my whole
body -- under the water.

My simple philosophy for
years has been that the best
thing to do with water, ‘for
your health’s sake, is to stay
on top of it. Frogmen,
probing around in the murk
10 fathoms down with spears
and waterproof cameras, are
something I’ve just never
wanted to think about much.

Sol have to ha ditt to Mrs.
Pratt-Johnson, . "16. year-old
wife of a. Vancouver doctor.
In a recently published book
she has actually managed to
interest me -- the most.
unlikely of her readers -- in
scuba-diving. Almost to the
point of toying madly with
the idea of. trying it for
myself.

‘“‘PROTECTED”’

Her book, a thick paper-
back of 396 pages, is entitled
141 Dives in the Protected
Waters of Washington and
British Columbia. Perhaps it
was the word ‘‘protected’’
that got through to me.
Maybe, too, it was Mrs.
Pratt-Johnson’s breezy and

We specialize in powor buffing and polishing.
Also complete Interlor & exterior cleaning.

cleaning & nolishing center
150 Pemberton NV 988-1 626 4

attractive
contributing editor to PACI-
FIC DIVING magazine and a
‘prolific freelance writer on
her beloved sport.)

style (she’s a

After a fact- t-packed intro-
duction designed to tell

‘people like myself all they
ever wanted to know about

scuba diving but never

‘bothered to ask, she moves
- methodically through all the
. she has _

141 diving sites
personally explored from
Powell River to Puget Sound.

This main part of the book

is a veritable Michelin Guide -

for local divers. Each site is
described in complete detail

under such headings as the
tide table to consult; - skills

required;
cess;

‘“‘why go?’’; ac-
bottom and depths;

hazards; telephones; facili-
ties; and miscellaneous com-
ments.

‘interesting. I'd always had

‘ wrecks. No need, in fact, for

: possible. but she confesses to.
a private enthusiasm for-

hing to accompany a Seattle

Accompanying each site
description. is an- excellent
nautical chart showing pre-
cise depths at various points
and a photograph, either of
the site itself or -- more
fascinatingly -- of
exotic. underwater creature

that the diver will probably i
-meet there. Including the‘

world’s largest octupus and
some pretty playful sea lions.

As a newcomer to Mrs.
Pratt-Johnson’s marine un-
derworld, I found her des-
criptions of why scuba divers
do it at all particularly

the idea that they peeled on
all that uncomfortable-look-.

ing-black rubber and heaved |

those bulky cylinders on to
their backs simply in order to
go down and have a look
around. =

WRECKS .

Not so. Some. divers

concentrate on underwater [|

photography. Others on
spearfishing. Or shell collect-
ing. Or bottle collecting. Or
discovering and. exploring

ever a dull moment. Mrs.

Pratt-Johnson likes to do all :

of them in turn, in order to
keen her interests as wide as

.e 3

wrecks.

This summer she’s plan-

diver on an expedition to find
his grandfather’s ship, which
burned and sank south of
Prince Rupert.

: Age, you'll be glad to
hear, is apparently no bar.
The author: herself didn’t
start until she was 37 and

says she’s sure she’s going

to be diving until she’s 906.

,

She knows of no reason
why not, so long as you pay
deep water the respect due to
it and always, always ob-
serve the first rule of: the

sport: never dive without a
buddy. .

141 Dives is published by. |

Gordon Soules, 355 Burrard
Street, Vancouver, and re-
tails at around $11.95. If
you're a scuba diver already,
I would say it’s a ‘‘must
have’”’.

And if ever Alexander gets
into deep water after all
these years at the shallow

-end, the responsibility will

lie squarely with Mrs.
Pratt-Johnson. The introduc-
tion to her book has the
seductive headline ‘‘Come

‘dive with me”’

By the time I'd finished
reading, I was beginning to
feel dangerously like accept-
ing the lady’s invitation.

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