Author: | Tony Buxton | ISBN: | 9781370257614 |
Publisher: | Tony Buxton | Publication: | October 17, 2017 |
Imprint: | Smashwords Edition | Language: | English |
Author: | Tony Buxton |
ISBN: | 9781370257614 |
Publisher: | Tony Buxton |
Publication: | October 17, 2017 |
Imprint: | Smashwords Edition |
Language: | English |
Freediving in the early 1950s
Offering his services as an underwater diving guide in Sri Lanka in the early 1950s, he was in high demand by wealthy celebrities, seeking new interests, especially spearfishing. Many invited him to their homes, leading to a lifestyle and fame that he hardly imagined. The diversity of his freediving experiences is fascinating. As the first person to dive in The Maldives, Thailand and Southern India, he became a diving legend. He won the national spearfishing Championships and then went on to take first place in the British team at the World Championships in Malta in 1959.
Jaques Cousteau offered him employment and Hans Haas invited him to join his expedition to the Maldives and Nicobar Islands. In 1965 he set out to sail around the world on a Chinese junk filmed by award-winning underwater photographer Ben Kropp and dived on unknown Pacific reefs with famed explorer Jacques Dumas. Finally, he became a hugely successful commercial diver in Singapore. The different underwater work that he performed was astounding, including a joint venture with Exxon, resulting in a fortune he never anticipated. He bought a leading hotel in Pattaya, Thailand and set up the first PADI diving outfit in the country. Branching out into many other businesses, he led a flamboyant lifestyle, counting Kings, Presidents and well-known film stars among his friends. Amazingly, he hardly ever used SCUBA for his work, but entirely through free diving achieved a lifestyle all but impossible today. Anyone interested in diving, especially freediving should read this book.
Freediving in the early 1950s
Offering his services as an underwater diving guide in Sri Lanka in the early 1950s, he was in high demand by wealthy celebrities, seeking new interests, especially spearfishing. Many invited him to their homes, leading to a lifestyle and fame that he hardly imagined. The diversity of his freediving experiences is fascinating. As the first person to dive in The Maldives, Thailand and Southern India, he became a diving legend. He won the national spearfishing Championships and then went on to take first place in the British team at the World Championships in Malta in 1959.
Jaques Cousteau offered him employment and Hans Haas invited him to join his expedition to the Maldives and Nicobar Islands. In 1965 he set out to sail around the world on a Chinese junk filmed by award-winning underwater photographer Ben Kropp and dived on unknown Pacific reefs with famed explorer Jacques Dumas. Finally, he became a hugely successful commercial diver in Singapore. The different underwater work that he performed was astounding, including a joint venture with Exxon, resulting in a fortune he never anticipated. He bought a leading hotel in Pattaya, Thailand and set up the first PADI diving outfit in the country. Branching out into many other businesses, he led a flamboyant lifestyle, counting Kings, Presidents and well-known film stars among his friends. Amazingly, he hardly ever used SCUBA for his work, but entirely through free diving achieved a lifestyle all but impossible today. Anyone interested in diving, especially freediving should read this book.