Each year more than ten million Americans strap on scuba gear and explore the ocean"s floor, inspired by the promise of adventure and the lure of the deep. Neutral Buoyancy is an in-depth look at humanity"s age-old fascination with the wonders of the world beneath the waves and the burgeoning recreational sport of diving. Journalist and diver Tim Ecott takes you on a guided tour of the history of undersea exploration and the emergence of diving culture, from the sponge divers whom Aristotle witnessed using iron cauldrons to hold air underwater in the fourth century B.C., to the development of the first diving bell in the sixteenth century A.D., to the increasingly sophisticated scuba systems of today. Along the way, Ecott intersperses the stories of his own thrilling adventures. His love for diving has taken him from the waters of the South Pacific to the remote islands of the Seychelles, from explorations in the clear, flowing tides of Sardinia to a near-death experience in the cold, gray depths of the English Channel. Filled with engaging stories of humanity"s conquest of the undersea world -- and heartpounding action that will leave you breathless -- Neutral Buoyancy is a compelling blend of history and adventure, an unforgettable portrait of the world of undersea diving.