Dive into the thrilling adventures of the daring explorer who pushed the limits of underwater exploration.
From discovering a pocket of air beneath a half-sunken rowboat as a young boy to setting a world diving record hundreds of feet below the surface of Lake Michigan, Max Nohl never stopped chasing the mysteries of our lakes, seas, and oceans. In Max Nohl’s Underwater Adventures, young readers will dive into the remarkable true story of the man who helped to modernize scuba diving and expand our ability to explore the watery depths.
Inventor, engineer, and explorer, Nohl was pushing the limits of human courage beneath the waves long before scuba diving became a recreational pastime. Readers of this biography for ages 8–11 will follow his riveting shipwreck treasure hunts, daring salvage expeditions, close encounters with sharks, and dramatic escapes from the many dangers under the sea.
But Nohl was more than an adventurer and thrill-seeker. Determined to make diving safer, he studied engineering at MIT and invented new equipment and techniques, including self-contained underwater breathing systems and helium-oxygen mixtures that opened the door to deeper exploration. He also helped pioneer advances in underwater camera equipment that allowed Hollywood moviemakers and others to capture watery scenes on film. Looking beyond Nohl’s own life story, this biography includes sidebars that give readers a peek into the history of deep-sea diving, tales of Great Lakes shipwrecks, and exploits of other record-breaking divers.
Filled with peril, discovery, ingenuity, and larger-than-life escapades, Max Nohl’s Underwater Adventures introduces young readers to an innovator whose curiosity and determination helped to unlock one of Earth’s last great frontiers—the mysterious world beneath the sea.

Jane Kelley is the author of many award-winning books for young readers, including the novels Nature Girl and The Desperate Adventures of Zeno and Alya, as well as more than fifty nonfiction children’s titles. She lives in Mequon, Wisconsin.