Tanked Up

A colourful and moving true story of following your passion across the globe.

From a young age, Ben Thompson felt an irresistible pull toward the sea and its power. This is the story of how he answered that calling, transforming a childhood dream into a life less ordinary. By his mid-twenties, Thompson was being paid to dive some of the world's most exquisite coral reefs, working as an instructor in some of the most exotic and varied locations imaginable.

From exploring the far reaches of South East Asia by local yacht to off-roading through sub-Saharan Africa in search of undiscovered dive sites, Thompson sees the world through a diver's mask. His adventures have taken him to the edge of danger: he dives one of the world's only vertical wrecks just as it ruptures its gas tanks and sparks an international incident, faces down a militia group with guns in the Philippines, is rescued by pirates in Indonesian waters, and joins America's largest naked diving group in the Caicos. His is an exhilarating tale of escaping the ordinary and chasing adventure to the ends of the earth.

Throughout it all, his ever-patient partner and dive buddy Vic stands by his side, making this as much a cheering love story as it is a thrilling account of a life at sea. Thompson's story will captivate divers, travellers, seafarers, and adventurers of all kinds.