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An escapee from New Zealand, Mcgettigan is one of a group of commercial divers who has worked in many of the bodies of water of the world—from Asia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand to the North Sea and Mexico. His diverse adventures are sponsored by the oil and gas industries for which he has worked. Along the way, he's been in danger and nearly betrayed by his "umbilical," the cord that supplies each diver with oxygen—or does at least under normal circumstances. He has surfed in several environments, including "Coast to Coast in Australia." He married and raised a family (the latter he credits to his wife much more than himself) and acquired eccentric and interesting friends and colleagues who punctuate his nearly nonstop adventures.
The book is written tongue-in-cheek, and the tenses are as varied as the author's locations. However, the loose construction of the narrative emphasizes and enriches the stories. The work, from a self-confessed non-writer, is an expression of gratitude to his parents, his wife, his children, his luck, and his love of life. The book is fun, and Mcgettigan's interpretations in each chapter are relaxed and humorous. His attitude is one of a risk-taker who is grounded by the people in his life and a rebounding belief in himself. He tells jokes on himself in many of the enjoyable anecdotes, and he more than once expresses the wish that the reader gets a laugh from the stories. He feels that he is a lucky guy and wants to express that and his happiness to anyone who might enjoy the book. The relaxed tone of the narrative adds to the delight of the work.