Richie Kohler Summary and Analysis

Chapter 6 provides background on Richie Kohler, one of the two main figures in Kurson's book. Kohler starts diving at a young age, learning first from his father who enjoys boating and diving and often takes his children out with him on weekends. Kohler sometimes gets in trouble at school, as in one incident when he and some others set fire to a student's gym clothes inside his locker. The incident is enough to cause the Navy to deny him admission after high school, and he goes to work for the glass company owned by his father.

Kohler's parents split up and his mother takes him with her to Florida from New York, where Kohler grows up. He returns to New York to work for his father, but after a falling out he leaves the company for another one. All...