Can a conflicted dive leader keep from drowning amidst a midlife crisis, a breakup, an attempted murder, and the changing of his beloved Hawaiian paradise?

Ravi Rockulz is a dive leader in Hawaii with good friends, good times, and plenty of willing female tourists. But something is missing, and rapid development is displacing the magic of his island home. The influx of new residents seeking paradise and demanding modern conveniences is making things painfully similar to that scab on the earth: Los Angeles.

An unexpected heartthrob enters and leads to sudden growth in a breakup and attempted murder. It’s enough to push a guy out of his rut: Tahiti calls, untrammeled and pure. Rediscovering reef love, passion, and a keen eye through a lens, he seeks artistic expression. He captures aquatic life and social order in compelling portraiture, along with vibrancy and abundance long gone on the reefs of Hawaii. A mother-and-child duet of Moorish idols, brightly banded coral shrimp the local divers take for granted, Pyramid butterflies in a hundred-foot column, and massive muscular sharks at Rangiroa round out the spiritual flight.

Reefdog delineates the tide rip between business and nature. Exotic characters and settings follow a scuba diver from Eilat to Hawaii, through the crisis of middle age. The man struggles to stay afloat, as livelihood and socially acceptable behavior become flotsam, providing marginal buoyancy in a world adrift.

Read an excerpt here.

“REEFDOG plays beautifully on a rift. Many an eco-activist battles with this dilemma until forced to make a stand. Robert Wintner captures the conflict with very real presence in this intricately crafted exotic tale. A simple story of life told through challenge and triumph in one of nature’s cathedrals… the reef.”
—Peter Jay Brown, Director: Confessions of an Eco-Terrorist

“My head is usually above the clouds but Reefdog drew me to the mysteries of reef currents and creatures and the adventures of those who dive on them.”
—Ben Zuckerman, Physics & Astronomy professor at UCLA, focused on the birth and death of stars and planetary systems and intelligent life in the Universe .

“Reefdog is a classic. Once picked up, you can’t put it down. A great read for your next vacation or weekend getaway.”
—George Pierce, Principal, George R. Pierce & Ass., LLC, A top 100 Financial Advisor in the US (Independent Investment Advisors Magazine)

“Robert Wintner is witty and smart, and so is his new book, Reefdog. It’s a unique combo for adventure. The writing is compelling and shows his vast experience and insight to today’s reef world.”
—Paula Fouce, author and filmmaker of Not in God’s Name: Making Sense of Religious Conflict, and No Asylum: The Untold Chapter of Anne Frank’s Story.

“I loved Reefdog for its action and insights to reef life and ocean challenges. This story captures a reality that most  will never glimpse but now they can love it for all it is worth. Romance and honest action on the high seas  read so well for me.”
––Mike  Long, Operations Director, Parley for the Oceans, NY, AU