MikeRiley
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What's the best scuba diving book? Thoughts?
best scuba diving book
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Michael Guerrero
Contributor
Technical Diver Encyclopedia by Tom Mount.
There are many out there. What aspect of scuba diving are you interested in?
Decompression theory? Then I would recommend "Deco for divers"
A more all encompassing book?..."The six skills, and other discussions"
"Diving science" is also a very good one.
New to diving? "Scuba: A practical guide for new divers"
There are a lot out there to recommend, it depends on where your interests lie.
Cheers,
Mitch
Decompression theory? Then I would recommend "Deco for divers"
A more all encompassing book?..."The six skills, and other discussions"
"Diving science" is also a very good one.
New to diving? "Scuba: A practical guide for new divers"
There are a lot out there to recommend, it depends on where your interests lie.
Cheers,
Mitch
fisheater
Contributor
claymore
Contributor
In a different direction The Shadow Divers is an excellent book about wreck diving and researching a submarines origines.
Another book with a lot of food for thought is Diver Down.
Another book with a lot of food for thought is Diver Down.
Are you talking fiction? Or are you looking for a reference? Or a tightly written book on a specific topic?
You've gotten a bunch of titles already: Deco for Divers is quite simply the ONLY good, thorough and accessibly written reference on decompression theory for the general diver.
Six Skills is both beautifully (and wittily) written, and has a lot of information to digest, and although it was not written primarily for the recreational diver, it has much food for thought for any of us.
A broader reference, and written for a less intense sort of audience, is the PADI Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving. It contains information on topics ranging from the great ocean currents to how regulators work. It's easy reading and designed to be done in chunks, so you can store it in the bathroom and absorb it in ten minute pieces.
Clay Coleman wrote The Certified Diver's Handbook, and although some of it is dated and I don't agree with everything in the book, there is a wealth of information on just the kind of thing the new diver isn't well prepared for. When I finished my OW, for example, I'd never heard of a granny line or a tag line . . . practical information on how to go about a variety of dives is what this book is good for.
And if you want to challenge your ideas and confront a different approach to diving, consider Doing it Right: The Fundamentals of Better Diving by Jarrod Jablonski. Again somewhat dated and in need of better editing, it still has some very interesting ideas which are worth some thought.
On the other hand, if you're looking for entertaining books about diving, I think most folks would agree that the best fiction/semifiction about scuba is Shadow Divers. This book works even for the non-diving family member. It's well written, filled with suspense, and has very human characters. The story is a true story, although there is argument about the details.
There are many books written about the Andrea Doria, including The Last Dive by Bernie Chowdury, who dove on many of the trips recounted in Shadow Divers. Not as well written as the former book, it is in some ways more gripping, as it is written by a diver.
If you are more interested in reef diving and ocean life, consider Neutral Buoyancy, which is the story of a year and a half in the life of a very introspective dive bum. There are some great lines in the book, and I often quote some of them.
Lots of diving reading out there . . . It just depends on what you had in mind.
You've gotten a bunch of titles already: Deco for Divers is quite simply the ONLY good, thorough and accessibly written reference on decompression theory for the general diver.
Six Skills is both beautifully (and wittily) written, and has a lot of information to digest, and although it was not written primarily for the recreational diver, it has much food for thought for any of us.
A broader reference, and written for a less intense sort of audience, is the PADI Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving. It contains information on topics ranging from the great ocean currents to how regulators work. It's easy reading and designed to be done in chunks, so you can store it in the bathroom and absorb it in ten minute pieces.
Clay Coleman wrote The Certified Diver's Handbook, and although some of it is dated and I don't agree with everything in the book, there is a wealth of information on just the kind of thing the new diver isn't well prepared for. When I finished my OW, for example, I'd never heard of a granny line or a tag line . . . practical information on how to go about a variety of dives is what this book is good for.
And if you want to challenge your ideas and confront a different approach to diving, consider Doing it Right: The Fundamentals of Better Diving by Jarrod Jablonski. Again somewhat dated and in need of better editing, it still has some very interesting ideas which are worth some thought.
On the other hand, if you're looking for entertaining books about diving, I think most folks would agree that the best fiction/semifiction about scuba is Shadow Divers. This book works even for the non-diving family member. It's well written, filled with suspense, and has very human characters. The story is a true story, although there is argument about the details.
There are many books written about the Andrea Doria, including The Last Dive by Bernie Chowdury, who dove on many of the trips recounted in Shadow Divers. Not as well written as the former book, it is in some ways more gripping, as it is written by a diver.
If you are more interested in reef diving and ocean life, consider Neutral Buoyancy, which is the story of a year and a half in the life of a very introspective dive bum. There are some great lines in the book, and I often quote some of them.
Lots of diving reading out there . . . It just depends on what you had in mind.
Scubagolf
Contributor
Deco for Divers by Mark Powell is a really good book that expands any diver' knowledge. Don't be put off by the word Deco in the title.
Shadow Divers is a great read. My 85 year old father loved it, and he grilled me about diving after he read it. Available at most public libraries, and the audiobook is well done, as well.
Shadow Divers is a great read. My 85 year old father loved it, and he grilled me about diving after he read it. Available at most public libraries, and the audiobook is well done, as well.
ajduplessis
Contributor
You mean "Yoga Encyclopedia"
Jokes aside, good book with very relevant information. The discussion around the various deco models, how they work and the testing is great.
Deco for Divers also very good and I could not put down Shadow Divers.
My two favorites are "Deco for Divers" and "The Six Skills".
Oef.... that's a tough read though. It reads like a continuous 270 page long stream of consciousness with about as much structure and order as the kind of dreams you have when you drink too much.
Lots of good information but your tolerance for digging through a wall of text to find the two things you already didn't know is going to need to be very high.
Of all of the scuba diving related books I've read I think Scuba Regulator Maintenance and Repair book from Vance Harlow is one that has the most interesting information. I've ordered Deco for Divers but Mark mailed me that the new printing won't be done until about Christmas so I won't read it until next year. Most people seem to agree that it's a good book though.
As for general knowledge that is relevant to the recreational diver, I think PADI's, Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving and their Open Water course book contain *most* of what you'll ever really need to know in practice unless you want to go technical or start to teach.
R..
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