Scuba Diving Books

This book is a good introduction to scuba diving. I recommend it in addition to the comprehensive "Scuba Diving" by Dennis K. Graver, which provides more information on diving equipment.

Sports Illustrated concentrates on the diving itself, and it has the best pictures and explanations of downproofing - a technique that allows you to float in water for hours without expending too much energy. The author shows strategies how to enter and exit the water at deep, shallow, rocky and other shores; detailed pictures of the various leg kicks; and techniques for diving in kelp - information I missed in other books.

It is very practically oriented and full of useful drawings.

With Sports Illustrated's own imprimatur on it, you know this is a first-class quality book!

Two veteran divers, in these easy-to-read two hundred or so pages, cover a lot of ground, for both beginners and veterans of the deep. This is an excellent reference for the certified diver. I'd definitely have it in my "sport diving" home library, if you do any kind of diving at all.

Divers who have long been out of certification classes or who are planning refresher training will especially benefit.

The variety of topics include these: The Truth About Decompression Sickness; Tides, Waves, and Currents and how to read them; 18 Keys to Scuba Diving Excellence; What to Look For in Diving Equipment; Fitness and Training--How You Can Do It; Underwater Photography; Spearfishing; TREASURE DIVING; Safety...

Includes lots of photos and is one of my all-time favorite sport/hobby books.

The sections on safety and prevention summarize lots of technical data in just a few pages. There are no illustrations of burrs or defective piping. I think I came across simultaneous equations that could describe blending; but, his partial pressure equations are practical. The book tells the complete story of how to do it. An introduction that went into greater detail about why one would want to use NOAA Nitrox or Trimix would have added something of value to the reader, yet would not have made the book more lengthy.

This book is one of the best I have ever read on gas blending.
The author has spent his entire career doing just this, gas blending. I recommend it highly.

This book is perfect for snorkellers and divers, both novice and advanced. It is also very interesting for non-divers as it gives a glimpse into the fantastic underwater world!

This book is a must have for those who are truly interested in the world beneath the sea. As a beginner I found the book very helpful in studying the smaller inhabitants of the coral reef.

This is a great way for kids to interact with books. I gave it to my 6 year-old cousin, who loved the story about two kids who run into a long-lost underwater civilization. She had fun with the pop-up surprises/ pull-tab on every page, and loves the action figure toy.

The original was a classic, but this one is twice as good.
Updated and extended. Touches bases of decompression from
historical perspective. Problem set helps with digestion of
material. Good buy.

A great resource for learning about a variety of diving safety and health topics. Also a great review for the experienced diver.

This book is really good reading. It gives nice histories and stories about New York and New Jersey area, deep wrecks (includes the Wilkes-Barre in Fla. also). The book also tells about the locating, the identification and artifact recovery from, wrecks below 130 feet.

This little book tells you what you need to know. It is overly biased towards California though, and it would be improved by more recipes.

This is the absolutely best Cayman Island Dive Guide I have read and seen. It gives great details all of the best dive sites to visit. Has excellent detail on where to exactly go, water depths, plant and aquatic life in certain areas... An absolute must for the Cayman diving enthusiast.

This is the first White Star Guide book I have purchased. It is loaded with helpful information about planning your dive. There are numerous color pictures about the creatures and plants that you might expect to find in the Caymans.