Best Comprehensive Book on Diving

[tursiops]

The emphasis is on trusting the dive computer.

,,,because that is how people actually dive.

 

[boulderjohn]

The purpose of this post isn’t to bash PADI, because I haven’t yet completed the practical portion, but to say that I found the open water academic material to be… unfortunately anemic. I appreciate any input.

Remember that someone can be certified at age 10--roughly 5th grade. That means the course materials for it need to be understandable to a 5th grader. I think a lot of adults would find 5th grade lessons a little anemic.

The next thing to remember is that a critical aspect of instructional theory is interference theory. That means that time and effort spent learning what you don't need to know interferes with learning what you do need to know. Consequently, the OW course does not cover material that OW divers don't need to know, and that material is covered in more advanced courses.

If you want to check your diving knowledge in full, try Bruce Wienke's Technical Diving in Depth. There you will find sentence structure to tax your reading skills, and every few paragraphs he will toss in a calculus equation or two, just to keep you on your toes.

 

[boulderjohn]

Yes, I’ve taught myself how to use the dive tables (from YouTube). The dive tables are only briefly mentioned in the PADI e-learning coursework, but their use isn’t specifically trained or tested. The emphasis is on trusting the dive computer.

It is rare to find someone using tables for diving. In all my years of diving, the only time I have ever seen anyone use tables outside of instruction was me--on my first dive after certification, when I found out it was useless for the dives I was doing.

 

[rx7diver]

It is rare to find someone using tables for diving ...

My diving has been solo for a number of years. So, I don't know how rare the use of tables is. However, I only ever use tables for my solo recreational diving; I don't dive with a PDC. (Of course, I don't dive with dive ops who require a PDC.)

IRL, I am a statistician, and statisticians don't believe in rare events. So, if I dive tables, then there are others who do, too.

My daughter did her open water certification last year. When she and I went diving shortly after she received her C-card, she and I used tables. So, that's two table users!

rx7diver

 

[mje113]

Ok ok, hear me out... what can I do to be considered "Today's Aqualung Elite"? I mean we've all had "Sensual Excesses"...

 

[pauldw]

The PADI Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving sounds like the sort of thing you're looking for, but it is getting dated now.

Ok ok, hear me out... what can I do to be considered "Today's Aqualung Elite"? I mean we've all had "Sensual Excesses"...

Not everyone. Wet suit divers haven't ever hooked themselves up to the pee valve.

 

[Rilelen]

A few book recommendations you may enjoy:

• The Six Skills by Steve Lewis
• Diver Down! by Michael Ange
• Basic Cave Diving: A Blueprint for Survival by Sheck Exley
• Essentials of Cave Diving by Jill Heinerth

Some of these are above the “pay grade” for open water (focusing on cave and/or technical diving), but they’re all very readable and accessible, and go deeper into many of the topics introduced in open water courses. You can skim the cave/tech-specific parts if they aren’t as relevant for you (yet)…

 

[34109411]

My diving has been solo for a number of years. So, I don't know how rare the use of tables is. However, I only ever use tables for my solo recreational diving; I don't dive with a PDC. (Of course, I don't dive with dive ops who require a PDC.)

IRL, I am a statistician, and statisticians don't believe in rare events. So, if I dive tables, then there are others who do, too.

My daughter did her open water certification last year. When she and I went diving shortly after she received her C-card, she and I used tables. So, that's two table users!

rx7diver

interesting i get more into it also after beginning solo diving.

 

[Doc]

Remember that someone can be certified at age 10--roughly 5th grade. That means the course materials for it need to be understandable to a 5th grader.

 

[Lorenzoid]

The PADI Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving sounds like the sort of thing you're looking for, but it is getting dated now.

What is dated in it? I admit I haven't looked at it in a long time, but as I recall (it's on my bookshelves somewhere) it was a pretty comprehensive treatment of the subject without getting too far into the weeds, and written at a level anyone with just a high-shool level understanding of math and science can understand. I'm not necessarily suggesting that's what the OP is looking for--just curious what about it is dated.