PADI Open Water Manual (hardcopy) - should I buy it?

[Palmeirense]

Thank you all for your replies. I think I'll not buy a hardcopy now and when I'm back I'll pick something better than PADI's manual (assuming I get as hooked up in diving as I expect!).

 

[Interceptor121]

Well done. Our homes are full of papers that were read only once you didn't need to give your contribution.
In so far as the skills demonstration and how useful is to have a reference consider two points:
1. If you need the skills maybe is better to buy a video and not the manual
2. Some of the demonstration on the video or manual will be different from what your instructor will teach you. Just keep practicing the drills after certification will be just fine

 

[fnfalman]

The only thing useful that I've kept from the PADI study material was the dive table.

 

[BuoyantC]

I too vote not to buy the manual if you don't need it to get certified. There are tons of used ones around if you want one for reference, but you might better save your money and apply it towards materials for your Advanced certification.

There is a whole debate about the value of Advanced Open Water which I won't get into, but the reality is that if you do indeed get "hooked" on scuba as we all hope you do, many places require the Adv. card to do certain dives.

 

[normdog]

I wanted a reference after doing PADI online as well, and found one on ebay for $2.

Sword

 

[k ellis]

Ill be honest in saying I have never cracked my book since I have passed but the video I do enjoy. I dont watch it much except when someone wants to learn about diving Ill watch it with them.

I agree though that the book is good for beginning but after that its just to broad for any real in depth issues. If you are concerned about if you might forget something and are a casual diver then a refresher course is a lot funner and easier to deal with. (Funner because you associate with fellow divers!)

 

[Tortuga68]

On ebay you can find the greatest beginner book of SCUBA. . . Jacques Cousteau's "Silent World" teaches all the safety information. . . just as they learned from experience

Would this be the same book where they massacre sharks, and dynamite a reef in order to make a census of marine "life"?

Point being, it's a great read but things have changed a little since then

 

[fnfalman]

Would this be the same book where they massacre sharks, and dynamite a reef in order to make a census of marine "life"?

I don't remember that part?!!

I remembered reading about Jacques and his homeboys dived into some sort of well, got narced out of their minds and almost died.

 

[Tortuga68]

These are from the film obviously, but it's in the book as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLPJJV8OBq8&feature=related

YouTube - Méchants Requins!!!

'Mechants requins' means wicked sharks

 

[Atom]

On ebay you can find the greatest beginner book of SCUBA. . . Jacques Cousteau's "Silent World" teaches all the safety information. . . just as they learned from experience. Also, online there are lots of other "manuals" for diving, most will have some reference information, and will be very cheap for occasional reference.

!!! I've read that book, I really enjoyed reading it, but Cousteau is downright sketchy. I understand he was among the firsts to explore the sea that much, and safe practice evolved from what they discovered, but I'm not sure I'd use Silent World as my basis, there are really good lessons in there, but it isn't detailed enough.

When I did my OW, we had the choice between PADI and SSI, the difference boiled down to whether you wanted to buy the manual or not (this was in Ko Tao, most people doing the course were backpackers, not all of em wanted to carry on with a PADI OW book in their backpack for the next x months). So if he doesn't get access to the PADI OW manual for "eternity", WTF was that all about!!!

I personally try to read the PADI OW book once a year. I dive fairly actively (I try to dive locally at least 2-3 times per month year round, I live in Canada) but I still don't think it's a waste of time. Everything that pertains to emergencies isn't stuff that you use in your everyday diving (so far I haven't been involved in any accident), so reading that book (or really any other book that would cover the same subjects) once in a while can't be bad for you. So I think owning the book (or unlimited access to the book) is important.