Technical Diving Books

[roakey]

Always nice to point out where someone might purchase something if you tell them about it...

The NOAA CD is available at this site:

http://www.bestpub.com/ the CD specifically: http://www.bestpub.com/bookstore2.asp?Keyword=B0047CD

I'm sure it'll be found elsewhere, but that'll get you started as well as give you a pointer to a TON of diving books!

Roak

 

[grazie42]

Originally Posted by FishDiver
I recently completed the deep, wreck and nitrox specialties.

In my deep class we dived to 46m (150ft). The dive required about 30 min of deco. The dive went very smoothly and I was not aware of being narced at all.

Could you tell us what agency and what courses specifically? (They sound like PADI or equiv. courses)

I don´t know of any recreational course where the standards allow you to do the kind of dives you´re talking about. The "conventional" limits on wreck-courses are something like a max of 40m, linear distance from surface. I don´t know of any agency that doesen´t prescribe helium below 40meters (except for PSAI) and they all have specific courses for it...

I can understand why you´re upset if the courses were advertised as allowing you to do the dives you wanted to, but I have a hard time seeing any standards out there that would justify your expectations (in the recreational realm)...

As for books/reading:
-IANTD "technical diver encyclopedia" (http://www.iantd.com/Manuals.html)
-There are also a few interesting books on this site:
http://andihq.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=AI&Category_Code=4200
-A. A. Buhlmann's Decompression - Decompression Sickness ISBN: 3-540-12514-0
-The bottom of this page has some articles worth reading as well:
http://www.thetritons.com/library.htm
-If your browse thru this directory you´ll find plenty of interesting articles as well (not as easy to navigate but worth the effort):
ftp://ftp.decompression.org/pub/

 

[scubajcf]

I would highly recommend the IANTD Technical Diver Encyclopedia. Although, getting a hold of them can be difficult. I am told, they just whipped up a new batch. The book does explain a lot.

TDI - http://www.tdisdi.com - has manuals for Deco Procedures and Extended Range. There is a lot of information about accelerated decompression and gas management.

PSAI - http://www.psai.com - has a thorough deep diving text published for Narcosis Management. Really well done and easy read. I know the guys who wrote it and they do plenty of instruction in this level of diving ... and it shows. Lots of practical information, not just theory.

DSAT (PADI) - http://www.padi.com - The PADI Tec Rec program has some really well done materials as well. I would highly recommend the Tec Deep Manual and the Tech Equipment video.

Entering tech diving is expensive. The further you move, the more you spend. However, a good instructor is worth his weight in gold. This is where doing due diligence on a good instructor is imperative. Have them explain exactly what the requirements are and what you will be learning. How much time will you have to hone your skills with the instructor and what his definition of meeting the requirements truly is (mastery). At the end of the process, you have to ask yourself, is this the instructor who can take my diving (and dive knowledge) to the next level

This is a place you want to earn your card, not buy it.

Good luck,

John

 

[Scared Silly]

I have to disagree about the TDI and Adv. Nitrox and Deco Procedures books. I did not find them particularly helpful. Good low level info but not much more. The Adv. Nitrox I felt was a review with a bit more on O2 Tox. But the one thing specifically NOT mentioned in the Adv. Deco was accellerated deco. This was the info I was really looking for as when I got my C-card in the early 80s I learned deco!

 

[Thalassamania]

Try this, and it's free! - 300 Pages and most of it meat!

 

[beezwax]

Is that the book that sells for about $100 on the NOAA site? I was a bit put off from spending that much on a book that is published with public funds, but if it contains the info I'm looking for then its worth it.

I really want to get off of the certification treadmill.

The research program is supported with public funds of course, but the publishing is private: http://www.bestpub.com/

Here's the table of contents from the NOAA manual:

History of Diving & NOAA Contributors
Physics of Diving
Diving Physiology
Air Diving & Decompression
Diver & Diving Support Equipment
Surface-Supplied Diving
Diver & Support Personnel Training
Dive Planning
Procedures for Scientific Dives
Procedures for Working Dives
Underwater Support Systems
Diving Under Special Conditions
Polluted-Water Diving
Rebreathers
Nitrox Diving
Mixed Gas & Oxygen Diving
Diving from Seafloor Habitats
Hyperbaric Chambers & Support Equipment
Hazardous Aquatic Animals
Emergency Medical Care
Diving Accident Management & Emergency Procedures

APPENDICES:
Dive Planning
Field Neurological Assessment
No Decompression Air Dive Charts
U.S. Navy Dive Tables
Flow Charts & Treatment Tables
Saturation Tables
Nitrox Dive Charts & Tables
Diving Glossary
References
Index

It's available in softcover and hardcover editions, as well as on cd-rom. It's a huge savings if you get it on cd-- $40 compared with $100 for the hardcover. But the print quality is excellent-- 668 glossy full-color pages. Personally I don't like reading books on the computer screen, and it's such a good text it's worth having it in hand.

I'd also agree with the recommendation for the IANTD Technical Diver Encyclopedia. Here is the table of contents for that:

"The Leading Causes of Accidents in Technical Diving" by Tom Mount
"Equipment Configuration" by Tom Mount and Lamar Hires
"Dive Planning" by Tom Mount
"Dive Technique" by Tom Mount
"Respiration, Circulation and Breath Control" by Tom Mount
"The Effects of Drugs on Diving" by Bruce V. Voss, M.D.
"Oxygen and Its Effects on the Diver" by Bruce V. Voss, M.D.
"Inert Gas Narcosis" by David J. Doolette, Ph.D.
"Carbon Dioxide Retention" by Jolie Bookspan, Ph.D.
"Carbon Monoxide - The Black Gas" by Martin Shamlian, Ph.D.
"High Pressure Nervous Syndrome" by John Zumrick, M.D.
"Combining Theories for Decompression Safety" by JP Imbert
"Psychological and Physical Fitness for Technical Diving" by Tom Mount
"Operational Safety" by Kevin Gurr

It's paperback, 270 pages (non-glossy black and white) and is available for $65:
http://www.diveriteexpress.com/logowear/books.shtml

It's also a very good read, but the NOAA manual is much more of an "encyclopedia" and this one is more of a collection of tech diving articles.

 

[beezwax]

Try this, and it's free!

Thank you for that link!

 

[PvilleStang]

Man, my TDI courses never had us attempting 150' requiring 30 minutes of deco! Hope you have the DAN master plan!

 

[JeffG]

I have to disagree about the TDI and Adv. Nitrox and Deco Procedures books. I did not find them particularly helpful. Good low level info but not much more. The Adv. Nitrox I felt was a review with a bit more on O2 Tox. But the one thing specifically NOT mentioned in the Adv. Deco was accellerated deco. This was the info I was really looking for as when I got my C-card in the early 80s I learned deco!

The TDI Adv Nitrox and Deco procedures books suck. The Trimix isn't much better. The new Advanced Trimix written by Steve Lewis is good though.

 

[JeffG]

Man, my TDI courses never had us attempting 150' requiring 30 minutes of deco! Hope you have the DAN master plan!

Huh?

30 min bottom time at 150 can get you 30 min of deco.