What's in your dive reference library?

[scubasully]

I'm doing a knowledge review for my DM course, and one of the questions asks me to list what's currently in my dive reference library. Not much! I have all my PADI books/DVDs, my copies of DAN's Diver Alert, some old copies of Dive Training I snagged from a friend, and my ID/password to ScubaBoard). I also have tons of books on reef ecology and the like, but I get the feeling that this is more about dive theory, not our preferred diving ecosystems.

The second part of the question asks to list 4 things I want to add. I did a search on Amazon and didn't find anything that I really wanted, so I thought this would be a good place to get some good ideas from good 'ol SB.

What's in your reference library? :kiss2:

 

[SparticleBrane]

Let me introduce you to the Rubicon Research Repository's Suggested Reading List. While this isn't a listing of "reference books", it is a very valuable source of information for basic diving physiology. Don't forget to check out the Rubicon Research Repository while you are at it...



To answer your question...
Fitness for Divers by Cameron Martz should be on every diver's reference shelf. Now if only I could get the motivation to do what is in the book...
NOAA Diving Manual: Diving for Science and Technology, Fourth Edition
US Navy Diving Manual, rev. 6 (plus updates)

I don't have these, but will soon...
Deco for Divers by Mark Powell
Bennett and Elliotts' Physiology and Medicine of Diving


Right about now is when Gene Hobbs needs to step in here...

 

[scubasully]

This is FANTASTIC. Thanks!

 

[mts0628]

Hey scubasully:

I have a lot of books most at one time needed for a course or a class. I love recreational diving, but I have also trained as a scientific diver, I did stuff in the military, and I was a civilian DMT. So, most of my books are about medical and physiology as pertaining to diving.

My books include and I will try to order them from best to less, with the notion that these are merely my opinion.

1. NOAA Diving Manual (if I could only have 1 book on diving, this may be it)
2. The Physiology and Medicine of Diving
3. Navy Dive Manual (hardcopy)
4. Diving Medicine
5. The Merck Manual (Special Subjects- HBOT)
6. Diving Physiology in Plain English
7. Dangerous Marine Creatures
8. Dick Rutkowski's Books on Nitrox and Chamber Operations
9. Scuba Diving Explained (kinda scuba diving simplified, but entertaining and knowledgeable)
10. PADI's own Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving (meh, it's ok at best)

Now, I couldn't incorporate these books into reference, because they are more how-to, but all books from Airspeed Press. They usually have history and descriptions of how things were, and then move into how can we can do it. I love all of these books and while I may never build a booster, the information is interesting. I am making a divelight, servicing my own regulators (with additional and brand specific information), and I one day will set up my own personal mixing and fill station with the help of these books.

The latest book I am reading, is Doing it Right: the Fundamentals of Better Diving. Without starting a hell storm, it is a no nonsense, structured diving principles book, describing how the DIR philosophy works as a whole. I am reading to prepare for the class I will be attending in June. It's not too bad, although I have read that some of the information is somewhat dated, but it exposes the reader to yet another system of diving.

I have other books, but not worth mentioning. I hope this helps.

With kind regards,
Thomas

 

[Gene_Hobbs]

Thanks for the plug Charles! (love your avatar BTW )

Well, since starting our archive project, I have accumulated over 1500 books on diving. I'll list the ones that I would buy again if something happened to my collection. (and some suggestions on when they might be useful for others.)

Recreational divers (new divers):
Doing It Right: The Fundamentals of Better Diving. - Jablonski
The Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving. - PADI
US Navy Diving Manual or NOAA Manual.
Nitrox Workshop Proceedings. - DAN
Advanced Diving: Technology and Techniques. - NAUI (old blue advanced diver text, out of print)
Any book on wildlife that is even remotely close to where you live or travel.

Recreational divers (past 25 to 50 dives):
Deco for Divers - Powell
Bennett and Elliott's Physiology and Medicine of Diving. - Brubbakk, Neuman
Oxygen Hacker's Companion. - Harlow
Every Accident and Fatality Analysis article available.
Proceedings of Advanced Scientific Diving Workshop. - Smithsonian Institution
SCUBA Regulator Maintenance And Repair. - Harlow
DCIEM Diving Manual
The Encyclopedia of Technical Diving - IANTD
Wetsuit And Drysuit Maintenance And Repair. - Lindblom
This would also be a good time to start reading the UHMS and AAUS Workshops.

Anyone moving into Tech:
Decompression-Decompression Sickness. - Bühlmann
Development and validation of no-stop decompression procedures for recreational diving: the DSAT recreational dive planner. - Hamilton, Rogers, Powell
Decompression Sickness: The Biophysical Basis of Prevention and Treatment. - Hills
Oxygen and the Diver. - Kenneth Donald (out of print)
Blueprint for Survival - Exley
Life Support Systems Design. - Nuckols, Tucker, Sarich
The Physiology and Medicine of Diving. - Bennett and Elliott (1st Edition, maybe 3rd)
Perception and Performance Under Water. - Adolfson, Berghage
Stress and Performance in Diving. - Bachrach, Egstrom
Gas Transfer in the Lung. - Hills

There are a few more but I'm in Charleston at the moment and it's late...

 

[SparticleBrane]

Thank you kind sir...

*saves post for later*

 

[scubasully]

Gene, you are not home and you knew all of those titles and author's by heart? Thanks - that means a lot - it shows me that those are really the ones you have gone back to over and over again.

This is great. Ok, the knowledge review says to pick 4 that I'd like to have (why 4? so arbitrary. why not 3 or 7?), so I'm going to read online reviews of all the books you've all listed, and pick 4.

I'm thinking right now that Physics for Dummies is on my list. I was just reading Ch. 5 in the DM manual, and it took me a while... I like the math problem parts when I know what I'm supposed to plug in, but I'm a little confused about the whole "tissue compartment" thing. Which tissues? It never says. Never! Which are the slow ones and which are the fast ones? Connective? Brain? Muscle? Epithelial? I understand that it doesn't really matter as long as I understand that the ones that reach the M-values first are the ones that control the dive, but I'd love to know that stuff. Anyone know what book that that's in? Maybe the Bennet and Elliot book?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I highly recommend Mark Powell's book ... Deco for Divers ... even if you're just a recreational diver who's curious about why we do safety stops or wants to understand the numbers you're computer's displaying at you, it's chock full of valuable information and written in a way that's easy to comprehend. Every one of us does decompression on every ascent ... whatever terminology our agency du jour wants to call it ... and understanding what that does to your body is a great bit of info to have.

Cameron Martz's Fitness for Divers is also a great selection for an aspiring DM ... you can use it as a reference for developing a basic health and fitness program that will help keep you diving well into old age ... (unfortunately I loaned my copy out and it's never quite found its way back to me) ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[TSandM]

I'll put another plug in for Deco for Divers. I spent a lot of time, painstakingly acquiring articles on decompression and reading everything I could find on line; Mark Powell took all that information and wrapped it up in a readable, accessible form in a beautifully illustrated book.

Jablonski's book will, if nothing else, make you think.

The Airspeed Press wetsuit/drysuit book has been EXTREMELY valuable, as I have moved into doing more of my own maintenance and repair.

Books are like dive gear -- you never have all that you want, or exactly the right ones.

 

[Peter Guy]

And don't forget books about diving in your local area (here in the PNW there are a few); critter ID books (both local and tropical); UW photography books; and just books about diving, Last Dive, Shadow Divers, etc.