Which agency publishes the best manuals?

[Steve_C]

Why make the restriction to one manual? I have taken courses from PADI, SDI, and SSI. For some of the courses I read more than one manual. Often the manuals are very minimalistic. But in the cases where I read several manuals for the same course and had a preferance I liked SDI better for Rescue and DM than the PADI manuals. On the other hand the Encyclopedia of Diving was informative.

My evaluation is based strictly on content and what was communicated and not on pretty pictures, fluff, and sales pitches for taking more courses.

 

[toby43]

I think it's the diver's responsibility to source training material he or she finds valuable. I don't think relying on an agency and hoping to be spoonfed the holy grail is a useful approach. I have found TDI to be variously helpful depending on the authors and assumes a level of intelligence I am comfortable with. Perhaps it's the way my brain is wired but I don't find the PADI learning system suits me although I found the TEC manual useful background material. IANTD is completely hilarious if somewhat embarrassing (if you don't believe in reincarnation - I am NOT kidding).

 

[BoltSnap]

I think you should say what you really think...

I am very shy but I am trying to get over that

 

[Deco Duck]

Which agency has the best manual? Easily, USN.
Have you SEEN their Diving Manual Revision 6? Pure gold. Classic.

 

[Deco Duck]

And it's FREE!
http://www.usu.edu/scuba/navy_manual6.pdf

 

[DevonDiver]

PADI manuals can be excellent or atrocious.

The physical publishing is always excellent - full color, well paginated, few errors.

The content is variable. I think the new Sidemount Diver manual has excellent content. Open Water and Rescue are both very good. The Wreck, or Deep diver manuals are threadbare of information... seemingly written by people with very limited experience and expertise. The Tech Deep diver manual was awesome in 2004... now it's prehistoric, because theory and practices have evolved somewhat.

Where PADI most let themselves down is the illustrative photos. Poor technique and weak fundamentals are invariably the case. Divers hanging vertically, kneeling on the bottom, droopy gauges etc... poor role-modelling.... and damages agency reputation. They need to see what's happening in the dive industry regards setting higher expectations and positive role modelling of good scuba skills.

 

[toby43]

PADI manuals can be excellent or atrocious.

The physical publishing is always excellent - full color, well paginated, few errors.

The content is variable. I think the new Sidemount Diver manual has excellent content. Open Water and Rescue are both very good. The Wreck, or Deep diver manuals are threadbare of information... seemingly written by people with very limited experience and expertise. The Tech Deep diver manual was awesome in 2004... now it's prehistoric, because theory and practices have evolved somewhat.

Where PADI most let themselves down is the illustrative photos. Poor technique and weak fundamentals are invariably the case. Divers hanging vertically, kneeling on the bottom, droopy gauges etc... poor role-modelling.... and damages agency reputation. They need to see what's happening in the dive industry regards setting higher expectations and positive role modelling of good scuba skills.

I disagree with you about the SM manual. Tries to do everything and achieves nothing. Very thin on both recreational and technical. A case of ******** baffles brains. I looked to see if there was reference to a really basic travelling SM problem; how to manage two recreational 11l tanks from a dive resort for example...nothing.

 

[DevonDiver]

I disagree with you about the SM manual. Tries to do everything and achieves nothing. Very thin on both recreational and technical. A case of ******** baffles brains. I looked to see if there was reference to a really basic travelling SM problem; how to manage two recreational 11l tanks from a dive resort for example...nothing.

Sidemount is an equipment qualification course - so the theory is really all about history, development and primary use options. The PADI Sidemount Diver does a pretty good job in that.

The 'nuts and bolt's of how to use X, Y or Z cylinders...and A, B or C brands of BCD.... that's the job of the instructor. The manual isn't there to teach you how to sidemount dive... it's to give you a baseline of information as the foundation from which an instructor develops your actual equipment skills and competencies.

A manual is a supplement to a course... it is not the course.

This is one reason why a sidemount instructor actually has to have some expertise and professional knowledge. With many courses, the instructor can simply regurgitate the manual. Instructors don't need to know much beyond that...they don't need to be subject matter experts.

That approach goes awry with sidemount... the instructor needs to have a breadth of expertise and knowledge on the application of sidemount techniques using a myriad of cylinders, configurations and BCD designs.

"How to manage 2x AL80s when resort diving?".... I could give you more than a dozen options. What'd be optimum depends entirely on a plethora of individual circumstances and preferences.

Sidemount diving application isn't an "off-the-shelf" fit... it's bespoke tailored.

 

[cerich]

who cares?? Manuals are on their last breath, the real question is who does the best elearning?

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

PSAI has some well conceived manuals that usually end up with gas planning sheets, formulae and tables like Equivalent Air Depth tables for different nitrox mixes etc. Presentation and layout of the book is very amateur.

who cares?? Manuals are on their last breath, the real question is who does the best elearning?

UTD? A lot of video demonstrations and presentations etc.