which handbook to get??

[donnad]

hi, i've been certified for over a year now and also have my AOW. i would like recommendations for a good diver handbook........certified diver's handbook, or NAUI master diver book, or what would you instructors out there suggest?? thanks, donna

 

[markfm]

If you want "light" reading, the 948 page US Navy Dive Manual is available online, free, a PDF file. Absolutely NOT a recreational diving manual, but it does have a wealth of material, interesting stuff.
(Not a rec handbook, but it's interesting to see what the military uses.)

 

[Kriterian]

hi, i've been certified for over a year now and also have my AOW. i would like recommendations for a good diver handbook........certified diver's handbook, or NAUI master diver book, or what would you instructors out there suggest?? thanks, donna

Could be a little more specific in what you're looking for in a book exactly? Scuba books tend to fall in several categories:

Instructional/Skills based:

Certified Diver's Handbook by Clay Coleman I like this book, and read it all the time. It has tons of information for the newly certified, the author is also a poster here.

There are all sorts of technical based books, so anything by Sheck Exley (like Caverns Measureless to Man or Basic Cave Diving if you're in to cave diving etc.) If you'd like to check out the DIR system, the go with: DIR Fundamentals

Then there are the true accounts, non-fiction diving books:

Deep Descent: Adventure and Death Diving the Andrea Doria or The Last Dive : A Father and Son's Fatal Descent into the Ocean's Depths Also, a really great book even if you're not a WWII sub fan: Shadow Divers

Then there are the local dive guides:

I'm not sure where you're located (while I type this anyway), but I like Gary Gentiles wreck series for my local area of the North Carolina coast. Your best bet for these types of books is asking in your local forum here.

Last but not least are fiction:

I haven't read any but heard good things about Clive Clusslers Dirk Pitt series. If you liked Jaws then check out Steve Alten's Meg.

 

[Kriterian]

Oops, I guess I missed the "handbook" part of your post and just thought it said diver book <chuckle>

Oh well, go with my first choice and check out "Certified Divers Handbook" by Clay Coleman. That and hang on to your open water manual from the class for a self refresher every now and then.