Reviews (7)

The Bible for Freediving
As a freedive instructor, I feel that this book should be manditory for ALL freedivers who wish to learn from a master of the sport.
In Europe freediving is an art form.
In Europe freediving is an art form. It is against the law to spearfish using tanks therefore spearfishermen have had to dive deep in the cold waters of the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea hunting their quarry. More than that, freediving is the building block upon which good diving and underwater skills are based.
Freediving
The intent of this book is to help you become a better freediver. It contains excellent teaching to help improve your freediving skills. There is practical advice to help you relax and learn to be in tune with your body. This book will help you to reach new levels of performance, dive deeper, stay longer, with more comfort and ease.
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Subjects:  1. Scuba & Snorkeling    2. Sports    3. Sports & Recreation    4. Work-Related Health   

Reviews (3)

Extremely informative
Extremely informative and packed with lots of information in an easy to digest format.As a begining spearfisherman I found this book extremely helpfull. It does not go into long stories to explain information, but just gives it to you upfront.

A great introduction
This is a great introduction to spearfishing, also works as a great reference for other books such as Rapture of the Deep.

A complete book for beginners
The book covers different aspects of freediving and scuba spearfishing. As usual, it contains a section about spearfishing and freediving gear, accessories as well as a little history. It includes also some uncommon information, like oil platforms diving. Read more

Subjects:  1. Equipment and supplies    2. Fishing - General    3. Fishing Sports    4. Skin And Scuba Diving    5. Spear fishing    6. Sports    7. Sports & Recreation   

Reviews (12)

Should Be A Required Reference
I sincerely feel that the NOAA Diving Manual should be a required text for anybody who is a diving professional.The information presented is valuable to all divers:recreational, technical, scientific, and commercial.I refer to this text often and bring it to all classes I work.

Best dive related book in print today.
If there's only one dive related book you ever buy, it should be the NOAA Diving Manual. This is THE Diving Bible!
This is by far the most comprehensive publication on Dive related topics I have ever seen. It is a well organized manual that goes into great detail on every topic. The manual itself is a work of art. Each page is high quality glossy paper full of excellent diagrams and illustrations. I started reading it and can't put it down. A great addition to your dive library. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Earth Sciences - Oceanography    2. Scuba & Snorkeling    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation    5. Water Sports    6. Sports & Outdoor Recreation    7. Warfare & Defence   

Reviews (21)

A nice trip
Thank you Doug Terry for telling me that triggerfish won't chew my earlobes off!I actually had a nightmare over that one!
Just a little too guilty of a pleasure
Mix one part Rodney the Shark Guy, one part Ted Nugent, and two parts your uncle who always seems to have those tall tales, and you wind up with this wild ride through the spear-fishing haunts of Humberto Fontova.
I couldn't put it down!!!
This is probably one of the most enjoyable books I have read in the last five years. The author and his cohorts are definitely brave, almost certainly missing a few screws and possibly suicidal, but they enjoy what they are doing so much that after a while the insanity of it all doesn't seem to matter. Stories about divers diving with football helmets so they don't get knocked out on the steel beams of the oil rig and the stalking of sharks (!!) in the opaque murk at the bottom of the sea floor would seem farcical or just stupid coming from almost anyone else, but when Fontova writes it is riveting, believable and also hilarious.
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Subjects:  1. Drilling platforms    2. Fishing - General    3. Mexico, Gulf of    4. Scuba & Snorkeling    5. Scuba diving    6. Spear fishing    7. Sports    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Water Sports    10. Sports & Outdoor Recreation   

Reviews (3)

At long last...
I was never satisfied with the basic explanations of the effects of pressure and depth on the body doled out in the standard course of instruction on Scuba.Finding a comprehensive treatment of the subject in terms everyone can understand became a personal mission.This is the book satisfied my quest for knowledge about the physiology of Scuba.A doctor explains what we know and do not know of the liquid realm's influence on the Scuba Diver in plain, straight talk. One amazing example is that we have no clue what causes decompression sickness or "the bends".We just know that it is correlated with absorbed nitrogen and that there are a number of models that can predict its onset using this factor.The book includes an excellent explanation of the algorithms used by dive computers to help us avoid this malady, and how they were developed.You will be a much more knowledgeable and aware diver, and therefore a better diver, for having read this book.Add to cart!

Great, highly readable book!
This book is absolutely packed with valuable information in an extremely readable format. I highly recommend it for both its' breadth and depth. Diving Physiology In Plain English
The book Diving Physiology In Plain English is without exaggeration the best book on diving I have ever read.Beginner, advanced, technical divers or even non-divers can all benefit from this book. My wife is a non-diverand she read this book with interest and ease.She no longer worries or isconcerned about my technical diving.This book addresses the relative fullgamete of physiological issues associated with scuba diving.It addressissues such as; decompression tables and computers, technical diving, andconsiders gender related issues between men and women divers.My wifegreatly appreciated the information related todecompression sickness,oxygen toxicity, diving headaches, and lung injuries.In addition, I thinkis also a useful book for divers who are in need of refreshing their divingacademics or for divers expanding into other areas of diving. Theinformation in this book is crucial knowledge for any diver. It goes beyondwhat is learned in any of the certification courses, open diver throughinstructor. It is an overall informative, valuable, easy to read andenjoyable book.I wish more dive shops would stock it on their shelves. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Hyperbaric oxygenation    2. Scuba Diving    3. Underwater Medicine   

Reviews (9)

Very Basic
I was impressed with the water-resistant printing.However, the medical information is very basic.If you have training, this book is relatively useless.If you don't have training, I guess it would be useful if you happened to have equipment on-board.I would have liked to see more diagrams and much more information.

A must have for any diver
This little nice format book is the perfect companion on dive trips. It is even usable under water in a pocket, I have to admit I never carry it under water but you can. This means you can't destroy it with water which is my point, it always is in my dive bag. We have done scenario training to refreshen and then it is amazing how handy this little book is in those cases. I believe it would prove itself even more in a real life event.
If You are a Diver, There is NO Excuse Not to Own This Guide
Clear, Consise, Essential.This guide gives a no Non-Sense approach of "what to do" in the event of a diving emergency (or any emergency for that matter). Tabbed for easy reference, and covers DCI to Hyperthermia. 3x5 Size will fit anywhere you are, and It also lists DAN's Emergency Numbers for quick reference. If I was the diver in an emergency situation, I would be glad you had it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. First Aid    2. Scuba & Snorkeling    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation   

Reviews (33)

A WONDERFULLY IRREVERENT DIVING BOOK
This wonderfully irreverent book chronicles the adventures of one Michael G. Zinsley as he travels the world as an itinerant dive instructor. He dives, lives and loves from Bermuda to Thailand and everywhere in between. I have not dived everywhere he has but I certainly have the bars covered. I can't help but feel that some of the mainstream authors on diving have missed the boat. This hilarious rollicking book is worth far more than the asking price and belongs on the bookshelf of anyone who loves adventure for its own sake. If you are a bit prudish and perhaps even a bit snobbish as well, give this one a miss.

Lots of Fun
This is a great read while traveling by air, bus or train. I laughed so hard, tears came to my eye.At times, I had to take a break to avoid really annoying pssengers in the seats nearby.Well, o.k., it's not great literature but it is easy and fun.Thank you, Mike!

It wasn't exactly what I have expected, but it was very good
I got this book to read some diving adventures, and stories. The book is more about the stories of a Diving Instructor in many places in the world, rather than Underwater. It is written in a way that is very easy to read and has a lot of fun in it.Read more

Subjects:  1. Diving    2. Scuba & Snorkeling    3. Travel    4. Travel - General    5. Sub-aqua swimming    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Adventure   

Reviews (13)

great review and guide book
Having not been diving in 1.5 years, I wanted to review some things before getting back in the water, so I bought this book.I thought this book was great.The author talked about his experiences, some techniques he has found useful, and procedures/ways to make things easier.Seems to cover everything, from multiple chapters on equipment to shore vs boat diving, how to deal with problems etc, etc.Very easy to read and understand how to apply what you read.

Excellent book for the new diver
As a newly certified open water diver, I know that there is a lot to learn. Open water certification allows you to dive safely (within limits) but it can't prepare you for all of the variations in diving. This book is a great guide to get you started on many different topics in diving.
Good for new divers
As suggested by the title, the author provides solid information for just certified divers. For people with a few years of scuba experience much of the book will be useless.
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Subjects:  1. Boating - General    2. Deep diving    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Scuba & Snorkeling    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Swimming    8. Swimming And Diving    9. Tests    10. Sports & Recreation / Scuba & Snorkeling    11. Swimming & diving   

Reviews (1)

very complete book
this is a very informative book, providing many answers to questions you may not have asked.Safety, procedures, legal liability issues, diving operations are all thought about and discussed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Criminal Investigation    2. Criminal Procedure    3. Disaster Relief & Rescue Operations    4. Internal Medicine    5. Law    6. Police divers    7. Political Freedom & Security - Law Enforcement    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Scuba & Snorkeling    10. Search and rescue operations    11. Underwater Medicine    12. Underwater crime investigation    13. Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, Veterinary Science   

Reviews (132)

Spellbinding story - uneven writing and organization
This is a spellbinding book on a scuba diving drama that raises mixed emotions, as it combines a variety of topics and experiences and confronts the reader with a number of challenges. As the title implies, it is nominally about the last dive of Chris and Chrissie Rouse, a dare-devil father-and-son scuba dive team that perished in 1992 while trying to unlock the secrets of an undocumented German U-Boat laying at 230 feet of water about 60 miles off the New York/New Jersey coast.
Intriguing study of what drives risk takers
Bringing their only child into the world, and making a lifetime commitment to each other, changed everything for Chris and Sue Rouse when they faced her unplanned pregnancy. Chris was 18 years old, and still in high school, when Chris Jr. - known throughout his life as "Chrissy" - arrived. Sue gave up her dreams of college, a career, and world travel so the young couple could build a business and a family instead. Eventually they succeeded so well financially that Chris could afford such hobbies as owning his own small airplane. Then he discovered scuba diving, a sport to which he promptly introduced both Sue and Chrissy; and the Rouse family's lives changed again. Never inclined toward doing anything by halves, they soon moved from recreational diving - a relatively safe pursuit - to the adrenaline rush of cave diving.
A Must Read For Any Wreck Diver
Bernie Chowdury does a great job at giving an in depth look in the life and death of the Rouse's. This book is a must read for anyone involved in the sport of Wreck Diving. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Family & Relationships    3. Family/Marriage    4. Oceans & Seas    5. Outdoor Skills    6. Parenting - Fatherhood    7. Scuba & Snorkeling    8. Winter Sports    9. Sports & Recreation / Outdoor Skills   

Reviews (6)

A Must Have
Dive Like a Pro was a great addition to my diving library. The book is a fantastic resource to have at hand. It's a concise manual with tips on everything from saving your breath to maintaining your gear. Rossier's writing is clear, and his instructions are easy to follow. I bring my copy with me every time I go diving. It's small enough to fit easily in my dive bag. If there is a diver in your family he or she needs this book.

Nice CompanionText for the Beginner.
This makes a fine edition to a beginning diver's text. I enjoy reading Rob's articles in "Dive Training Magazine" and this text is a good representation of his easy to follow tips. I probably wouldn't have purchased the text for myself, as this copy was a gift, but I did find it informative. Informative in the respect, that it gave me new ways of explaining tips of the trade to student divers.

"Dive Like A Pro" was a nice dive checklist for me.
I found "Dive Like A Pro" to be a very handy review. I haven't been diving in a while, and it was a great source for condensed common-sense tips and reminders.I found the format very user-friendly,and the content very readable. Like all common sense advice, you couldfigure much of this out on your own, but why learn it the hard (anddangerous)way when you can have it spoon fed to you by an expert? I likedit! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Scuba Diving   

Reviews (1)

Best Overview Of Decompression Models And Theory
The original was a classic, but this one is twice as good.Read more

Subjects:  1. Decompression (Physiology)    2. Medical    3. Medical / Sports Medicine    4. Safety measures    5. Scuba & Snorkeling    6. Scuba diving    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Sports & Recreation / Scuba & Snorkeling    9. Sports Medicine    10. Underwater physiology   

Reviews (1)

A great synthesis of many aspects of diving history!
A Pictorial History of Diving provides a lavishly illustrated, brief, but comprehensive review of diving history, from early breath-hold diving and primitive diving bells to modern developments like ROV's and the Newtsuit.Unlike many other books on the subject, it also includes information onunderwater habitats and recreational gear. An excellent photo section onearly dive helmets rounds out the history and provides some fuel for theimagination. A great coffee table book and serious reader in one volume! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Deep diving    2. Engineering - Hydraulic    3. Equipment and supplies    4. History    5. Pictorial works    6. Technology & Industrial Arts    7. Scuba diving   

Reviews (8)

Great analysis of what can go wrong and why
One might consider this book by Michel Ange, who is Technical Editor of Scuba Diving Magazine, a downer as someone dies in almost every chapter. That's because Ange presents a series of case studies of diving gone wrong. Each chapter tackles a specific issue and tells the story on how something went wrong during a scuba dive, often with deadly consequences. The stories are real, though names and places have been changed so as to preserve the privacy of those involved.
Great book on what not to do
Great book on what not to do and helps reinforce your training of what to do.Interesting how dumb some people can be.Follow the rules and keep your head to make good decisions.The author really knows his stuff.

Great Lessons
Wise people learn from the mistakes of others.This book will make you more aware of what is going on around you before and during a dive.Helps you see problems before they start and tips on how to fix them to avoid being a statictic. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Lifesaving    2. Safety measures    3. Scuba & Snorkeling    4. Scuba diving    5. Scuba diving accidents    6. Sports    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Sports & Outdoor Recreation    9. Sports & Recreation / Scuba & Snorkeling    10. Sub-aqua swimming   

Reviews (18)

Snorkel Maui
If you are going to Maui and plan to snorkel, this book is a MUST !!!!It will take you to sites you would NEVER find on your own.

snorkeling in Maui is entirely over rated - so is book
We went to many spots in this book, and found the rating system to be a little off. In general, the Caribbean offers superior snorkeling to Hawaii, and even the best spot that the authors may rave about in this book is mediocre at best. We also found other guide books to give more accurate info on the best snorkel spots. This book is good if you are afraid of the water or have kids, but those more experienced may actually be better off without the book, relying instead on timely advice from locals.

Only good Snorkel focused book for Maui...
I have used both the Snorkel Kauai and this book on different trips to Hawaii.On our most recent trip to Maui, I found this book to be quite useful for finding those harder to find access points to the numerous beaches in South Maui.I also have the Maui Revealed book by Dougherty & Friedmann, but I find their discussions on snorkeling spots to be quite limited in all of their books and definitely not as good.Also, with Snorkel Maui and Lanai, the beaches are organized geographically around the island, the maps are closer to the page describing the beach, and the directions to get to the beach and find parking are much better than you will find in the Maui Revealed book.I didn't mean this to be a comparison of these two books, but based on other comments, I think if you want to explore the beaches in detail for where is best to snorkel you should buy this book.It is not expensive and is a good deal.
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Subjects:  1. Scuba & Snorkeling    2. Travel - United States    3. United States - Pacific - Hawaii   

Reviews (3)

A FANTASTIC BOOK FOR DIVERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS
I bought this book some time ago while on a diving trip to Borneo and immediately fell in love with it. This is the guidebook every discerning macro diver has been waiting for! After a long introduction and a funny, informative chapter on "the fine art of macrophotography" the authors describe in full detail more than 600 different marine species, ranging from invertebrates (nudibranchs, crustaceans and mollusks) to small and not-so-small fish. Every species entry features full, first-hand information on size, habitat, geographical range and life habits, and the book is chock-full with hundreds of absolutely stunning color pictures of the critters. Despite its restrictive title, the contents are in fact perfectly useful for any Indo-Pacific dive site, ranging from the Maldives to Papua New Guinea and Northern Australia. Some of the animals described are absolutely weird and are a fascinating first even for seasoned muck divers like myself. I cannot have enough praise for this book - it is an absolute must for any serious muck diver or underwater photographer, and it fills to perfection an important void in the diving guidebooks panorama. It's also quite compact and very well bound. From now on I won't take another dive trip without taking it along - bravo!

A SURE WINNER WITH MUCK DIVERS AND CRITTER LOVERS
This is a spectacular book, and a very useful one for every self-respecting Indo-Pacific muck diver and macro critter lover. For ANY diver, in fact. On the cover it curiously says "Underwater Malaysia" But the inside actually covers a much broader area, from the Eastern Indian Ocean to the Western Pacific, so it's really helpful also if you're diving Thailand, Indonesia, Borneo, the Philippines, PNG or even parts of Australia. I believe this is the first diving ID guidebook entirely dedicated to small Indo-Pacific reef animals (ie those incredibly colorful clownfish, gobies, cleaner shrimps, nudibranchs and the like) - and what a winner it is! What makes it unique for me is the number of rare reef species featured and the amazing color photographs. I discovered a lot of new interesting facts reading the species' descriptions, which are very informative, pleasantly written and often quite amusing, and the reproduction quality of the photos is, wow!, absolutely stunning.Some of the critters (look at those unbelievable flamboyant cuttlefish or the mating mandarinfish) seem to be about to jump out of the page! As guidebooks go, this one is a bit heavier than one would expect, but it is also quite small and easy to carry around on a boat or in a dive bag, and despite being a paperback and not a hardcover the binding looks like it will be able to take quite a beating (travelling scuba divers will know what I'm talking about here). I'm sure as an identification guide this great book can be equally useful to the marine biologist and the advanced aquarist, but as a whole it's obviously geared towards those actually diving and taking photographs in tropical waters. OK, all this does not come real cheap - but in my opinion, considering the quality of the photos and the huge amount of information in it, this book is worth its price to the last dime.

THE BIBLE OF MUCK DIVING!
I bought this book a few weeks ago while on a diving trip to Borneo and immediately fell in love with it. This is the guidebook every discerning macro diver has been waiting for! After a long introduction and a funny, informative chapter on "the fine art of macrophotography" the authors describe in full detail more than 600 different marine species, ranging from invertebrates (nudibranchs, crustaceans and mollusks) to small and not-so-small fish. Every species entry features full, first-hand information on size, habitat, geographical range and life habits, and the book is chock-full with hundreds of absolutely stunning color pictures of the critters. Despite its restrictive title, the contents are in fact perfectly useful for any Indo-Pacific dive site, ranging from the Maldives to Papua New Guinea and Northern Australia. Some of the animals described are absolutely weird and are a fascinating first even for seasoned muck divers like myself. I cannot have enough praise for this book - it is an absolute must for any serious muck diver or photographer, and it fills to perfection an important void in the diving guidebooks panorama. It's also quite compact and not too expensive. From now on I won't take another dive trip without taking it along - bravo! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Marine Life    2. Nature    3. Nature/Ecology    4. Malaysia    5. Sea & seashore life   

Reviews (11)

Sifting through a ton of ore for an ounce of gold
I just could not wait to get my hands on this book, which made the read all the more disappointing.Basically, Technical Diving in Depth is a poorly organized mishmash of Dr. Wienke's ground breaking published scientific work pulled together with a smattering of useful diving information to make a book.It also includes a lot of material almost completely irrelevant to diving such as a chapter on "Gravitation and Solar Radiation"; there is even a section on rotational precession, but the real gem is the section on stellar evolution.Yeah, I always ponder stellar evolution 80 feet down on a steep coral wall.Much of the material in the latter part of the book is a grab-bag of the basic knowledge one would acquire in the course of a obtaining a bachelors degree the physical sciences presented in Reader's Digest form.Is Dr. Wienke trying to impress us with equations, does he think he is writing a comprehensive physics book?He accomplishes neither.
Way useful, rediculously academic

do you have the education required to understand?
The book was owned by a fellow diver and I was able to read it during a drive to a distant dive site. I had plenty of distractions but was able to stay attached to most of the content. Aside from requiring an extensive background foundation in Science, Chemistry, Diving in general, and High-Level Math, I was able to comprehend most of the written material.Read more

Subjects:  1. Sports    2. Sports & Recreation    3. Sports & Recreation / Scuba & Snorkeling    4. Swimming    5. Diving    6. Scuba & Snorkeling    7. Sports & Outdoor Recreation   

Reviews (2)

Finally, a dive book that doesn't "rough it"
Fantastic guidebook for those of us who don't mind paying a little extra for service and comfort.Unlike other books that concentrate on single or regional locations, Tim Simond has spent 2 years seeking out not only the best dive sites, but the best lodging and operators at those locations. Forget about trying to decide where to go on your next dive trip, just randomly open the book, and go!!! Tim has done all of the hard work for you.
Beautiful, Easily-Readable Book That Makes You Want To GO Diving NOW!
In the introduction, Simond stresses that Dive in Style is not a book about dedicated "dive hotels." Rather, it's a book about "wonderful resorts" for families...that cater to divers as well as tennis players, hikers, beach-lovers, etc. That said, however, each of the resorts Simond visits has a dedicated dive shop either on the premises or adjacent to the property. Moreover, four of the destinations he details are liveaboards. Ultimately, despite his protests, it's a book about destinations that may not cater exclusively to divers, but who consider divers among their top priorities.
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Subjects:  1. Scuba & Snorkeling    2. Special Interest - Adventure    3. Special Interest - General    4. Sports & Recreation    5. Travel    6. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY    7. Travel / General   

Subjects:  1. Caribbean & West Indies    2. Scuba & Snorkeling    3. Special Interest - Adventure    4. Swimming And Diving    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign    7. Travel Guides    8. Caribbean islands    9. Travel & holiday guides   

Subjects:  1. Fish    2. Marine Life    3. Nature    4. Nature/Ecology    5. Scuba & Snorkeling