Scuba Confidential is a unique book packed full of valuable tips and expert advice, giving you unprecedented access to the secrets of dive professionals and technical divers. With Scuba Confidential, you will learn how to master skills and techniques that will make you a more confident, capable and safe diver. It offers an informed, balanced view on some of scuba diving's most contentious issues like going solo, deep diving and rebreathers and includes a comprehensive analysis of how diving accidents happen and how to make sure you do not become a statistic. Scuba Confidential also gives you valuable insights on a vast range of topics such as what it is like to do a cave diving course, how to make sure you buy the right equipment, what to consider when choosing an instructor, things even the pros get wrong and where to find the best diving in the world. This is candid, no-nonsense practical advice from a professional who has been involved over the last three decades with virtually every aspect of the sport. Have you ever wondered? How to look as comfortable in the water as the professionals do? What it is like to dive inside shipwrecks? Which training courses are most worthwhile? If you would make a good technical diver? If you should be considering a rebreather? How you can improve your diving skills? How you can reduce your air consumption? Why diving accidents happen and how to prevent them? Whether you might sometimes actually be safer solo diving? How to dive deep safely? Or How muck diving can possibly be any fun? Scuba Confidential has the answers to these questions and many more.
Only available in e-book form, this is the presentation in one volume of four books in Simon Pridmore's Scuba series: Scuba Fundamental, Scuba Confidential, Scuba Exceptional and Scuba Professional. In musical terms, Scuba Compendium is a re-mastering and repackaging of the original albums rather than a greatest hits or a Best of compilation. The books were written and published over a period of eight years and each book was designed for divers at a particular point in their diving life. Listed in the order they were written, the audience for Scuba Confidential was the general population of divers; Scuba Professional was for those thinking of making a career out of the sport; Scuba Fundamental was for non-divers and beginners and Scuba Exceptional was for more experienced divers. The idea was not to create a series. It just turned out that way. A number of topics merited inclusion for multiple groups of readers - rebreathers and surface safety for example - which meant that there was some unavoidable overlap between the individual books. In Scuba Compendium, the text and chapters have been cleaned up and streamlined to remove any unnecessary repetition and improve continuity. Apart from this, nothing is missing from the four original books and the only new material is an introductory chapter on the philosophy behind the Scuba series. So, if you already own all the books in the Scuba series, from a content point of view you have no need to buy this one. However, from a reference point of view, some readers may find it an advantage to have these four books in one volume where every word or phrase in the series is easily searchable on an e-reader. They are arranged here in the order in which they make sense as a series, following the path from beginner to diver to experienced diver to expert. Scuba Compendium covers the full gamut of the sport diving experience and is a resource that will accompany a scuba diver throughout their career in the sport, wherever it takes them, to be dipped back into from time to time whenever necessary. If you only own one or two books in the series, then you may find Scuba Compendium well worthwhile for another reason too. For instance, if you are not a beginner, you may think you don't need to read Scuba Fundamental, but many experienced divers have found it useful and entertaining. Also, Scuba Professional introduces a number of topics, such as real risk awareness and constructive paranoia, which are just as relevant for amateur divers as they are for professionals. Although the title makes it sound as if Scuba Professional is only for instructors, this is certainly not the case. And, of course, if you have not yet bought any of these four Scuba series books, then this is a great option to buy all of them together with just one click. "Scuba Fundamental is a great book! Simon Pridmore is to be congratulated for this insightful, interesting and honest introduction to scuba diving. He tells it as it is!" John Lippmann, Divers Alert Network "If PADI's Open-Water manual is the Bible of scuba diving, consider this the New Testament." David Espinosa, Editor in Chief, Sport Diver magazines "I so wish Scuba Exceptional had existed when I was in the early days of my diving life nearly 30 years ago!" Phil Short, explorer and pioneer "There is quite simply nothing like Scuba Professional. It is the ultimate backstage pass into the business of scuba." Jill Heinerth, explorer and filmmaker
If you are a diver, what you learned about topics such as decompression sickness and narcosis in your scuba diving classes is unlikely to have been as complete as you thought. Most of it will have been over-simplified and some of it will just have been plain wrong, as diver training agency texts have not kept pace with the science. Scuba Physiological gives you a chance to catch up. A recent book called The Science of Diving was a collation of work done by scientists in the field of decompression research as part of a three-year project called PHYPODE (Physiology of Decompression). The book did not reach the diving public; mainly because it was written by scientists for other scientists and they speak a different language than most of us. Simon Pridmore is not an expert on diving medicine but he knows something good when he sees it. When Simon read The Science of Diving (with help from Google), he thought it was worthwhile working on it to try to make it more accessible. The original authors agreed that this was a good idea and Scuba Physiological is the result. There have been great advances to make diving safer, but, despite nearly 170 years of research, the fundamental nature of decompression sickness and decompression stress remains unknown and there are still glaring gaps in our knowledge. Scuba Physiological provides a good summary of what we know, as well as a glimpse of where the science is taking us and some invaluable tips to make you a safer diver now. Among many other things, you will learn: 1. Pre-dive hydration, exposure to heat, whole body vibration and oxygen breathing may reduce the risk of DCS. 2. Post-dive, our bodies have most bubbles running around them 30 to 40 minutes AFTER we have surfaced. Post-dive hydration and certain other post-dive behaviours are therefore also essential. 3. The effects of nitrogen narcosis continue for a period of time AFTER a dive. 4. All dive computers have a known DCS risk rate. 5. Exercise during the period up to 120 minutes after surfacing may increase your risk of DCS. 6. Never use a weightlifter's breath-hold and release technique when pulling yourself into the boat post-dive. 7. A little dark chocolate before a dive may be a good thing for you. What the experts say: “With this latest volume, Simon Pridmore makes a significant contribution to the body of practical knowledge in the science of scuba diving. If you are looking for a thorough understanding of the science of diving and how it might be impacting your safety and enjoyment of diving, this book is a must read.” Dan Orr, President, Academy of Underwater Arts & Sciences and President Emeritus, Divers Alert Network Foundation "This book makes it easy to understand the latest discoveries in diving research and our current understanding of what happens to our bodies when we dive." JP Imbert: Decompression designer and technical diving pioneer "There are some lovely thought-provoking ideas and questioning of current dogma. This book is well worth the read. " Dr Ian Sibley-Calder, HSE Approved Medical Examiner of Divers, Occupational Health Physician "This book is an excellent discussion of the issues. It is an enjoyable, simplified read of a complex subject and easy for a non-scientist to comprehend. I consider this an essential text for every diver's shelf." Joseph Dituri PhD (c), CDR, US Navy Saturation Diving
Scuba Professional introduces readers of Simon Pridmore's books for divers to a whole new level of the sport. Whereas Scuba Fundamental, Scuba Confidential and Scuba Exceptional focus on how to scuba dive, Scuba Professional looks at how diving is taught and how dive operations are conducted. Scuba Professional is also an excellent source of out-of-the-box ideas and independent, objective advice for instructors and dive operators, as well as an indispensable guide for those aspiring to become dive professionals with chapters such as "Do You Have What It Takes?" and "Which Training Agency?" In short, this is everything you wanted to know about working in scuba diving but never dared to ask. Scuba Professional is not only for professionals. Serious divers who take more than a passing interest in their hobby and want to know what goes on behind the scenes will be fascinated by the topics addressed and the insights offered. From a dive safety point of view, Simon looks at the bigger picture and, in a series of chapters on avoiding and handling accidents, sets out a framework for developing the safety culture within our sport. He also examines the present state of key aspects of the dive industry and speculates as to the future. "There is quite simply nothing like this book. Scuba Professional offers an invaluable guide to divers who want to excel in the scuba world. This is the ultimate backstage pass into the business of scuba."Jill Heinerth, Underwater Explorer, Technical Instructor Trainer and Filmmaker "Terrific, really good! Simon captures the key characteristics of the diving instruction milieu concisely and with insight and clarity. It took me back to my many years of diving instruction and I was able to tick a mental check box against almost every key point he makes."Associate Professor Simon Mitchell, Consultant Anaesthetist and Diving Physician "Required reading for every scuba professional and anyone with hopes of becoming one. In fact every diver can learn from this distillation of hard-earned wisdom. Simon Pridmore is one of the most thoughtful and readable of divers."Steve Weinman, Editor, Diver Magazine
If you do not yet scuba dive but are thinking of learning, then Scuba Fundamental - Start Diving the Right Way is for you. It takes you from the germ of the idea that you might like to try scuba diving up to the point where you have done around 20 dives. This is not your standard how-to scuba diving manual. It is very different. The purpose of Scuba Fundamental is not to teach you how to dive. A dive instructor will do that. But this book will make the learning process much easier. It will help you make the right choices and avoid the pitfalls that await new and uninformed divers coming into the sport.It will also set you well on the road to becoming a capable and competent lifelong diver. Scuba Fundamental tells you how to make sure you are prepared for a scuba diving course and what a good beginners course should entail. It tells you how to choose a good instructor, how to decide which operators to dive with after you have finished your course and what sort of dives you should be doing when you first start diving. You will learn the many ways in which diving will change your life and also acquire some extremely valuable advice on the etiquette involved in the sport. Throughout the book and especially in the chapter "It Happened to Me" you will be entertained, educated and encouraged by anecdotes from people who are now experienced divers but were once beginners too. There is also an entire section devoted to diving safety, much of which covers vitally important aspects of scuba diving that standard training manuals don't emphasise enough or even leave out completely. The book's message is: start scuba diving the right way and you will be relaxed and ready for the adventure. You will have more fun, make fewer mistakes and be confident in the fact that you are well informed, have made the best choices and have spent your money wisely. Scuba Fundamental is a unique, reliable and essential guide: one that you can trust completely and follow during this formative phase of your scuba diving life. "I wish I had had this book to read when I learned to dive. I remember being totally confused." Robin Yao, Executive Editor, EZDIVE magazine "This is the book divers should give to friends when they say they want to learn to scuba dive." Ian Thomas, Scuba Instructor Trainer
This is the story that Disney would never tell you. What do you do when everything in your life falls apart? If you're Chris Mitchell, you run away from home--all the way to Disney World, a place where no one ever dies--and employees, known as Cast Members, aren't allowed to frown. Mitchell shares the behind-the-scenes story of his year in the Mouse's army. From his own personal Disneyfication, to what really happens in the hidden tunnels beneath the Magic Kingdom and what not to eat at the Mousketeria, it was a year filled with more adventure--and surprises--than he could ever have "imagineered." Funny and moving, Mitchell tracks his ascent through the backstage social hierarchy in which princesses rule, and his escapades in the "Ghetto" where Cast Members live and anything goes. Along the way, he unmasks the misfits and drop-outs, lifers and nomads who leave their demons at the stage door as they preserve the magic that draws millions to this famed fantasyland--the same magic that Mitchell seeks and ultimately finds in the last place he ever expected. Chris Mitchell is an action sports photographer and journalist who grew up in Los Angeles. He was a senior at UCLA when he started his first magazine, an inline skating publication, and sold it to Sports & Fitness Publishing. Within a few years, he was working on five magazines within The Surfer Group. He continues to work closely with a number of publications and websites, as well as event and TV production companies like ESPN, ASA Entertainment and Lifelounge. He is a recognized expert in action sports, and as such, has stunt coordinated dozens of productions, including Batman and Robin, Brink! and Airborne. He is also the Chairman of the International Inline Stunt Federation for the advancement of extreme skating as a healthy and safe activity. After spending a year working as a photographer at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, he moved back to Los Angeles, where he currently lives.
From the Blue Hole at Lawson Reef and the wreck of the Umbria in the Red Sea, to Michaelmas on the Great Barrier Reef, the Dive Atlas of the World offers a global tour of top dive sites, described and photographed by experts. From well-known classics to sites that have only recently been discovered, this global selection offers the discerning diver a feast of locations to choose from, including an expanded selection of Caribbean dive sites. Whether you favor muck diving and macro photography, wrecks, walls, reefs, caves, blue holes or the adrenaline rush of high-speed drift dive in a strong current (or all of these), you will find well-written, clearly mapped accounts of the top places where you can enjoy these dives. This book features contributions from local experts, leading writers and award-winning photographers such as Jack Jackson and Lawson Wood.
Finch chronicles the harrowing true story of two friends who plunge 900 feet into the water in South Africa--and only one returns. What happened that day is the stuff of nightmarish drama, but it's also a compelling human story of friendship and of coming to terms with loss and tragedy. 8-page color photo insert.
One diver, after a seemingly brief period below the surface, discovers that his gas supply has run perilously low. Another, paralyzed, bobs helplessly on the surface, and when a poorly trained divemaster attempts rescue, things go from bad to worse. Two other divers, fascinated by the bountiful undersea life of the Caribbean, fail to notice that a powerful current is sweeping them rapidly away from their unattended boat. These are just a few of the true stories you’ll find in Diver Down, most of them involving diver error and resulting in serious injury or death. Each of these tales is accompanied by an in-depth analysis of what went wrong and how you can recognize, avoid, and respond to similar underwater calamities. This unique survival guide explores the gamut of diving situations, including cave and wreck diving, deep-water dives, river and drift diving, decompression sickness, and much more. It shows you how to prevent tragic mishaps through: Inspection and maintenance of primary and secondary diving gear Learning and following established safety protocols Confirming the training and credentials of diving professionals Practicing emergency responses under real-world conditions
Taiwan is a Pacific island – actually several islands: a big one and some smaller satellites – surrounded by warm tropical seas. It is easily accessible, has excellent transportation and is a first-world society with out-going, friendly, laid-back people. Especially in the south and on several of the outlying islands, there is some very good scuba diving and also a network of dive centres and resorts with first-class professional staff and equipment. They provide services for a young generation of Taiwanese, who are driving development in the sport with considerable enthusiasm. Yet, when divers elsewhere in the world think about diving destinations, Taiwan is rarely even a blip on their radar screen. Very few people outside Taiwan have ever thought to enquire about the diving there, and very few people inside Taiwan have ever thought to tell anyone about it. Until now... In Dive into Taiwan, Simon Pridmore unveils the underwater secrets of these islands and guides you around expertly, making sure you travel easily, dine well and appreciate the unique culture and traditions of Taiwan as well as its marine treasures. This is the first English-language guide to diving the reefs and wrecks of hitherto unknown locations such as Penghu, Xiaoliuqiu, Hengchun, Lanyu (Orchid Island), Ludao (Green Island) and Taiwan’s Northeast Coast and places them firmly on the international diving map. Authoritative, well written and beautifully illustrated by Taiwanese photographer Kyo Liu’s superb underwater images, Dive into Taiwan opens the door to a new and exciting destination for travelling divers.
