Scuba Diving & Snorkeling for Dummies (Paperback)

by John Newman (Author), Michael Newman (Foreword) "Snorkeling and scuba diving are pretty easy - what could be hard about floating around?..." (more)
Key Phrases: slant dive, clearing your mask, topside attractions, Red Sea, Indian Ocean, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
For millions of Americans, diving offers the chance to get away from everyday life and enter a world of stunning natural beauty and fascinating complexity. And getting started is a breeze! Anyone can learn to dive safely and explore the world’s wondrous oceans – all it takes is a little training and basic equipment.

Scuba Diving & Snorkeling For Dummies presents all the fundamentals for anyone interested in getting dive certified or just looking for good snorkeling while on vacation. Written by PADI-Certified diver John Newman, this friendly guide covers everything you need to know to:

• Get certified
• Plan a great diving trip
• Save money on equipment
• Dive or snorkel safely

This user-friendly guide starts by helping you evaluate your underwater skills and walking you step by step through a typical certification program. Once you’re certified, it helps you pick a dive site, purchase and set up your equipment, and take care of any fears you might have. Then you’ll discover what to expect on your first dive – from which creatures are dangerous to how to protect fragile sea life. Scuba  Diving & Snorkeling For Dummies also covers these topics and more:

• Free diving
• Special breathing techniques
• Emergency procedures
• How to avoid the bends
• Handling dive anxiety
• The physics and chemistry of diving
• Staying healthy on dive trips
• Ocean ecosystems
• Rip tides and tidal waves
• Ten great dive destinations

In addition to beautiful full-color photography and all the information you need to plan a dive trip, the book also includes a handy appendix of dive organizations and publications, as well as a CD-ROM sampler from PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors). Whether you’re a novice diver or an old hand, Scuba Diving & Snorkeling For Dummies is perfect for anyone who wants to see the beauty of the ocean from a fish’s point of view.

From the Back Cover
"… it inspires and instructs. I give it a top recommendation for anyone who's intrigued by our oceans' environments." — Jean-Michel Cousteau "No secret handshakes or eyebrow-raised buzz words to dazzle you; just solid info with some fun thrown in." — Gary P. Joyce, Editor, Sport Diver Magazine "If you've ever dreamed of diving into the world of undersea adventure, but weren't sure where to start, Scuba Diving & Snorkeling For Dummies® is the book for you!" — John Cronin, CEO, PADI

Dive Right In with Valuable Offers from PADI, DACOR, and Sport Diver Magazine!

This friendly guide shows you how to dive right into snorkeling and scuba. Veteran diver John Newman leads you step-by-step through pre-dive fundamentals, explains what to expect when you're underwater, and describes options available to you after you get your feet wet. CD-ROM System Requirements: 486 or faster PC with Windows 3.1 or later; 4MB RAM; 256 color, 640x480 resolution display; Windows-compatible sound card; double-speed (2X) or faster CD-ROM drive; 25MB free hard drive space

Inside, Find In-Depth Advice on How to:

• Buy or rent the right equipment without going broke
• Get in the swim with masks, snorkels, fins, wetsuits, regulators, and tanks
• Understand what it takes to get certified — the quick and easy way
• Snorkel and dive safely — and stay cool in emergency situations
• Plan a trip to one of the twenty finest dive spots in the world
• Investigate advanced diving options — from photography to cave exploration

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Product Details

• Paperback: 376 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies (June 29, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764551515
• ISBN-13: 978-0764551512
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #132,459 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT RESOURCE FOR THE BEGINNING DIVER, September 23, 1999

By A Customer

This book is put together and presented in such a way as not to discourage anybody who has thought about learning to dive from doing so. There are a lot of books out there that are still influnced by training agencies that still think all divers should be taught like they are Navy Seals. It was refreshing to find a book that is accuarte and promotes diving for what it really is a fun, non-competitive, family sport. I have been involved in the dive industruy for over 20 years and diving for over 30 years and I highly recommend this book for anybody that has thought of giving Scuba diving a try.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great, informative, enjoyable and easy to read, March 15, 2000

By A Customer

We bought this for general information, expecting a simplified guide but found it to be very informative and interesting. Great pictures and notes, very easy to read, even for my 11 year old who can't wait to get certified. The cd-rom that comes with it is full of information, a quick PADI course, video clips, and it is worth the price of the book alone! a great buy!

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What a useless book!!!!, February 14, 2004

By A Customer

I found this book to be totally useless. I just tells you how to go to a dive shop and get certified. There is almost no useful instruction in the whole book. Just go get certified and you can skip the book. I expected info on using the dive tables or other specific info, however, I found it completely lacking anything you don't get in a basic open water class. I guess if you want to be told the kind of things you will learn in a dive class go ahead. This book does not compare with the other books in the "Dummies" Series. Don't waste your money.