The Certified Diver's Handbook: The Complete Guide to Your Own Underwater Adventures (Paperback)

by Clay Coleman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The real-world guide for divers who want to enjoy their sport to the fullest

More than half of the 1.5 million people who achieve scuba certification each year are stymied in their pursuit of the sport because they lack time and money to enjoy the exotic diving experiences they've read about, and don't want to be confined to group dives. The Certified Diver's Handbook is the only guide to help them create their own diving adventures on any budget, on any schedule, in waters local or distant, and without the restrictions of group demands. Thirty-year diving veteran and photojournalist Clay Coleman provides the insider's tips and how-to advice divers need to equip, plan, and execute their own diving expeditions. Divers will learn how to:

• Buy or rent the best SCUBA equipment at the best prices
• Plan dives to maximize enjoyment and safety
• Find great diving sites close to home
• Master underwater rescue procedures and shore- and night-diving techniques
• Explore wrecks, reefs, and underwater caves

From the Inside Flap
Declare your diving independence

Now that you've got your diver’s certification, make the most of it! The Certified Diver's Handbook supplies all the advice and information you need to make diving an ongoing and rewarding part of your life. This definitive, real-world guide is packed with helpful facts and suggestions on everything from equipment, safety, and rescue procedures to techniques for shore diving, drift diving, night diving, and much more. You’ll learn how to take responsibility for your dive planning and your safety underwater. You’ll also find:

*Advice on renting or buying the best equipment at the best price
*Tips on using and maintaining masks, tanks, regulators, and exposure suits
*Techniques for underwater navigation in changing conditions
*Strategies for avoiding underwater injuries and illness
*The information you need to read wind, waves, currents, and weather
*Tips on great U.S. and international dive sites
*The fundamentals of underwater photography
*And much more

With The Certified Diver's Handbook, you can become an active, independent diver and make diving not just a special event, but a way of life.

"From masks to valve regulators, from rip tides to thermoclines, from fireworms to sharks—Clay overlooks nothing! You've never been through such a comprehensive course."—Humberto Fontova, author, The Helldivers' Rodeo: A Deadly, Extreme, Scuba-Diving, Spear Fishing Adventure Amid the Offshore Oil-Platforms in the Murky Waters of the Gulf of Mexico

"Finally a book written by a diver who loves the sport and manages to get his message across in an entertaining way."—Chuck Nicklin, cofounder of The Dive Locker, Emmy–award winning underwater cinematographer

"You won't find a more comprehensive, easy-to-read book about diving. This is a must-have for divers of all experience levels."—Bonnie J. Cardone, former editor of Skin Diver magazine, editor of The Fireside Diver: An Anthology of Underwater Adventure

Clay Coleman, shown here in the Caribbean with his wife and dive buddy Sharon Coleman, began diving, photographing, and spearfishing beneath the oil rigs off the coast of his native Louisiana in 1973. A member of the Louisiana State Bar since 1979, his first article appeared in Sport Diver magazine in 1994. His writing and photographs have been published in numerous diving, conservation, and boating magazines.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press; 1 edition (April 22, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071414606
• ISBN-13: 978-0071414609
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #187,530 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars certification class--the practical stuff, August 12, 2004

By	R. D Kavelman (Columbus, IN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have been a certified diver for over a year before I read this book. I had even purchased all my own gear in that amount of time. I wish that I had read this book immediately after my scuba class because I felt the information was valuable in selecting equipment as well as discussing dive trips. This is the stuff that they don't teach you in class. The author's style makes it an easy read for any diver. Plus, he is even willing to laugh at himself from time to time. I am going to have my son read it next.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What every new diver should know, December 8, 2004

By	Lisa Z. Morgan (Richmond, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a wonderful book for the newly certified diver, or for the older diver who has finished a refresher course. It covers a lot of the things that Open Water classes don't have time to cover in a lot of depth (no pun intended) but that are essential to safe, fun diving. The author discusses every topic of interest to the newly certified diver, from continuing education to selecting gear. The writing style is pleasant and easy to read. I would even recommend the book to those who are not yet certified, because it will give them a good overview of issues to consider as a new diver.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read and learn to get the most out of your C-card, June 17, 2004

By	Bob Welch (Dallas, TX United States) - See all my reviews

Learn to maximize those diving skills you were taught and truly make your diving adventures what they should be; safe and fun. Clay Coleman has put together his experience, skills, and plenty of helpful hints that go far beyond what you can ever learn in a dive course. Be ahead of the pack while developing your skills and planning your dive adventures. This book is a must for new divers as well as experienced divers.