The Certified Diver's Handbook The Complete Guide to Your Own Underwater Adventures

by Coleman, Clay

• ISBN13: 9780071414609
• ISBN10: 0071414606
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-05-17
• Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press

Summary

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

Author Biography

Clay Coleman (Baton Rouge, LA) has been scuba diving since 1973 and is a freelance undersea photojournalist for national magazines. His photos have appeared in Sport Diver, Scuba Diving, and Boating Life.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Introduction	1	(2)
CHAPTER 1 SWITCHING ATTITUDE GEARS	3	(13)
Diving as a Lifestyle	7	(1)
Pursuing Your Own Interests	8	(2)
A Realistic Assessment of Risk	10	(4)
A Realistic Assessment of Cost	14	(2)
CHAPTER 2 EQUIPMENT	16	(54)
Masks, Fins, and Snorkels	18	(3)
Dive Knife	21	(1)
Regulators	22	(11)
Buoyancy Compensators	33	(12)
Depth Gauges	45	(1)
Dive Computers	45	(9)
Exposure Suits	54	(8)
Tanks	62	(4)
Weights and Weight Belts	66	(3)
Dive Bags	69	(1)
CHAPTER 3 GEAR MAINTENANCE	70	(21)
Mask	71	(1)
Regulator	72	(5)
Submersible Pressure Gauge	77	(1)
Computer	78	(2)
Buoyancy Compensator	80	(5)
Tanks	85	(6)
CHAPTER 4 GADGETS THAT WORK, AND GOOD IDEAS	91	(17)
Hose and Gauge Retainers	92	(4)
Clip Systems	96	(1)
Dive Lights	97	(1)
Dive Slates	97	(1)
Plastic Ties	97	(1)
Clip-On Weights	98	(1)
Spare Air	99	(1)
Moldable Mouthpieces	100	(1)
Safety Sausages	101	(1)
Dry Boxes	102	(3)
Dry Bags	105	(1)
Medical Dive Insurance	105	(1)
Dive Equipment Insurance	106	(2)
CHAPTER 5 HOW TO BUY EQUIPMENT	108	(7)
Buying New Gear	109	(2)
Buying Used Gear	111	(3)
Personalizing Your Gear	114	(1)
CHAPTER 6 KINDRED SPIRITS AND FIRST TRIPS	115	(11)
Finding Dive Buddies	116	(4)
Where to Go	120	(6)
CHAPTER 7 AN INTRODUCTION TO MOTHER OCEAN: WATER WEIGHT AND DENSITY	126	(13)
The Characteristics of Ocean Water	127	(4)
How Water Density Affects Light	131
How Water Density Affects Sound	36	(103)
CHAPTER 8 THE WEATHER: WIND AND WAVES, STORMS, AND CURRENTS	139	(20)
Wind and Waves	140	(5)
Thunderstorms	145	(3)
Currents	148	(11)
CHAPTER 9 THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT	159	(38)
Organization of the Ocean	161	(1)
The Four Life-Forms	162	(2)
Anatomy of a Coral Reef	164	(10)
Spooky and Potentially Hazardous Marine Animals	174	(23)
CHAPTER 10 GOING DIVING	197	(33)
Diving from Charter Boats	198	(13)
Diving from Privately Owned Boats	211	(3)
Diving from Shore	214	(4)
Drift Diving	218	(2)
Night Diving	220	(10)
CHAPTER 11 STAYING OUT OF TROUBLE	230	(27)
Underwater Navigation	231	(18)
Buddy Problems	249	(8)
CHAPTER 12 WHEN A GOOD THING GOES BAD: BASIC RESCUE PROCEDURES AND DIVER PROBLEMS	257	(23)
Rational-Patient Surface Assist	258	(3)
Passive-Patient and Panicky-Patient Surface Rescue	261	(3)
Unconscious-Patient Surface Rescue	264	(1)
Unconscious Patient on the Bottom	265	(1)
Decompression Sickness	266	(5)
Lung Overpressure Injuries	271	(3)
Some Problems of Breathing under Pressure	274	(3)
Hypothermia	277	(1)
Hyperthermia	278	(2)
CHAPTER 13 DIVING IN THE UNITED STATES	280	(33)
Road Trip	282	(1)
The Gulf Coast	283	(15)
The East Coast	298	(8)
The Great Lakes	306	(2)
The West Coast	308	(4)
Inland USA: A Place Near You	312	(1)
CHAPTER 14 INTERNATIONAL DIVE TRAVEL	313	(20)
Getting There	315	(8)
Where to Go	323	(10)
APPENDIX UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY	333	(28)
Resources	361	(3)
Index	364