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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #91521 in Books
• Published on: 1999-06-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 376 pages

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

About the Author
About the Author John Newman, a PADI–Certified diver, was the Editor and Art Director of Dive Travel magazine for ten years. He travels and dives all over the world and contributes regularly to Sport Diver magazine. John is also an avid surfer, waveskier, and kayaker who has won five Phelan Literary Awards for his fiction.

Customer Reviews

excellent well constructed book
Well constructed book offering good advice and instruction for newcomers and experienced divers alike. It puts the fun into diving instruction without sacrificing any safety considerations. Backed up by the excellent PADI organization. Worth every penny and probally the best home read available.

limited knowledge and over simplification of scuba diving
This book is oversimplified and leaves out important details dive students need to know in order to fully enjoy scuba diving while maximizing safety. This is just a hype book to sell the training agency who sponsored it and their poorly structured courses. Many superior books on this site. Save your money on this one.