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Padi Open Water Diver Manual 2006 Edition
Manual for divers.
262 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
26 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
December 21, 2011
Very dry reading for something about being wet, but definitely worth it if you're doing a PADI open water scuba diving course. Not really worth it if you're looking for a light read by the pool, unless you are into reading textbooks for fun. Diving is more fun than that. It also comes in lots of languages, which is pretty cool, so you can dive in French, German, Spanish...
Did I mention that diving is AWESOME?
Did I mention that diving is AWESOME?
April 12, 2012
I'm currently reading this to prepare for my open water diver theory class that I'm taking in order to get my licence.
It's really easy to understand and has step-by-step guiding lessons that help greatly. Quick quizzes and chapter assessments embed the information in your mind and help you test it.
As the warning in it goes, I'm really excited about going into the practical side.
It's the perfect PADI home study material.
It's really easy to understand and has step-by-step guiding lessons that help greatly. Quick quizzes and chapter assessments embed the information in your mind and help you test it.
As the warning in it goes, I'm really excited about going into the practical side.
It's the perfect PADI home study material.
May 24, 2024
Very informative and easy to follow, I learned a lot of important new things from this book. A great read if you are interested in scuba diving, but I would not recommend as a pleasure read. All the information you need to complete the knowledge reviews is easy to find and understand. Cheers to the other diving enthusiasts!
February 4, 2015
My guide to Diving passion :)
March 4, 2015
Great preparation for my scuba class. So excited for our trip!
March 20, 2016
Liked the way it was packaged! Helped make it easy to read, especially with short exercises after each portion.
February 5, 2025
My only complaint is there seems to be a lot of handwaving over don't think about the impact you have on the environment and people who invest tons of money into PADI do more dives so you yourself should invest in your equipment/PADI even more cause then you'll get in more dives!
It just shows a certain disregard for alternatives for causality.
It just shows a certain disregard for alternatives for causality.
October 2, 2017
Great read. The information is put into chapters and then broken up again into smaller chunks, each with their own mini quiz at the end (with answers) and then a larger questionnaire at the end of each chapter (to be discussed with instructor).
Very informative for a first-time diver.
Very informative for a first-time diver.
December 16, 2017
Este libro es extremadamente largo para la información que contiene. Se puede resumir lo más importante en un manual de 10 páginas.
Al ser tan extenso se pierde el sentido de las cosas importantes
Al ser tan extenso se pierde el sentido de las cosas importantes
January 29, 2018
Had to read it to get my SCUBA certification. Very informative. Three stars for helping me not die.
March 7, 2023
Good material, but a little repetitive and redundant. Could be 50 pages shorter if written concisely.
January 10, 2012
There are several comments after reading this book:
1. This book is easy to understand, some parts are being told repetitively but it make me sure that the parts are extremely important, so it's reminded many times. It also provide quiz in the end of each section. The quiz is a good indicator to measure my understanding.
2. Reading this book like reading Physic Book in fun way. There is so many concepts of Physic those are actually useful in diving, and I didn't know that until I read this book. And I somehow have different paradigm now, physic is not something that is hard to understand, but physic is fun, if you apply it into your hobby.
3. The book also provide many useful information which also broaden our knowledge about diving world, open water world either it's fresh water or ocean. It's not only talking about technique and preparation of diving but it also explains the condition of world where we will come in. The beauty and mystery of underwater world is described vividly in this book.
4. There is always be risk in diving, there is always be risk in doing anything. This book communicate the risk of diving in the way that is honest (how fatal the accident in diving can be) but also make people realize that the safety can be achieved and it's possible to dive safely.
5. I will enjoy reading the next level of Diving Manual Book (Adventure Diving), but of course after I finish the diving in real world :D
1. This book is easy to understand, some parts are being told repetitively but it make me sure that the parts are extremely important, so it's reminded many times. It also provide quiz in the end of each section. The quiz is a good indicator to measure my understanding.
2. Reading this book like reading Physic Book in fun way. There is so many concepts of Physic those are actually useful in diving, and I didn't know that until I read this book. And I somehow have different paradigm now, physic is not something that is hard to understand, but physic is fun, if you apply it into your hobby.
3. The book also provide many useful information which also broaden our knowledge about diving world, open water world either it's fresh water or ocean. It's not only talking about technique and preparation of diving but it also explains the condition of world where we will come in. The beauty and mystery of underwater world is described vividly in this book.
4. There is always be risk in diving, there is always be risk in doing anything. This book communicate the risk of diving in the way that is honest (how fatal the accident in diving can be) but also make people realize that the safety can be achieved and it's possible to dive safely.
5. I will enjoy reading the next level of Diving Manual Book (Adventure Diving), but of course after I finish the diving in real world :D
March 4, 2012
At the beginning, I really hated the layout of the book. The 'objectives' and 'self surveys' are located in awkward places. There are some boxes that give other information that are placed in the middle of a paragraph so you either have to go to the next page to finish the paragraph and then go back to read the box or read the box and forget what you were reading in the main part. Also, the captions under the pictures are verbatim from the main information so I just stopped reading them after the first few pages. However, after a while, I did get used to the screwy set-up. I wish that the answers to the self surveys were on the next page so it wouldn't be so tempting to just look down at the answer. All in all, it's a necessary book to read if you want to get scuba certified but it could do with a whole new layout!
April 29, 2009
I took a PADI open water scuba diver certification course in Mexico and it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. The feeling of weightlessness after achieving neutral buoyancy and breathing underwater is an experience all unto itself, but then comes the exploration of an underwater world that is so radically different from the surface world that you'll be captivated by its scope and beauty, and its probably as close to a feeling of exploring a strange new world as you're gonna get without the help of strong hallucinogenic drugs.
This might mean a new exploration of possibly integrating diving into my professional career goals -- such as via marine biology/ecology. There would be nothing sweeter than getting paid to dive.
This might mean a new exploration of possibly integrating diving into my professional career goals -- such as via marine biology/ecology. There would be nothing sweeter than getting paid to dive.
April 27, 2015
There's a lot of great -- essential, in fact -- info here, but the format leaves plenty to be desired.
As others have noted, the sequencing of the things to look for and self-review sidebars is out of whack, and ALL of the image captions are verbatim repetitions of body copy from the same page. Obviously, someone thought, "Hey, we can emphasize these points by making them bold and hiding them under photos off to the side. Did we mention they're bold?!"
I understand that PADI is in the process of updating this text, but for now, it serves its purpose -- giving you the basics about scuba that, when combined with instructor lectures and pool training, prepare you to become an open water diver.
As others have noted, the sequencing of the things to look for and self-review sidebars is out of whack, and ALL of the image captions are verbatim repetitions of body copy from the same page. Obviously, someone thought, "Hey, we can emphasize these points by making them bold and hiding them under photos off to the side. Did we mention they're bold?!"
I understand that PADI is in the process of updating this text, but for now, it serves its purpose -- giving you the basics about scuba that, when combined with instructor lectures and pool training, prepare you to become an open water diver.
August 14, 2013
I should not have waited until a week before Scuba Class to start reading this book. I thought I could fly through 250 pages easily learning simple fun facts about diving, but this is some hefty material. I started last night and in 3 hours I had read just under 30 pages and took 6 pages of written notes to keep the info fresh and easy to skim through again before class.
I don't know how to rate this. As something enjoyeable to read I give it low stars. It's a classroom book, not an exciting read. It's repetitive, but that's the way it should be to help you learn and retain the information. It gave me what I needed to start scuba classes, now let's just hope I learned enough to ace the tests.
I don't know how to rate this. As something enjoyeable to read I give it low stars. It's a classroom book, not an exciting read. It's repetitive, but that's the way it should be to help you learn and retain the information. It gave me what I needed to start scuba classes, now let's just hope I learned enough to ace the tests.
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August 8, 2011Although I read this in order to pass the exam and gain the eventual qualification, I actually found this quite interesting. It tells you all you need to know about diving with SCUBA equipment to depths of up to 18 meters and the various conditions under which you might dive. It also taught me alot about the coastal environment which is useful information which will extend beyond my diving.
This was a really interesting read and complimented an excellent course which I would recommed to anyone regardless of your current underwater skills. Even without the rest of the course, this is a really interesting and informative read.
This was a really interesting read and complimented an excellent course which I would recommed to anyone regardless of your current underwater skills. Even without the rest of the course, this is a really interesting and informative read.
August 15, 2012
Obviously had to read it to get PADI Open Water Diver certified. I had the same problems with the layout that many others did, with quizzes and sidebars being awkwardly located. I also felt the tone was simultaneously too dry and too joking. Not sure how this is possible, but ...
The book also spent far too long on how to buy gear. I know the gear is important to successful and fun-filled diving, but so much of what the textbook has to say on the topic is obvious and/or redundant. In fact, that's a good summary of the textbook as a whole. Yes, it does a great job of including all the information you need for successful certification, but it could do that in a book about half the size.
The book also spent far too long on how to buy gear. I know the gear is important to successful and fun-filled diving, but so much of what the textbook has to say on the topic is obvious and/or redundant. In fact, that's a good summary of the textbook as a whole. Yes, it does a great job of including all the information you need for successful certification, but it could do that in a book about half the size.
May 4, 2009
Had to read this for my scuba PADI class. It is textbook read for a recreational activity.
I did learn alot from the book, but it was a textbook, so it is not like a recreational book. I did try to retain as much info as possible but some of it i know just won't stick until i go diving and look back over this book, it will be a good book to have around for things that pop up in the futyre, a good reference to look back through.
I am now done with the classes all i need now are my 4 open water dives and i will be certified. :O) yay !
I did learn alot from the book, but it was a textbook, so it is not like a recreational book. I did try to retain as much info as possible but some of it i know just won't stick until i go diving and look back over this book, it will be a good book to have around for things that pop up in the futyre, a good reference to look back through.
I am now done with the classes all i need now are my 4 open water dives and i will be certified. :O) yay !
September 24, 2015
While this wasn't the most thirlling of reads, it was necessary to read this cover-to-cover in order to obtain my SCUBA certification, which I am (at this writing) 1/3 of the way done with now that I have completed the textbook portion. I am super excited about learning to SCUBA dive; and this book was a great component in helping me learn about the equipment and procedures. I highly reccomend this to anyone who is interested in their SCUBA certification (indeed, it is required to be PADI certified.)
October 21, 2010
The Open Water Diver Manual is a book that teaches you how to SCUBA dive. There are many different chapeters that explain the most important parts of SCUBA diving and the equiptment. It can be very confusing at times, so I would suggest you reread the parts you dont understand. At the end of each chapter is a quiz. It askes several of the main points in the book. I would recomend you read this if you would like to become a certified PADI diver.
September 14, 2012
SCUBA is a device to help people breathe underwater. SCUBA stands for Stay Calm Underwater, But Also. It is widely accepted that SCUBA used to have 2-4 other letters at the end of it which have been lost to time, as staying calm alone is not enough to breathe underwater, and because "But Also" is no way to end an acronym.
Besides teaching people about the calmness that is SCUBA, this book also has nice pictures.
Besides teaching people about the calmness that is SCUBA, this book also has nice pictures.
April 30, 2013
Very specific. Very informative if you are planning to go under the sea. They really should have one water confined dive that goes deeper then 7 foot community pool, so you can used to the pressure. I had some issues with pressurizing my ears, which I am sure everyone will not have, but I wish I would have done it once or twice before I went to sixty feet. Over all the book was unbelivably, incredibly boring. Do not read. Unless you plan on scuba diving.
March 22, 2017
Now I'm a certified scuba diver!
Read
February 13, 2012Read this on the plane to remind myself about how to scuba dive (I haven't done any in 3 years). I didn't die during my dives, so I guess it helped. As when I first read this book, I was disappointed that there was not a more technical discussion of gas solubility in non-ideal solutions (e.g., blood), but that is the pchemist talking...
March 19, 2012
I had to blaze through this in a week before I took my confined water dives (which is a tiny time frame that I DO NOT recommend, if you can help it), and it covered a ton of information without much fuss. Maybe not the most memorable book I've ever read, but I'll remember the FACTS in it, so in that respect it gets the job done admirably.
May 2, 2012
This book is probably the best example of good instructional design I've ever seen. They explain every concept (to a fault) so that no matter how you prefer to learn, you understand what they're talking about. Between the videos, the books, and the in-class instruction, you'll know how to dive and be comfortable in the water after this class.
August 27, 2013
I actually really enjoyed this manual, for a text book style reading. Everything was well organized and fully explained. The little quips made it awesome. Such as: "Plan an alternative dive site in case you can't drive at your primary site (poor conditions, speed boat competitions, *ex-spouse is there*, etc.)"
May 19, 2010
OK, it's not the most scintillating book to read, but necessary if you want to get PADI certified as an open water diver! Plus it explains why I haven't been posting any "real" books lately, still studying for my upcoming scuba exams next week, not much time for leisure reading right now!
May 17, 2011
I was certified many years ago, but my wife just became certified and used this as her text. It's perfectly adequate for what it is supposed to provide, if a bit on the "advertising additional services" which is the hallmark of all of the dive certification schools (and PADI in particular).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews