Reviews

Good book. I read it and decided right away that diving was not for me. It saved me a lot of money

This handbook is delightfully written by a diver who is both savvy and informative. It's an easy read. He give's helpful tips on equipment, tips on where, when, who.... great money-saving tips. Hope you enjoy it as much as we have! It's already helped us to make some good decisions on buying certain types of gear! worth every penny.

After just receiving my open water certificate, the next step was to read this book! It helps you on your way to websites for checking equipment and covers what to expect with your next upcoming dive specialty. Do yourself a favor and put this reference in your library. Easy to read, hard to put down, written by someone with a love of what the book is about- Getting into the water!

One of the most useful, informative publications I have ever seen on the subject of scuba diving. Coleman has packed a lot of extremely useful stuff into one place. This book is mandatory for all new divers and useful for divers of all experience levels.

the idiots who put this book together placed a segment of 35 pages in upside down and backwards.... who lets that kind of mistake pass thru quality control. there was no info on my invoice like a number to call or a place to email to complain and return the book. This book was under the description as "NEW." Very upset with Amazon lately.

Reviews

I read this book cover to cover, and I loved it. The color illustrations made concepts simple to understand, and visually appealing. The book does not read like a technical manual, but more like a more detailed and complete version of a Open Water Certification book. Good information, and enjoyable to read.

Good manual for those who are interested in knowing more about scuba diving and those currently taking classes to get certified as divers. Clear information accompanied by good photos.

Jackson's Complete Diving Manual is a large format paperback printed on glossy stock and full of color photographs and helpful illustrations and diagrams, ranging from concepts to technical drawings. It's not a picture book, just one that uses graphics and visuals very well to illustrate text. Jackson is an award-winning photographer and advanced diver, and the book also benefitted from input by Scuba Diving Magazine technical editor Michael R. Ange, author of "Diver Down." The Complete Diving Manual is a great and pleasant way to get an idea what scuba diving is all about. It's a rather complete introduction to beginners and newcomers, but contains enough detail and useful reference diagrams that the book has its place in the library of any diver, all the way yo advanced and technical. To give an example: where most general introduction to diving may have brief description of, say, the second stage in a regulator, Jackson provides detailed drawings and diagrams that show and label every part. That way readers can, if they choose, figure out exactly how a piece of equipment works. This approach even extends to more advanced equipment, such as rebreathers. There are full diagrams how a regular scuba unit compares to a semiclosed rebreather and that from a closed-circuit rebreather (where each of 24 parts and systems is shown and labeled). Yet, it never gets dry as everything is accompanied by terific photographs as well. In terms of overall content, Jackson covers all the basics. What diving is all about, equipment, physiology, training, planning, types of diving, technical diving, safety and dangers, travel, trips, and so on. Type is large and easy to read. It is also logically arranged, and, thankfully, omits the numerous (and often redundant) tips and tricks and bullet points you'd find in the "for Dummies" book on scuba diving that essentially covers all the same points. Jackson simply builds the information into the text itself. Also helpful: a very detailed glossary of diving terms and a listing of all the pertaining agencies and organizations. The Complete Diving Manual is just that; it provides a total overview of scuba diving and what all it entails. It's all presented in a large format, colorful book that uses a variety of visuals to illustrate, entertain and explain. Want to see the conceptual difference in both basic and balanced diaphragm and piston first stage mechanisms? It's in there, shown in simple, logical graphics. Apart from the methodical and comprehensive description of all aspects of scuba, Jackson's ability to pick just the right visuals to illustrate and explain are the strongest parts of the Complete Diving Manual.

This book is well written and illustrated, and goes deeper into the theories and explanations than the other dive books I've collected. It's obvious that the author is a balanced, experienced diver who can also teach and write like a pro. If you're interested in learning beyond the basic dive certifications (OW/AOW) this is a must on your diver locker shelf! As an author myself, it's a pleasure to find a book that presents the information so well that the words don;t get in the way.

Reviews

THIS BOOK IS A VERY GOOD ONE IT COVER'S EVERY THING CONCERNS SCUBA DIVING BUT UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY IS NOT DISCUSSED AS IT SHOULD BE.