Deco for Divers by Mark Powell – What a good book

[Nick of Bristol]

Hi,

I have just finished Deco for Divers by Mark Powell, and what a good book it was.

I was looking for something that would provide some background on the on the physiological information that was presented in the BSAC Sports Mixed Gas course. Although, much of this information is theoretical, and a nice to know, it did satisfy the geek / engineer in me.

230 pages on deco history, deco principles, medicine, nitrox, bubble models, deep stops, mixed gas and other deco models (including BSAC-88).

This has opened my eyes.

I would recommend it to anyone, but you would need some ability with science. I work as an engineer and had to re-read numerous paragraphs. This is no reflection on the text, but the concepts can be detailed.

Now I need to get to grips with this new computer !

Anybody care to recommend my next diving book, perhaps something on diving medicine ?

Happy new year

Nick

[OneDragons]

Deco for divers gets recommended every time a diver stumbles across it for the first time. Very good book.

Haven't got any other recommendations as after the above book I started reading more literary diving books instead.

[bythesea]

Try deeper into diving by Lippman, that is a hefty tome. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Deeper-into-Diving-John-Lippmann/dp/0959030638

Deco is a cracking book, easy to follow, well as easy as indepth deco theory ever can be...

[paul_c]

not only ius the book good but the bloke is top notch as well. a dive with him is a real learning experiance

[neil_richardson]

Diving Physiology in Plain English

theres lots of other books ive read about various stuff, and i would also reccomend the US Navy manual, but.... the above book is the best medical book around.

[ChristianG]

Anybody care to recommend my next diving book, perhaps something on diving medicine ?
Anything by Carl Edmonds (http://www.divingmedicine.info/divingmedicine/Welcome_files/CV_CE.pdf) et al.

Incidentally, I agree with you bythesea, Lipmann's book is quite a tome.

[PeteM]

Anything by Carl Edmonds (http://www.divingmedicine.info/divingmedicine/Welcome_files/CV_CE.pdf) et al.

Incidentally, I agree with you bythesea, Lipmann's book is quite a tome.

This one (http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/034080629X/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1294218671) is particularly good

[TrevorB]

Just finished reading Shadow Divers

It won't help your studies but its a good read and there is a lot of, would I have done that bits, to which most of the answers are no, but there were several fatalities

I know a lot more about U boats, and I enjoyed the read

[ChristianG]

Just finished reading Shadow Divers

I know a lot more about U boats, and I enjoyed the read
It's a terrific book of its genre. So is "Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea" (http://www.amazon.com/Ship-Gold-Deep-Blue-Sea/dp/0871134640) in that same genre. :)

Yes Pete, agree entirely.

[TrevorB]

Thanks
I know I am running behind the times, I found shadow divers in a junk shop
50p looks like it had never been opened, I really must up my reading budget

[Nigel Hewitt]

I know I am running behind the times, I found shadow divers in a junk shop
50p looks like it had never been opened, I really must up my reading budget
That's about what it's worth.
You will be disappointed.

[Woz]

If you want a rubbish book squared, try "Shadow Divers Exposed". A page-by-page bitch about "Shadow Divers".

[MikeTickle]

I really enjoyed shaddow divers. It really hammered home the incident pit avoidance mantra of when you get a problem, fix it fully or abort - don't put up with it.
I found dark descent a bit dull though.

[TrevorB]

Mike
I really enjoyed the read too and as I said "there is a lot of,... would I have done that bits, to which most of the answers are no".... it’s not a study book just a good read and as you say might keep you out of the incident pit.

Sorry Woz I usually agree with everything you say so I must locate Shadow Divers Exposed and see if I change my mind

[Lanny]

Hi,

I have just finished Deco for Divers by Mark Powell, and what a good book it was.

I was looking for something that would provide some background on the on the physiological information that was presented in the BSAC Sports Mixed Gas course. Although, much of this information is theoretical, and a nice to know, it did satisfy the geek / engineer in me.

230 pages on deco history, deco principles, medicine, nitrox, bubble models, deep stops, mixed gas and other deco models (including BSAC-88).

This has opened my eyes.

I would recommend it to anyone, but you would need some ability with science. I work as an engineer and had to re-read numerous paragraphs. This is no reflection on the text, but the concepts can be detailed.

Now I need to get to grips with this new computer !

Anybody care to recommend my next diving book, perhaps something on diving medicine ?

Happy new year

Nick

Mark's book is great. He is also a fantastic instructor who unfortunately is no longer teaching BSAC Tech courses due to our Tech Group's ludicrous stance on hose routing. A great shame and another loss for our club for no discernible reason other than the pointless obstinacy of a few individuals.

Another dive book which I found really inspirational was Sheck Exley's "Cavern's Measureless to Man." An incredible account of a true pioneer and worlds away from the over-hyped rhetoric of some of the dive books around.

I found "Diving and Subaquatic Medicine" a really good text for dive medicine. Very detailed and not too heavy going considering the subject matter.

[bythesea]

Which reminds me, the fundamentals of better diving by Jarrod Jablonski is an interesting read. Just don't get hung up on the DIR tag, there are some good points and alternatives in there...

http://www.gue.com/?q=en/node/174

[neil_richardson]

2nd Deco for divers as well,, however i did find it was VERY shallow in content sometimes, and seemed to be lopsided towards VPM models.

Hence, i found myself disagreeing with as much of the book as i was agreeing with. Good book however, just,,, un balanced and incomplete in my opinion.

Thus, i'd suggest that once you've read Deco for divers, you read:

Deeper into diving:

http://www.danasiapacific.org/main/products.php?cat=9

Epically good read. Much more balanced, much much much more balanced, however it does go out on limbs sometimes by seemingly specuculating about a number of minor things! whcih may or may not be correct, but in areas other books tend not to venture!??! so who knows!?!!

i'd also suggest reading:

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIOURAL ASPECTS OF DIVING

http://www.oceans.com.au/oe-hyperbaric.html

and if your really bored, you can read the old journals of these guys:

http://www.eubs.org/Newslett.htm

and if you're in need of a book to put you to sleep, check out the US navy manual. Its got more in there than any other book i've encountered:

http://www.aquapress.co.uk/subject.asp?cat=87

ALSO, if you want a FUN book to read, my favourite and i mean favourite book of YEARS, has to be:

Suffer and Survive: The Extreme Life of J. S. Haldane

http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/martin+goodman/suffer+and+survive/6085371/

This book isnt just good, it should be on ALL wannabee "advanced" diver types must read list. Just shows you how the science of things came into being.

I personally cannot rate this book high enough. :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool:

[OneDragons]

Which reminds me, the fundamentals of better diving by Jarrod Jablonski is an interesting read. Just don't get hung up on the DIR tag, there are some good points and alternatives in there...

http://www.gue.com/?q=en/node/174

I assume it is pure DIR methods though?

[bythesea]

I assume it is pure DIR methods though?

It is written by the head honcho of GUE so yes but it is just a book about diving with a differing view on certain matters, as part of an all round education you should always look at all view points and not just those that suit.

It is a read I would recommend to anyone and at fifteen dollars is hardly a bank breaker.

[PeteM]

It is written by the head honcho of GUE so yes but it is just a book about diving with a differing view on certain matters, as part of an all round education you should always look at all view points and not just those that suit.

It is a read I would recommend to anyone and at fifteen dollars is hardly a bank breaker.

Agreed, and besides general interest, even if you don't dive DIR afterwards you will at least understand the reasoning behind it.

[bythesea]

Agreed, and besides general interest, even if you don't dive DIR afterwards you will at least understand the reasoning behind it.

Exactly...

[OneDragons]

Sounds interesting but I prefer to read books in the old fashioned way and actually have some paper in front of me.

[PeteM]

Sounds interesting but I prefer to read books in the old fashioned way and actually have some paper in front of me.

So do I, the ISBN is 0971326703 on my copy. Amazon UK do not stock it but probably worth a search on one of the book finding sites like Book Butler. I bought mine in a dive shop in Portland

[ChristianG]

Sorry Woz I usually agree with everything you say so I must locate Shadow Divers Exposed and see if I change my mind
Gary Gentile, who "wrote" it, may be one of the foremost former divers of this world but he can't write for nuts, to use an appropriately American idiom.

I suspect that you'll find that book pretty heavy going - I've read it but I don't own it, I simply wouldn't bother to own anything by that "author". In between his rantings his English is simply dreadful, it's interesting that he self publishes nowadays, says it all really.