The book was originally published by Best Publishing Co., but is no longer in print. For the time being it exists only this web site.
Preface 1
Myths & Misconceptions 3
Disclaimer 5
An Invitation 5
Short Scuba Quiz 6
SECTION Page
A. A Brief History of Diving, from Antiquity to the Present
What is the early history of diving? A1
What are the different types of diving? A2
What are some important events in the history of diving? A3
B. Recreational Scuba Diving: An Overview
What does "Scuba" stand for? B1
How popular is Scuba diving? B1
What makes up Scuba equipment B1
What is Scuba certification? B3
Who teaches Scuba? B4
How does recreational Scuba diving differ from other
forms of Scuba diving? B5
What is the buddy system? B6
Why is 130 feet the maximum depth in recreational diving? B6
What is manadatory decompression and why is it not part
of recreational Scuba diving? B6
Are there different levels of recreational diving? B8
What is sport surface-supplied compressed air diving
and how does it differ from scuba? B9
What is the future of RSD? B12
C. The Respiratory System: A Brief Review
Why this Chapter? C1
What is the function of the respiratory system? C1
How does gas exchange occur? C3
Does the respiratory system have functions besides
gas exchange? C10
Do fish sleep? C12
How long do fish live? C12
D. An Explanation of Pressure and the Laws of
Dalton, Boyle, Charles and Henry
What is pressure? D1
What is air pressure? D3
What is the difference between ambient, barometric and
atmospheric pressure? D5
What are the measurement units for the ambient pressure? D6
What is an "atmosphere" of pressure? D6
What is the difference between absolute pressure and
gauge pressure? D7
What casues changes in atmospheric pressure? D9
What is the composition of air? D10
What are the gas laws and why are they important
to diving? D11
What is Boyle's Law? D12
What is Charles' Law? D13
What is Dalton's Law? D14
What is partial pressure? D15
What does Dalton's Law predict about changes in partial
pressure with changes in ambient pressure? D15
What is Henry's Law? D17
E. Water and the Physical Laws That Affect
All Divers
What are the important differences between air and water? E1
What does Boyle's Law predict about changes in
pressure with depth? E4
What does Boyle's Law predict about breath-hold diving? E6
What does Boyle's Law predict for the diver breathing
compressed air? E8
How much air is in a scuba tank? E9
How does air pressure change from the scuba tank to the
diver's lungs? E9
What is buoyancy? E13
What is buoyancy control? E14
What causes weightlessness under water? E16
How does one learn to acquire proper buoyancy? E16
F. Effects of Unequal Air Pressures While Scuba Diving:
Ear Squeeze, Sinus Squeeze, Air Embolism and
Other Forms of Barotrauma
What does Boyle's Law predict about unequal
pressures? F1
What is the difference between scuba diving with the
Glottis closed and open? F4
What is barotrauma? F6
What barotrauma problems can occur on descent? F6
What is the cause of middle-ear squeeze and how can
it be prevented? F6
What is the treatment of middle-ear squeeze? F9
What other forms of barotrauma occur on descent? F9
What barotrauma problems can occur on ascent? F9
What is pulmonary barotrauma? F10
How does pulmonary barotrauma occur? F13
Why does pulmonary barotrauma occur? F14
What is arterial gas embolism? F15
What is treatment of AGE? F16
G. Effects of Increased Dissolved Nitrogen From Scuba
Diving: Decompression Sickness
What happens to inhaled air at depth? G1
How does the increased pressure at depth affect gas
in the body? G2
Is there risk of oxygen toxicity in diving? G3
How does nitrogen differ from oxygen and CO2? G4
What is the history of decompression sickness? G4
What causes decompression sickness? G6
Is "the bends" the same thing as DCS? G8
What are the differences between DCS and AGE? G8
What is the treatment for DCS? G9
What is decompression illness? G11
What is a patent foramen ovale? G11
Should divers be checked for a patent foramen ovale? G13
Why is it unsafe to fly soon after diving? G14
How long should a diver wait before flying? G15
Why don't whales get the bends? G18
H. Oxygen Therapy for Diving Accidents: At Atmospheric
and Hyperbaric Pressure
What is oxygen therapy? H1
What is oxygen toxicity? H1
What is the difference between oxygen therapy for bubble
disease and other medical conditions? H2
Why is 100% oxygen recommended for all victims of
a scuba diving accident? H4
How is oxygen used at atmospheric pressure? H5
What are atmospheres of oxygen? H5
How is oxygen used at the dive site? H8
What are the types of oxygen masks available for dive
accident victims? H10
What are the advantages of supplemental oxygen therapy
for dive accident victims? H12
What is the physiologic basis for oxygen therapy? H13
Why does a PaO2 six times normal provide only 7%
more oxygen in the blood? H13
Why does replacing nitrogen with oxygen shrink bubbles? H15
How is oxygen therapy used at hyperbaric pressures? H18
What else is hyperbaric therapy used for? H21
What is a hyperbaric treatment table? H23
Are divers hurting reefs? H25
I. Effects of Gas Pressures at Depth: Nitrogen Narcosis
CO2 Narcosis, CO and Oxygen Toxicity
What happens to gas pressures at depth? I1
What is nitrogen narcosis? I1
What is oxygen toxicity, and can it develop while diving? I2
What exactly determines risk of oxygen toxicity? I4
How do atmospheres of O2 relate to oxygen toxicity? I5
How can oxygen toxicity be minimized? I6
How does carbon monoxide toxicity occur in scuba diving? I7
What is carbon dioxide toxicity? I9
What causes headache under water? I11
What is shallow-water blackout? I11
Aren't you afraid of sharks? I15
J. Dive Tables and Dive Computers: Their History
and Utility
Why do divers not routinely use dive tables? J1
How is a dive table used? J2
What is the origin of dive tables? J6
What is the theory behind dive tables? J7
What is "saturation"? J9
How do half times affect nitrogen loading and unloading? J10
So what do half-times and saturation have to do with
dive tables? J12
What is supersaturation? J13
Have the tables been modified for recreational diving? J15
What is doppler ultrasound? J15
Does diving "by the tables" guarantee a diver won't
develop DCS? J16
What is the difference between square wave and multi-
level diving? J17
What is the origin of dive computers? J19
What do dive computers do? J19
Are dive computers preferred over dive tables? J20
How accurate are dive computers? J21
What are odd dive patterns? J22
How are computers abused? J23
K. Stress, Hyperventilation, and Hypothermia
What is stress? K1
Why is an understanding of stress important for divers? K1
What is a panic reaction? K2
How do I know when I'm in a stressful situation? K4
What is hyperventilation? K5
What is hypothermia? K7
What is the treatment of hypothermia? K10
What is hyperthermia? K11
L. Diving with Non-air Gas Mixtures: Nitrox, Heliox,
Trimix, et. al.
What is nitrox? L1
Why nitrox? L2
What are the hazards of nitrox? L2
Why isn't nitrox routinely used by recreational divers? L3
But is nitrox dangerous? L4
Who certifies for nitrox diving? L6
What is heliox? L6
What is trimix? L6
Are there other gas mixtures used for scuba diving? L6
M. Women and Diving
Does one's sex affect scuba diving? M1
Are women at greater risk than men for developing
decompression illness? M1
What about psycological differences between men and
women regarding scuba diving? M2
Do changes during menstruation pose any risk? M2
Do oral contraceptives pose a risk to women divers? M3
What about diving during pregnancy? M3
How soon can one dive after pregnancy? M4
What should be done if a woman inadvertently dives
while pregnant? M4
Should women expect special treatment when scuba diving? M4
N. Medical Fitness for Diving: Guidelines Real and
Imagined
Are there regulations regarding who may scuba dive? N1
Who is fit for diving? N1
Can one dive while taking a decongestant? N2
What conditions should prohibit diving? N3
Why are some conditions controversial for diving? N6
Why are some conditions considered prohibitive for scuba
diving? N9
O. Should Asthmatics Not Scuba Dive?
Should asthmatics not scuba dive? O1
Why is there a wide range of opinion on asthma
and diving? O3
What is the informed consent approach? O12
What about medicolegal concerns? O14
P. But Is Recreational Scuba Diving Safe? The
Great Debate
Is scuba diving safe? P1
Is recreational scuba diving safe? P3
GLOSSARY AND APPENDICES
Q. Glossary Q1
R. All About DAN, or: Where are the Hyperbaric Chambers? R1
S. U.S. Scuba Training Agencies S1
T. U.S. Scuba Magazines and Newsletters T1
U. Distributors of Scuba Books and Videos U1
Diving Odds N' Ends
Historical Diving Society A15
Scuba in Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea A16
Seven Underwater Wonders of the World B13
Do Fish Sleep? C12
How Long Do Fish Live? C12
Great Lakes Shipwrecks C12
Some Famous Wrecks D20
Selected Non-documentary Movies with Diving Themes/Scenes E19
The Great White Shark E20
Earth's Most Venomous Creature E20
Top 10 Diving Destinations F18
Diving the Bikini Atoll F18
World's Highest Mountain 110
The BIGGEST Animals in the Sea G17
Lloyd Bridges G17
Why Don't Whales Get The Bends? G18
There Has To Be a Better Ending (The Big Blue) G18
Cousteau's Pneumothorax H24
Philipe and Jean-Michel Cousteau H25
There Has To Be a Better Ending (Abyss) H25
Homo Aquaticus Revisited H26
Most Frequently Asked Question of Scuba Divers I15
ama Divers of Japan and Korea I15
There Has To Be a Better Ending (Sphere) I16
Sheck Exley and Jim Bowden I16
Scuba Diving in Hawaii J28
Cold Water Diving K12
The Compleat Goggler Guy Gilpatric L8
Highest-altitude Dives L8
Ocean Facts L7
Coral Reef Facts M5
Ciguatera & Scombroid Poisoning M6
Deepest Dives on Compressed Air N14
Eugiene Clark O15
"Pipin" Ferreras and the Deepest Breath-hold Dive O16
Return to Table of Contents
Return to Main Index