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The Scuba Series #1
Scuba Fundamental: Start Diving the Right Way
If you do not yet scuba dive but are thinking of learning, then Scuba Fundamental - Start Diving the Right Way is for you. It takes you from the germ of the idea that you might like to try scuba diving up to the point where you have done around 20 dives.
This is not your standard how-to scuba diving manual. It is very different. The purpose of Scuba Fundamental is not to teach you how to dive. A dive instructor will do that. But this book will make the learning process much easier. It will help you make the right choices and avoid the pitfalls that await new and uninformed divers coming into the sport. It will also set you well on the road to becoming a capable and competent lifelong diver.
Scuba Fundamental tells you how to make sure you are prepared for a scuba diving course and what a good beginners course should entail. It tells you how to choose a good instructor, how to decide which operators to dive with after you have finished your course and what sort of dives you should be doing when you first start diving.
You will learn the many ways in which diving will change your life and also acquire some extremely valuable advice on the etiquette involved in the sport. Throughout the book and especially in the chapter "It Happened to Me" you will be entertained, educated and encouraged by anecdotes from people who are now experienced divers but were once beginners too.
There is also an entire section devoted to diving safety, much of which covers vitally important aspects of scuba diving that basic training manuals don't emphasise enough or even leave out completely.
The book's message is: start scuba diving the right way and you will be relaxed and ready for the adventure. You will have more fun, make fewer mistakes and be confident in the fact that you are well informed, have made the best choices and have spent your money wisely.
Scuba Fundamental is a unique, reliable and essential guide: one that you can trust completely and follow during this formative phase of your scuba diving life.
"I wish I'd had this book to read when I learned to dive. I remember being totally confused."Robin Yao, Executive Editor, EZDIVE magazine
"This is the book divers should give to friends when they say they want to learn to scuba dive."Ian Thomas, Author and Scuba Instructor Trainer
"Pitching a book at the correct level for divers-to-be is fraught with difficulty. Simon Pridmore is a great dive writer, and I think he's finally cracked the problem with Scuba Fundamental." Steve Weinman - Editor, Diver Magazine (UK)
"Simon Pridmore's new book is a thorough, sensible and seriously safety oriented guide for new divers.It is also very, very funny.Simon's anecdotes will make old divers laugh until they cry, whilst promising decades of fun and adventure for new divers." Judi Lowe, Scuba Instructor, PhD Scholar and Sustainable Dive Tourism Advisor
"
This is not your standard how-to scuba diving manual. It is very different. The purpose of Scuba Fundamental is not to teach you how to dive. A dive instructor will do that. But this book will make the learning process much easier. It will help you make the right choices and avoid the pitfalls that await new and uninformed divers coming into the sport. It will also set you well on the road to becoming a capable and competent lifelong diver.
Scuba Fundamental tells you how to make sure you are prepared for a scuba diving course and what a good beginners course should entail. It tells you how to choose a good instructor, how to decide which operators to dive with after you have finished your course and what sort of dives you should be doing when you first start diving.
You will learn the many ways in which diving will change your life and also acquire some extremely valuable advice on the etiquette involved in the sport. Throughout the book and especially in the chapter "It Happened to Me" you will be entertained, educated and encouraged by anecdotes from people who are now experienced divers but were once beginners too.
There is also an entire section devoted to diving safety, much of which covers vitally important aspects of scuba diving that basic training manuals don't emphasise enough or even leave out completely.
The book's message is: start scuba diving the right way and you will be relaxed and ready for the adventure. You will have more fun, make fewer mistakes and be confident in the fact that you are well informed, have made the best choices and have spent your money wisely.
Scuba Fundamental is a unique, reliable and essential guide: one that you can trust completely and follow during this formative phase of your scuba diving life.
"I wish I'd had this book to read when I learned to dive. I remember being totally confused."Robin Yao, Executive Editor, EZDIVE magazine
"This is the book divers should give to friends when they say they want to learn to scuba dive."Ian Thomas, Author and Scuba Instructor Trainer
"Pitching a book at the correct level for divers-to-be is fraught with difficulty. Simon Pridmore is a great dive writer, and I think he's finally cracked the problem with Scuba Fundamental." Steve Weinman - Editor, Diver Magazine (UK)
"Simon Pridmore's new book is a thorough, sensible and seriously safety oriented guide for new divers.It is also very, very funny.Simon's anecdotes will make old divers laugh until they cry, whilst promising decades of fun and adventure for new divers." Judi Lowe, Scuba Instructor, PhD Scholar and Sustainable Dive Tourism Advisor
"
- GenresNonfictionSports
198 pages, Paperback
Published March 21, 2016
About the author
Simon Pridmore
44 books13 followersSimon Pridmore writes scuba diving books, travel guides and biographies. Originally from the UK, he has lived in the Asia-Pacific region for over 40 years and has spent a considerable portion of that time on the move, both overland and underwater.
As well as his books, Simon has written hundreds of magazine articles on diver training and travel. He also speaks at dive and travel conferences all over the world.
Writing as S J Pridmore, Simon has also written an acclaimed novel, May the People Know I'm Here?
He and his wife, Sofie, currently live among the outlying islands of Hong Kong, but spend a lot of time exploring other places, trying (but failing so far) to find a cure for their itchy feet.
As well as his books, Simon has written hundreds of magazine articles on diver training and travel. He also speaks at dive and travel conferences all over the world.
Writing as S J Pridmore, Simon has also written an acclaimed novel, May the People Know I'm Here?
He and his wife, Sofie, currently live among the outlying islands of Hong Kong, but spend a lot of time exploring other places, trying (but failing so far) to find a cure for their itchy feet.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 21, 2025
I’ve been a certified diver for a couple years. I was looking for a refresher. This book does a good job covering the essential fundamentals, it’s well structured and reinforces good habits and safe practices. Good for foundational reading or a refresher.
June 30, 2017
I'm about to do divemaster training, and I have a friend who wants to get certified with the same dive company I will be using. I read this book to refamiliarize myself with best practices for new divers, and to refresh my memory about any advice to give my friend. (I also read and enjoyed Scuba Professional, and I've read and enjoyed Scuba Confidential in the past.)
I agree with every piece of info and advice in the book. It's brilliant in its advice about assessing whether children are ready to dive. It made me remember to tell my friend to get the dive medical form squared away in the next few months if need be, and it made me remember to tell him to get DAN insurance.
But I would hesitate to hand the book over to him. I live in NJ where we can't do a ton of warm water diving. My friend also has three kids in college. If he were to think that he really needs to do OW, AOW and Rescue certs quickly, I think the expense and the commitment would make him shy away from the idea of getting certified, and what a shame that would be.
On the other hand, I loved all the etiquette advice to new divers. I loved the stories told about how diving has changed people's lives. I nodded in agreement with so much of that material!
There's also a fantastic section on hazardous marine life, but again---you'll never dive if you read this before going diving.
So--great book for divers who are already somewhat comfortable.
I agree with every piece of info and advice in the book. It's brilliant in its advice about assessing whether children are ready to dive. It made me remember to tell my friend to get the dive medical form squared away in the next few months if need be, and it made me remember to tell him to get DAN insurance.
But I would hesitate to hand the book over to him. I live in NJ where we can't do a ton of warm water diving. My friend also has three kids in college. If he were to think that he really needs to do OW, AOW and Rescue certs quickly, I think the expense and the commitment would make him shy away from the idea of getting certified, and what a shame that would be.
On the other hand, I loved all the etiquette advice to new divers. I loved the stories told about how diving has changed people's lives. I nodded in agreement with so much of that material!
There's also a fantastic section on hazardous marine life, but again---you'll never dive if you read this before going diving.
So--great book for divers who are already somewhat comfortable.
April 1, 2026
I want to start off by saying if you haven’t really snorkeled much, have a lot of worries about scuba, or want to become an independent scuba diver this book is definitely for you!
However, if you are like me and have snorkeled many times or just want to scuba once in a while I would only recommend certain chapters.
The author assumes & honestly pushes readers to make diving their main hobby and I personally don’t love that “all or nothing” attitude. I feel the author should also encourage those to dive who might only have time occasionally if they have other hobbies or don't live near the ocean. Also some of the advice he gives is just common sense if you are a good swimmer or have snorkeled even just once off of a boat.
Some chapters are helpful to read while doing your scuba course, as I am now, but most are fluff. So decide what applies to you first before you begin, so you really know if this is for you. It is nice at the beginning of the book there is a layout of topics of each chapter, so you can just read the ones that apply to you.
( also this is 100% written by someone who is Gen X, if you are Gen Z and read this you will understand what I mean )
But anyway very excited to be scuba certified soon! I think more people should look into it!
However, if you are like me and have snorkeled many times or just want to scuba once in a while I would only recommend certain chapters.
The author assumes & honestly pushes readers to make diving their main hobby and I personally don’t love that “all or nothing” attitude. I feel the author should also encourage those to dive who might only have time occasionally if they have other hobbies or don't live near the ocean. Also some of the advice he gives is just common sense if you are a good swimmer or have snorkeled even just once off of a boat.
Some chapters are helpful to read while doing your scuba course, as I am now, but most are fluff. So decide what applies to you first before you begin, so you really know if this is for you. It is nice at the beginning of the book there is a layout of topics of each chapter, so you can just read the ones that apply to you.
( also this is 100% written by someone who is Gen X, if you are Gen Z and read this you will understand what I mean )
But anyway very excited to be scuba certified soon! I think more people should look into it!
November 11, 2017
I listened to the audiobook version in conjunction with doing an PADI Open Water Diver course. The book doesn't teach you how to dive; there is no details on the equipment, no explaination of dive tables etc. Leave this for your dive course is the books advice. The book starts with chapters on what to consider before beginning a course:including, what equipment to purchase first and how to assess a good dive instructor course. It then goes into what to expect at your training and provides some tips to make it easier on the day. These chapters gave me more confidence on the course as I had some idea of what to expect and could make an assessment as to the quality of instruction.
The second half of the book is dedicated to a multitude of topics for after your course. This included etiquette, staying safe (e.g., watermanship, emergency procedures), and guidance on your first 20 dives and further training reccomendations.
Reading this book has given me a lot more confidence and was well worth reading in conjunction with my PADI Open Water Course.
The second half of the book is dedicated to a multitude of topics for after your course. This included etiquette, staying safe (e.g., watermanship, emergency procedures), and guidance on your first 20 dives and further training reccomendations.
Reading this book has given me a lot more confidence and was well worth reading in conjunction with my PADI Open Water Course.
August 1, 2018
Perfect complement to beginner training
I’ve just qualified as a Scuba Diver and am now planning on upgrading my certification to Open Water. This book was ideal for understanding the training in more detail and preparing for what’s next.
Being on the verge of thinking if I get into this I might need to buy everything, and being so perplexed by the kit that I don’t feel equipped to buy anything, the chapter on what you actually need to buy to begin with was ideal.
The other section I really enjoyed was ‘Your first 20 dives’, which clearly explains what you should and shouldn’t plan on doing as a newly qualified diver.
Peppered with lots of interesting and amusing stories, this book is an enjoyable and informative read for any new or aspiring diver. Highly recommended.
I’ve just qualified as a Scuba Diver and am now planning on upgrading my certification to Open Water. This book was ideal for understanding the training in more detail and preparing for what’s next.
Being on the verge of thinking if I get into this I might need to buy everything, and being so perplexed by the kit that I don’t feel equipped to buy anything, the chapter on what you actually need to buy to begin with was ideal.
The other section I really enjoyed was ‘Your first 20 dives’, which clearly explains what you should and shouldn’t plan on doing as a newly qualified diver.
Peppered with lots of interesting and amusing stories, this book is an enjoyable and informative read for any new or aspiring diver. Highly recommended.
April 27, 2025
Great introduction to SCUBA Diving
I’ve been a certified diver for decades and recently took another Open Water course due to being away from the sport for quite a few years. I decided to read this as a mental refresher between the Open Water and Advanced course. Great coverage of the fundamentals and skills that need development. This would be great for someone considering diving or a new diver just starting out after getting certified.
I’ve been a certified diver for decades and recently took another Open Water course due to being away from the sport for quite a few years. I decided to read this as a mental refresher between the Open Water and Advanced course. Great coverage of the fundamentals and skills that need development. This would be great for someone considering diving or a new diver just starting out after getting certified.
September 29, 2017
Ho acquistato il libro perché stavo prendendo il brevetto per diventare Sub. Avessi letto il libro qualche giorno prima della mia immersione numero uno tante cose mi sarebbero sembrate più facili da comprendere e mi riferisco soprattutto al pre al durante al dopo quindi alla sensazione paure e emozioni. Lo consiglio a tutti quelli che vogliono entrare nel magico mondo del mare profondo.
March 31, 2018
適合在開始受訓前或經驗在二十支以下的潛水入門書。
休閒潛水成為高度商業化的活動之後，各式潛店水準參差不齊，碰到不好的教練除了可能有不好的體驗外，對於生命安全也有一定的風險。潛水的安全與體驗更多取決於自己的能力與事先準備，而初級課程往往只能教會你處理使用裝備的技巧。這本書可以協助你理解並評估自己的能力。
很多故事看起來理所當然，但是在缺乏經驗的情況，新手很容易踩雷與犯錯，這本書點出那些應該事前注意的跡象，避免錯誤。即使已經拿到執照，也可以學到一些課程中未經歷的情境。文字輕鬆，不似教科書死板
休閒潛水成為高度商業化的活動之後，各式潛店水準參差不齊，碰到不好的教練除了可能有不好的體驗外，對於生命安全也有一定的風險。潛水的安全與體驗更多取決於自己的能力與事先準備，而初級課程往往只能教會你處理使用裝備的技巧。這本書可以協助你理解並評估自己的能力。
很多故事看起來理所當然，但是在缺乏經驗的情況，新手很容易踩雷與犯錯，這本書點出那些應該事前注意的跡象，避免錯誤。即使已經拿到執照，也可以學到一些課程中未經歷的情境。文字輕鬆，不似教科書死板
June 22, 2021
I wish I read this before I took my open water certification course. I was able to prepare well, but I could have prepared better. It covers all aspects of getting started and everything you need to know / be aware of if you are considering to get into scuba diving.
February 18, 2023
Lamentablemente no lo leí antes de certificarme!!!
Definitivamente complementa lo aprendido en el Manual de Padi y te da idea de lo que vas enfrentar y disfrutar.
Vale mucho la pena sus tips de equipamiento y los consejos de respiración y flotabilidad que son la base del buceo.
Definitivamente complementa lo aprendido en el Manual de Padi y te da idea de lo que vas enfrentar y disfrutar.
Vale mucho la pena sus tips de equipamiento y los consejos de respiración y flotabilidad que son la base del buceo.
Read
March 4, 2020Read this if you haven't been SCUBA diving in awhile, if you want to learn to dive, or if you are a beginner/intermediate diver. It's great for getting in the right mindset.
May 16, 2021
Great view and headstart into the world of scubadiving. I enjoyed the instruction and applicable stories.
March 18, 2017
I wish I had read this before embarking on my scuba initiation. Such great information and a nice refresher for practiced divers as well.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews