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Thread: "PSAI Cave Diving Safe and Smart" Review

  1. #1

    Default "PSAI Cave Diving Safe and Smart" Review

    -I just finished reading PSAI’s Cave Diving Safe and Smart book which was written by Steve Gerrard, Gary Taylor, and Martyn Farr. I managed to read through it in 2 nights even though it is a solid 242 pages, many of which include pictures and detailed diagrams.

    The book is filled with chapters covering all aspects of cave diving, many of which include topics which lend themselves to other forms of technical diving. A complete listing of chapters follows but I wanted to highlight some of the ones I enjoyed the most.

    The history of diving has always been of interest to me and PSAI does a great job discussing some of the dive history most pertinent to us cave divers in chapter 2.

    Decompression illness can affect any of us after any dive even though we dive within guidelines and use extra precautions. It’s for this reason every diver should be well aware of the signs and symptoms of diving injuries and how best to treat them. This isn’t a scientific guide full of complex math that numbs the mind to read, nor is it a manual for physicians on how to treat a diving injury. Instead it’s a simple and easy to read yet very informative guide with loads of great information that every diver should be able to understand.

    One of the biggest things that contribute to diving incidents is stress and the authors included a wealth of information on what causes stress, how you can recognize stress, and how to handle or prevent stress. This chapter makes a great read no matter your level of diving expertise.

    Following Chapter 9 on stress is several chapters which all relate to stress and its effects. These include an in depth analysis of accidents and how to handle emergencies both above and below the water. These chapters include numerous charts and graphs to better illustrate the information which has been compiled since the beginning of cave diving.

    One major portion of the book is labeled as the Appendix but its more than just that. This section of the book includes everything from tables to formulas to information on in water recompression to information about DAN and diving medicine.

    Most everything in the entire book is displayed in both imperial and metric forms which makes reading and interpreting the math much easier no matter your region.

    After completing the book I came to the conclusion that it would make a great read for anyone interested in cave diving weather they be a seasoned cave diver or those just becoming cave divers and it can serve as students manual in their cave class. What’s better is much of the information is not completely relevant to only cave diving and can be translated to other forms of technical and recreational diving. This book would make a great addition to any divers library especially those with interested related to technical and cave diving.

    You can get your copy from Steve's website www.deephorizon.info or through PSAI directly for about $40 + shipping if applicable.

    The PSAI Golden Triangle:
    Disclaimer
    History of the Professional Scuba Association International
    Acknowledgments
    Giving Back
    Introduction

    CHAPTER 1 Cave Diving Training:
    Introduction
    The Part of PSAI in the History of Cave Diving
    Traditional and Modern Approach to Cave Diving Training
    PSAI Cave Diving Programs

    CHAPTER 2 History of Cave Diving:
    The Beginnings
    The 1940’s
    The 1950’s
    The 1960’s and 1970’s
    The 1980’s
    The 21st Century

    CHAPTER 3 Master of the BCD:
    Introduction
    Float Like a Buttery Fly
    Trim
    The Correct Choice of Your BCD and Harness
    Weighting
    Motion and Thrust
    Power Fins and Straps
    Fin Kicks
    Bad Habits Concerning Propulsion Techniques

    CHAPTER 4 Navigation with Guidelines:
    Introduction
    Choices of Guidelines
    The Reel
    Code of Behavior
    Running the Primary Reel
    Line Traps
    Communication Tools
    Guideline Applications
    Intersections
    Always Be Sure of Your Exit – Multiple Exits
    Complex Dive Protocol
    Line Maintenance

    CHAPTER 5 Planning the Dive:
    Introduction
    Preparing for Your Dive
    Travel
    The Dive Site
    Before the Dive
    Organizing the Dive Plan
    Define the Dive Purpose
    Recognizing Risk
    Communication
    Pre-Dive Safety Protocol
    Knowing Your Limits
    Leadership
    Unforeseen Events
    Review of Equipment Needs
    Mechanisms for the Dive Plan

    CHAPTER 6 The Use of Nitrox:
    Purpose
    Naming
    Richness of Mix
    Cylinder Markings
    Dangers
    History
    Maximum Operating Depth
    Equivalent Air Depth

    CHAPTER 7 Decompression Illness:
    Introduction
    Predisposing Factors
    Type I Decompression Sickness
    Type II Decompression Sickness
    Other Forms of Decompression Sickness
    Symptoms
    Barotrauma
    Factors Associated with Decompression Sickness
    Diving Barotrauma
    Use of a Recompression Chamber

    CHAPTER 8 Breathing Gas Management:
    Introduction
    Factors with Gas Planning and Consumption
    Calculating Gas Consumption
    Surface Gas Consumption Calculations
    The Sheck Exley One Third Rule
    Comparable Volumes
    Comparable RMVs – The SAC Ratio Factor

    CHAPTER 9 Stress and Attitude:
    Stress
    Attitude
    Sources of Stress
    Mental Consequences of Stress
    Physiological Consequences of Stress
    The Relationship Between Mind, Body and Stress
    Recognizing Stress
    Managing Stress
    Thinking Under Stress
    Summary

    CHAPTER 10 Emergencies Require Action:
    Managing Emergency Situations
    What Causes Emergency Situations
    Prevention
    Solving Problems
    Loss of Visibility
    Light Failure
    Light Failure Protocol
    Guideline Entanglements
    Broken Guidelines
    Buoyancy Control Device Failure
    Regulator and Valve/Manifold Failure
    The Lost Diver
    Lost Diver Protocol
    Lost Line
    Out of Gas
    Getting In and Out of the Water
    Summary

    CHAPTER 11 Review of Accident Analysis:
    Lessons of Accident Analysis
    Why Do Trained Cave Divers Die In Caves
    Does Accident Analysis Really Help?
    A 21st Century Look at Accident Analysis
    Just Because You are Certified Does Not Mean You are Qualified
    Breathing Gas Mixtures
    The right Tools for the Task

    CHAPTER 12 Cave Exploration:
    Why Explore?
    Word of Mouth
    Topographical Maps
    Google Earth
    Aerial and Satellite Photographs
    Airplanes/Helicopters
    Books and Web Sites
    Responsibility with Land Owners
    Logistics
    Playing the Game of Exploration
    Expedition Projects

    CHAPTER 13 Protecting the Fragile Cave Environment:
    Respect for the Dive Site
    The Cave Diver
    Land Owner Relations
    Graffiti
    Entrance and Exits
    Contamination from the Surface
    Personal Responsibility and Education
    The Future
    Summary
    GLOSSARY
    Useful Relationships, Formulas, & Laws for Cave Divers
    Field Neuro Exam
    Recompression Chamber Information
    In Water Recompression
    DAN Medical Services Recompression Chamber Assistance Program
    The Divers Alert Network DAN
    Specific Recompression Chamber Information
    Buhlmann Air Decompression Tables
    U.S. Navy Air Decompression Tables
    U.S. Navy EAN32 Tables
    U.S. Navy EAN 36 Tables
    PSAI Cave Diving Team Planning Log

  2. #2
    Registered Users BigBlueTech's Avatar
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    Jan 2009
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    It's nice to see people writing current cave diving manuals. The NSS-CDS ones are still valid but they're quite old now by todays system and popularity.

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