Scuba Confidential

An Insider's Guide to Becoming a Better Diver

By: Simon Pridmore

Narrated by: Craig Beck

Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

Scuba Confidential is a unique audiobook packed full of valuable tips and expert advice, giving you unprecedented access to the secrets of dive professionals and technical divers. With Scuba Confidential, you will learn how to master skills and techniques that will make you a more confident, capable, and safe diver. It offers an informed, balanced view on some of scuba diving's most contentious issues like going solo, deep diving, and rebreathers and includes a comprehensive analysis of how diving accidents happen and how to make sure you do not become a statistic.

Scuba Confidential also gives you valuable insights on a vast range of topics such as what it is like to do a cave diving course, how to make sure you buy the right equipment, what to consider when choosing an instructor, things even the pros get wrong, and where to find the best diving in the world. This is candid, no-nonsense practical advice from a professional who has been involved over the last three decades with virtually every aspect of the sport. Scuba Confidential answers a whole host of questions. For example, have you ever wondered... How the professionals look so comfortable in the water? What it is like to dive under ice and inside shipwrecks? Which training courses are worthwhile and which might just be a waste of time? If you would make a good technical diver? If you should be considering a rebreather? How you can reduce your air consumption? Whether you might actually be safer without a buddy sometimes? Or: How muck diving can possibly be any fun? Scuba Confidential has the answers to all these and many more.

©2013, 2014 Simon Pridmore (P)2014 Simon Pridmore

I'm a commercial diver and found useful tips

Fantastic! Entertaining, useful and educational. The narration was excellent as well. I was surprised to find out how similar recreational diving has become to commercial diving. The author gives a lot of updated information about mixed gas driving and rebreather technology. He also told Santa diver of the kids, good locations and doesn't depth about just about every category of equipment. I will be listening to this again and again.

very informative

loved it. it may be difficult for non-divers to finish but for divers the information is invaluable. well thought out and entertaining. a must read or listen I guess in this case for any diver. beginner to advanced. as a dive instructor I have taken away lots of things to incorporate in my classes that I never thought about. I wish I could have every one of my students read or listen before beginning class. Maybe I'll find a way to make that happen. it would make my job so much easier. I also believe it would make better divers out of my students.

read this and you'll be excited to dive.

I was a little skittish about driving. After listening to this excellent writer going to great detail about all the aspects of driving a beginner needs to know, I'm so excited I can't wait!

Great Listen!

Very interesting listen filled with great stories and facts. The narrator does a good job . I highly recommend.

Useful information

Would you listen to Scuba Confidential again? Why?

I think I picked up and retained most of it the first time, so no I would not.

What other book might you compare Scuba Confidential to and why?

None that I know of.

Any additional comments?

I was hoping the author would take a stand against the buddy system, but he stopped well short of taking that stand. But this book isn't just about solo diving, it's got lots of good info about all sorts of diving. Yes I'm biased against the buddy system, I didn't like it at summer camp when I was 10 and I like it even less now in any form, and especially scuba diving.

For the most part it doesn't read like a PADI manual, and by that I mean like the warning label on the back of a bottle of rat poison (one sentence of actual information and a paragraph of garbage). This is a good thing.

Do you know this is the first place I heard about a 15 second breathing cycle? I sort of figured it out with a little common sense, but you would think organizations like PADI would talk about something that important.

My biggest complaint about the book is that author's contention that a dive should be called off if you have a "bad feeling" unaccompanied by evidence to back it up. That's fine if you believe in your psychic powers, but I don't put much stock in voodoo or "bad feelings" and I don't want to be restricted by someone having a bad feeling.

Truly excellent

Hard to stop listening to. Content in every category is excellent. Best narrator I've ever had the joy to listen to. If you're new to scuba or well seasoned there is just so much here to learn at so many levels and perspectives.

I agree with a lot

I understand the authors point on what he said but disagree on some minor points

Scuba Necessities

Awesome! Must have for any scuba diver whether you are just starting out or a pro.

My father loved it, I got a little bored

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Not to my friends, but would definitely recommend to my dad's friends. He loved it and couldn't put it down.. called me raving about it. He's an avid diver and really gets into these stories.

Any additional comments?

I liked it but wouldn't go back and buy it again if you know what I mean. So, I averaged my 3-star rating with my dad's 5-star rating for the 4 stars.

Great listen after getting your open water cert!

Great listen after getting your open water certification! Lots of awesome information and tips! Gonna give it another listen!