• DIVING OPERATIONS
• INSPECTION DIVING TECHNIQUES
• APPLIED TECHNIQUES
• SUBMERSIBLES
• OPERATIONAL DIVING EQUIPMENT
• COMMUNICATIONS
• NAVIGATION AND BUOYAGE
• CYLINDER IDENTIFICATION
• MARINE FOULING
• CONCRETE BLEMISHES
• WEATHER AND SEA
• HEALTH AND SAFETY
• RESCUE
• REGULATIONS
• USEFUL INFORMATION

Foreword to the second edition

The aim of The Professional Diver's Handbook is to provide an introduction to operational tasks, procedures, equipment and instrumentation together with associated technical information. It is not a diving manual and does not teach you how to dive.

This, the second edition, builds on the outstanding success of the first. The Professional Diver's Handbook has become the standard reference book, not only for working divers but also for underwater engineers.

Included in the second edition are many new subjects especially for the inland/inshore 'civils' diver.

I have maintained the emphasis on two of the most useful features of the Handbook: safety and illustration.

Where possible, the figure of a diver is included in drawings to provide an indication of scale.

Information on safety factors is provided throughout the Handbook in grey-shaded panels. This information is not exhaustive but it provides a basis on which to develop safe diving practices and risk assessments. A risk assessment is an essential part of planning any diving operation. So the very first chapter of this Handbook explains how to produce a risk assessment.

This Handbook is designed to give only an introduction to the various subjects. The reader should refer to detailed proprietary documentation to obtain more comprehensive information necessary to undertake any specific task.