Best Scuba Diving Books

Ocean Scuba Dive has put together a collection of the most recommended scuba diving books by divers, for divers. What more could you ask for!? So if you are looking for something a little different to a scuba diving magazine, whether you are looking for some dive inspiration or want to learn a new skill, one of these books will be perfect for you.

So here are our favorite books about scuba diving, most are factual, giving instruction, telling scuba diving stories or highlighting the best dive sites. So let us expand your horizons and help you learn something new about the underwater world.

15 Best Scuba Diving Books

Scuba Diving Books on Dive Travel

1. Diving the World

Our Review Score

With over 200 prime locations, Diving the World is essential reading for anyone interested in diving. The color images will help provide you with the inspiration and information you’ll need to plan that next perfect dive.  This book was written by the expert photo-journalist team Beth & Shaun Tierney. Both have been diving for around 25 years and this book, a third edition has been revised and updated to reflect the changes in the dynamic dive travel industry and also to incorporate new destinations.

2. Fifty Places to Dive Before You Die

Our Review Score

We all know the earth’s oceans hold so many mysteries just waiting to be discovered. With the help of experts, Fifty Places to Dive Before You Die has gathered their favorite destinations to dive, just so that divers like us can experience these underwater wonders for ourselves. We love the images in this Scuba Diving Book as it lets us experience these wondrous surprises – either on location in our scuba gear or at home on the sofa.

Educational Scuba Diving Books

3. The Complete Diver

Our Review Score

The Complete Diver Scuba book is a comprehensive guide of recreational scuba diving. This book covers everything from the history, science, and practice of scuba diving and is, therefore, a great diving book for all levels of diver.  The author Alex Brylske, Ph.D., is the most published author in the field of recreational scuba diving, and one of the diving industry’s most influential voices. In the 1980’s, Alex designed and wrote many of the programs and materials used today around the world to train divers of all levels. The scuba diving book includes chapters devoted to diving history, physics and physiology, diving medicine, health and safety practices for scuba divers.

4. Scuba Confidential

Our Review Score

This guide will help you learn how to master the skills and techniques to become a better diver. Scuba Confidential dive book will reveal to you the secrets of dive professionals and technical divers, to help you become a safer, more confident and more capable diver. This scuba book also gives you valuable insights on a range of topics such as how to make sure you buy the right equipment, what to consider when choosing an instructor, things even the pros get wrong! A great book with no-nonsense practical advice.

5. NOAA Diving Manual

Our Review Score

All serious divers should have the NOAA Diving Manual in their library. Many diving scientists, educators, and other professionals were brought together to review this important volume. This scuba diving book is a reference text not just useful to divers and diving scientists within NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) but also for all involved in exploring the oceans and freshwater bodies on Earth. New Chapters within the 6^th edition include an advanced platform support diving with ROVs/AUVs, submersibles as well as underwater Photography and videography. This edition also includes the new NOAA nitrox tables.

Scuba Diving Stories from Underwater Explorers & Divers

6. Silent World

Our Review Score

National Geographic presents a 50th-anniversary edition of this remarkable book, an international bestseller by the father of underwater exploration. Silent World is based on Jacques Cousteau’s memoir that chronicles the early days of his underwater adventure. This diving book includes the development of his invention, scuba, his first dives with scuba, and his travels under the sea during World War II.

7. The Fireside Diver

Our Review Score

This book is a collection of true, short stories all related to the world of scuba diving. The Fireside Diver stories told within this book make divers want to put on their gear and go diving. The stories vary from some filled with adventure and danger, some happy to humorous. This is an all-round great scuba diving book to add to your shelf. Some of the stories are from some of the most famous diving authors and will inspire non-divers to learn the sport.

Safety and Survival Scuba Diving Books

8. Diver Down

Our Review Score

Diver Down is a book about real-world scuba accidents and the things you should do to avoid them. Each of the stories within this scuba diving book is accompanied by an in-depth analysis of what went wrong and how you can recognize, avoid, and respond to similar underwater calamities. A great book to read and learn from.

9. Deco for Divers

Our Review Score

The award-winning Deco for Divers provides a comprehensive overview of the principles underlying decompression theory. This book allows the average diver to fully understand the principles behind this fascinating aspect of diving. This guide helps bridge the gap between introductory books and source scientific information.

10. Scuba Diving Safety

Our Review Score

With self-rescues, buddy rescues, open-water resuscitation, and towing techniques, Scuba Diving Safety will become your most valuable diving companion. This scuba book covers a full range of underwater environments, as well as dangerous marine life, entanglements, and equipment failures. It’s a vital resource and an essential reference for every underwater enthusiast.

Scuba Diving Books about Ocean Life

11. Reef Life

Our Review Score

Reef Life is a comprehensive guide to tropical marine life. This practical, up-to-date, guidebook for divers, naturalists, and students, features more than 1000 color photographs of 800 species of ocean life. This booked identifies the most-likely encountered underwater life in the tropical marine environment, helping to provide the keys to this magnificent world and teaching you about our oceans and the life living within it.

12. The Shark Handbook

Our Review Score

The Shark handbook has been put together as a guide for understanding and identifying the sharks of the world. This scuba book will help teach you about sharks from when they are born to when they die, how to distinguish one shark from the next, their anatomy, how they hunt and attack, how their teeth are developed, and their importance and purpose within our ecosystem. A great book for any shark lover!

13. Reef Fish Identification Tropical Pacific

Our Review Score

The Reef Fish ID Tropical Pacific scuba diving book features more than 200 additional species, hundreds of improved photos, scientific name changes and range extensions. The user-friendly guide groups’ species in 20 color-coded identification groups based on similar physical or behavioral characteristics. This great guide contains over 2500 underwater photographs of 2,000 species from four of the best marine life authors/photographers in the business.

Scuba Diving Books on Underwater Photography

14. The Underwater Photographer

Our Review Score

This award-winning scuba photography book provides practical examples with step by step technique on underwater photography. The Underwater Photographer book is packed with breathtaking images and an easy to read style. This diving book is sure to both educate and inspire underwater photographers of all skill levels.

15. Advanced Underwater Photography

Our Review Score

Full of techniques for digital photographers, Advanced Underwater Photography is a reference for divers who have already strong diving and underwater photography skills. This dive book is aimed for divers who want to learn the skills necessary to create professional quality images. Opening with a quick overview of the basics, the author then expands on each of these topics, showing the techniques pros use to achieve truly stunning images.