Want to make a scuba diver cringe? Just throw a few questionable diving terms into your next conversation:goggles,flippers, oroxygen tank are good ones that will raise a few eyebrows.
Journalists, travel bloggers, friends and family, scuba students…take note. Here’s how to properly speak scuba.
Scuba terminology – what to say
Never say:oxygen
Say:air orbreathing gas
Asking a diver, “how much oxygen do you breathe” is a dead giveaway you know zero about scuba diving. Divers useair,orbreathing gas.Technical divers might usetrimix, and certifiedEnriched Air Divers sometimes refer to their breathing gas asnitrox.
Never say: oxygen tank
Say:scuba tank or cylinder
As every certified diver knows, the air we breathe here on earth isonly 21 percent oxygen. So it’s incorrect to say a diver breathes from anoxygen tank. The correct scuba gear terms areair tank, scuba tank, bottle,orcylinder. The only time a diver might breathe from a tank containing pure oxygen is at the surface followingan emergency.
Never say:flippers
Say:fins
Scuba divers andfreedivers wearfins, not flippers.Fins come in many shapes and sizes and are an essential part of any diver’s kit.
The wordflippercan refer to:
- a cooking utensil
- an appendage marine animals and mermaids have
- a famous dolphin
…but never the equipment divers wear over their feet.
Never say:goggles
Say:mask
Swimmers wear goggles. Scuba divers use masks specifically made for exploring underwater at depth.
- Scuba mask lenses are also made of tempered glass or other strong composite materials that can handle intense pressure. This is why you don’t want to use a snorkeling mask when diving.
- Unlike swim goggles, scuba masks have a wide field of vision and an enclosed nose pocket which enables them to get rid of any water that leaks in (the official scuba terminology ismask clearing).
Here’s a mini dictionary of scuba diving terms
BC or BCD = a buoyancy control device
Ascuba BCD is basically a vest with an air bladder. BCDs are designed to help divers achieveneutral buoyancy underwater by adding or removing air to the bladder.
C-Card = certification card
Certified divers receive a scuba diving license known as ac-card. This plastic orelectronic scuba certification card includes the diver’s photo, certification level, course completion date, and certifying instructor. If the diver completed scuba refresher training, such asPADI ReActivate, there may be a sticker or other information documenting the completion date of that activity.
DAN = Divers Alert Network
When divers talk about DAN and PADI, they’re not talking about a guy named Dan and a lady named Patricia.Divers Alert Network, known as DAN, is an important member of the diving industry. DAN promotes safe diving through research and education. They also offer dive accident and travel insurance.PADI, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, is the world’s leading dive training organization.
Divemaster vs. Master Diver vs. Master Scuba Diver
You may have heard someone say, “my friend is a master diver.” They’re probably talking about someone who is either aPADI Master Scuba Diver or PADI Divemaster. PADI does not have a master diver rating (but theUnited States Navy does).
ADivemaster assists with scuba diving courses and leads guided dives. Every instructor was once a Divemaster. Some Divemasters are also PADI Master Scuba Divers, but they’re twodifferent achievements.
Narcosis
Gas narcosis,nitrogen narcosis, or just beingnarked are diving terms for the phenomenon which affects divers when theydive deeper, causing them to feel anything from euphoric to anxious.
Open Water
When people say they want to become a diver or learn to scuba dive, what they’re describing is theOpen Water Diver course. An Open Water Diver certification allows you to dive on your own with another certified diver.
It’s slightly confusing because there is aPADI Scuba Diver course. PADI Scuba Divers may only dive under the direct supervision of a PADI Professional to a maximum depth of 12 meters/40 feet.Learn more about the difference between PADI Scuba Diver and PADI Open Water Diver.
Regulator, Octopus and DV
You may have to listen closely to know whether a diver is talking about acephalopod or their dive gear. Assuming the latter, you might hear these diving terms mentioned when talking about theequipment which supplies air from a diver’s scuba tank:
- Regulator – describes the entire set-up (hoses and all), but might also be used to refer to just the second stage (the bit with the mouthpiece). Divers often call themregs for short.
- Octopus or ‘octo’ – while occasionally used to describe the collection of connecting hoses (hence the name), it more commonly means the back-up hose and second stage that’s often yellow and reserved for emergency use – also known as analternate air source.
- Demand Valve (DV)– another word for the second stage. So-called because it provides breathing gas on demand to the diver as they breathe in and out.
The Bends
A nickname for Decompression Sickness (a form ofDCI), a dangerous condition in which dissolved gases, typically nitrogen, form bubbles in the blood or tissues. It’s usually caused by rapid pressure changes and is why divers must ascend slowly – to avoid getting ‘bent’.
Vis
When a diver says how good the ‘vis’ was, they’re using scuba diving slang to refer to the visibility on their dive. Or in other words, how clear the water is and how far away they could see.
And finally, a note on grammar
Whether to saydived ordove is a big debate in the diving community, but the simple answer is that both are correct depending on if you’re speaking American or British English.
Now you know a few basics of speaking scuba and getting your diving terms and definitions right. But, if you have more questions, the PADI Open Water Diver course is a great place to find answers — check outeLearning or contact alocal PADI Dive Shop to get started.
Related Reading
How to Avoid Looking Like a New Diver
How to Become a Scuba Diver, Everything You Want to Know
5 Things Our Non-Diving Friends Ask Us
