Green Bay Scuba - Glossary of scuba diving terms


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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

ambient light: Available sunlight underwater used as a source of illumination. "Natural light"

ambient Pressure: The surrounding pressure; on land, comes from the weight of the atmosphere: at depth, comes from the weight of the water plus the weight of the atmosphere.

atmospheric pressure: The amount of pressure the air around us exerts on our bodies at sea level, about 14.7 pounds of pressure per square inch

backscatter: When suspended particles in the water are illuminated by light from a flash, they reflect the light back at the lens. The particles appear as specks or snow in the photograph

ballast: Material used to improve the stability and control of a ship. In wooden ships usually stone, lead or iron; in metal ships, often water

backpack: Designed to securely and comfortably hold a tank on a diver's back

BCD: Buoyancy Control Device

bends: see "decompression sickness"

bow: Front end of boat

bridge: An elevated structure extending across or over the weather deck of a vessel, containing stations for control and visual communications

	c-card: Certification card TOP of page
D

D.A.N.: Divers Alert Network

DCS: See decompression sickness

decompression: Any change from one ambient pressure to a lower ambient pressure; always results in a reduction of gas pressures within the body

decompression sickness: A painful and potentially fatal malady an environment of high pressure to one of lower pressure

depth Gauge: A device that indicates how far a diver is below the surface of the water

dive tables: A printed collection of dive times for specific depths, by which the diver can avoid contracting DCS.

dry suit: A water-tight garment that keeps the diver's body warm by providing insulation with a layer of gas, such as air; for diving in waters that are too cold for comfortable wetsuit protection, usually below 65°F.

	EAN: Enriched Air Nitrogen; Nitrox
F

	first stage regulator: Regulator attached to the scuba tank that lowers the tank pressure to ambient pressure + a pre-determined pressure (e.g., ambient + 140 psi). free diving: Also known as breath hold diving, this is a method of diving where a diver simply holds her breath and submerges, using little or no equipment
G

	galley: Kitchen TOP of page
H

head: Restroom

hydro: Hydrostatic testing for tank integrity

hyperbaric: Having a pressure greater than that within the body tissues or fluids

	j-valve: Contains a spring-operated shutoff valve that is held open by tank pressure until the pressure drops to approximately 300-500 psi.
K

	k-valve: A simple on/off valve TOP of page
L

	macro lens: A lens specially designed macrophotography, enabling extremely sharp focusing at short distances mixed-gas diving: A diving method whereby divers breathe special gas mixtures other than regular air while underwater
N

	NAUI: National Association of Underwater Instructors NOAA: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association
O

	OEA: Oxygen Enriched Air; Nitrox
P

PADI: Professional Association of Diving Instructors

port: Left side of boat when facing bow

psiI: Pounds per Square Inch

recreational scuba diving: Diving to prescribed limits, including a depth no greater than 130 fsw, using only compressed air, and never requiring a decompression stop; abbreviated RSD

regulator: In scuba, any device which changes air pressure from one level to a lower level. See first and second stage regulator

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scuba: Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus

sea level: The level of the world's oceans; all oceans are at sea level

second stage regulator: The regulator that follows, in line, the first stage regulator, and delivers compressed air to the diver

snorkel: A hollow tube swimmers or divers can breathe through when they are close to the surface

SPG: See Submersible pressure gauge

squeeze: Pain or discomfort in an enclosed space (sinuses, middle ears, inside a face mask) caused by shrinkage of that space; occurs on descent

starboard: Right side of boat when facing the bow

stern: The aftermost part of a ship

submersible pressure gauge: Allows you to continuously monitor the amount of air in your tank during a dive

surface interval: Length of time on the surface, usually out of the water, between two consecutive dives

	trimix: Mixture of helium, nitrogen and oxygen, used for very deep diving
U
V

	visibility: The distance a diver can see underwater measured in feet or meters
W
	wet suit: Any suit that provides thermal protection in or under water by trapping a layer of water between the diver's skin and the suit wide angle lens: A lens of short focal length, specifically designed to provide a wider angle of view than seen by both human vision and a standard lens windward: Side facing into the wind; windy side
Y
	y-valve: Dual orifice (Y) Valve
Z
	zoom lens: A lens that combines a range of focal lengths.
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