{"id":25811,"title":"SCUBA acronyms","description":"Our sport is packed full of acronyms - SCUBA of course is itself short for Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. If you\u2019re new to the sport you\u2019ll come across many others used to describe equipment, training, and diving practices. It can be a little confusing","content":"

Our sport is packed full of acronyms - SCUBA of course is itself short for Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. If you\u2019re new to the sport you\u2019ll come across many others used to describe equipment, training, and diving practices. It can be a little confusing. Here\u2019s our top 20 you\u2019re likely to come across: <\/p>

  1. PADI: Professional Association of Diving Instructors, the world's largest scuba diving training organization.<\/p>

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  2. NAUI: National Association of Underwater Instructors, another well-respected scuba diving training organization.<\/p>

    <\/p><\/li>

  3. BSAC: British Sub-Aqua Club, the governing body for scuba diving in the United Kingdom.<\/p>

    <\/p><\/li>

  4. CMAS: Conf\u00e9d\u00e9ration Mondiale des Activit\u00e9s Subaquatiques, an international organization that sets standards for scuba diving training and certifications.<\/p>

    <\/p><\/li>

  5. OW: Open Water, the first level of scuba diving certification.<\/p>

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  6. AOW: Advanced Open Water, the next level of scuba diving certification.<\/p>

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  7. DM: Dive Master, a professional level of scuba diving certification.<\/p>

    <\/p><\/li>

  8. IDC: Instructor Development Course, the course required to become a scuba diving instructor.<\/p>

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  9. EFR: Emergency First Response, a first aid and CPR training course required for some scuba diving certifications.<\/p>

    <\/p><\/li>

  10. DIN: Deutsche Industrie Norm, a type of scuba diving cylinder valve.<\/p>

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  11. PSI: Pounds per Square Inch, the unit of measure for air pressure in scuba diving cylinders.<\/p>

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  12. NDL: No Decompression Limit, the maximum amount of time a diver can spend at a given depth before requiring a decompression stop.<\/p>

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  13. SMB: Surface Marker Buoy, a buoy used to indicate a diver's location to boats on the surface.<\/p>

    <\/p><\/li>

  14. SAC: Surface Air Consumption, a measure of how much air a diver uses while at the surface.<\/p>

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  15. V\/V: Valve to Valve, a method of connecting two scuba diving cylinders together.<\/p>

    <\/p><\/li>

  16. OOA: Out of Air, a term used to indicate that a diver has run out of air in their scuba diving cylinder.<\/p>

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  17. MOD: Maximum Operating Depth, the deepest depth at which a gas mixture can be used safely.<\/p>

    <\/p><\/li>

  18. DAN: Divers Alert Network, an organization that provides emergency medical advice and assistance to scuba divers.<\/p>

    <\/p><\/li>

  19. BCD: Buoyancy Control Device - the inflatable jacket most divers rely on to control buoyancy underwater..<\/p>

    <\/p><\/li>

  20. GPS: Global Positioning System, a technology used to navigate underwater and often found on dive boats. <\/p>

    <\/p><\/li><\/ol>

    Knowing these acronyms will help you better understand the scuba diving community and communicate with other divers. And of course, if you're unsure of the meaning of an acronym, never be afraid to ask!<\/p>","urlTitle":"scuba-acronyms","url":"\/blog\/scuba-acronyms\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/scuba-acronyms\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/darktyde.com\/blog\/scuba-acronyms\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1679152205,"updatedAt":1679152710,"publishedAt":1679152710,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":78443,"name":"DarkTyde Divewear"},"tags":[],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/nzll6xle94szwni7ozujzficx1kevdjnboxqx8yg61iftrqt.jpeg?z=1.0078158415258&fx=0.50387761394682&fy=0.49612238605318","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/nzll6xle94szwni7ozujzficx1kevdjnboxqx8yg61iftrqt.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855&z=1.0078158415258&fx=0.50387761394682&fy=0.49612238605318","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/nzll6xle94szwni7ozujzficx1kevdjnboxqx8yg61iftrqt.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440&z=1.0078158415258&fx=0.50387761394682&fy=0.49612238605318"},"metaTitle":"","metaDescription":"","keyPhraseCampaignId":null,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":25840,"title":"Best Shore Dives in the UK","url":"\/blog\/best-shore-dives-in-the-uk\/","urlTitle":"best-shore-dives-in-the-uk","division":78443,"description":"At DarkTyde were huge fans of exotic foreign trips. Sun, sand and scuba are what we all dream of when we first take up the sport. But most of our diving takes place in the UK and we also love our low stress, light kit bimbles","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/xqalyk0wzifzyxnx27dqgi7cm8ua0fpvhm5dk5touaze59es.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/xqalyk0wzifzyxnx27dqgi7cm8ua0fpvhm5dk5touaze59es.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":25841,"title":"PADI or BSAC (or CMAS, SSI, SAA, NAUI\u2026)?","url":"\/blog\/padi-or-bsac-or-cmas-ssi-saa-naui\/","urlTitle":"padi-or-bsac-or-cmas-ssi-saa-naui","division":78443,"description":"If you're interested in learning to scuba dive, one of the first decisions you'll make is which training organization to join. There are several major scuba diving organisations worldwide, including PADI, BSAC, NAUI, SSI, SAA and CMAS. So how do you choose who to train with, and does it really matter?First, let's take a closer look at the main organisations and how they work:PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) is the world's largest scuba diving organization, with more than 6,600 dive centers and resorts in 186 countries","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/806r4e6uruestronk6cxvh2mrkesvgtswo7matsgpdozmxfb.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/806r4e6uruestronk6cxvh2mrkesvgtswo7matsgpdozmxfb.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":25825,"title":"SCUBA dictionary for beginners","url":"\/blog\/scuba-dictionary-for-beginners\/","urlTitle":"scuba-dictionary-for-beginners","division":78443,"description":"If you\u2019re new to diving you\u2019re likely to hear unfamiliar terms and phrases. Don\u2019t panic! You\u2019ll soon learn them all. But for the absolute beginner here\u2019s our basic SCUBA diving dictionary to help you get started","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/fbcgulbdnlpysbyr7w3qlkxrpr4ywlmhwvyhvtsozbufox5g.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/fbcgulbdnlpysbyr7w3qlkxrpr4ywlmhwvyhvtsozbufox5g.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}