{"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>

    <\/p><\/li>

  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>

    <\/p><\/li>

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

    <\/p><\/li>

  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>

    <\/p><\/li>

  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>

    <\/p><\/li>

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

    <\/p><\/li>

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

    <\/p><\/li>

  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>

    <\/p><\/li>

  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>

    <\/p><\/li>

  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":25833,"title":"How old do you have to be to dive?","url":"\/blog\/how-old-do-you-have-to-be-to-dive\/","urlTitle":"how-old-do-you-have-to-be-to-dive","division":78443,"description":"Are you wondering how old you need to be to start scuba diving in the UK? Both PADI and BSAC offer beginner courses that are perfect for kids and teenagers who want to experience the underwater world. (PADI is a professional training organisation, BSAC is a club system that operates in the UK.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/dxnthb45fbozijfv7hwchcfaufwf5zsrl3s8zh31pwqvcenq.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/dxnthb45fbozijfv7hwchcfaufwf5zsrl3s8zh31pwqvcenq.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":25822,"title":"Our Global Bucket List","url":"\/blog\/our-global-bucket-list\/","urlTitle":"our-global-bucket-list","division":78443,"description":"The DarkTyde team have dived on every continent in the world apart from Antarctica. We are always looking for the most unique and exciting dive sites around the world. Here are twenty bucket list dives we think that every scuba diver should experience:Great Barrier Reef, Australia: Explore one of the world's largest coral reefs and marvel at its abundant marine life","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/px2wz9uy6sk8m9g90skpka17ehmyxclma702gyktblydhdzf.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/px2wz9uy6sk8m9g90skpka17ehmyxclma702gyktblydhdzf.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":25828,"title":"What is Tech Diving?","url":"\/blog\/what-is-tech-diving\/","urlTitle":"what-is-tech-diving","division":78443,"description":"Technical or \u201ctech\u201d diving is a type of scuba diving that involves exploring deeper and more challenging dive sites, using specialised equipment and techniques. Although the basics are still the same, this type of diving requires more training, experience, and preparation than recreational diving, and it can involve a greater degree of risk. The term \"technical diving\" refers to a range of advanced diving practices, including mixed gas diving, deep diving, cave diving, wreck diving, and more","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/9a0wfpr43djozjtr0fpdr1qx9xakpzgu7mgxzmezk1bqbbv8.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/9a0wfpr43djozjtr0fpdr1qx9xakpzgu7mgxzmezk1bqbbv8.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}