Diving related acronyms & abbreviations
If you know of a scuba diving related acronym not in this list, make a post to the forums or
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
the site admin so that it can be added to this list. |
|
|
| 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 |
|
|
 |
|
|
| AA |
Assisted Ascent |
| AAS |
Alternative Air Source |
| ABC |
Airway, Breathing, Circulation (casualty assessment) |
| ABJ |
Adjustable Buoyancy Jacket |
| ABLJ |
Adjustable Buoyancy Life Jacket |
| ABT |
Actual Bottom Time |
| ACI |
Assistant Club Instructor (BSAC) |
| AD |
Advanced Diver (BSAC) Adventure Diver (PADI) |
| ADT |
Actual Dive Time |
| AEDU |
Admiralty Experimental Diving Unit |
| AGE |
Arterial Gas Embolism |
| AI |
Assistant Instructor (PADI) Advanced Instructor (BSAC) |
| AIC |
Advanced Instructor Course (BSAC) |
| AIE |
Advanced Instructor Exam (BSAC) |
| AISE |
Association of Independent Scuba Educators |
| AMDT |
Adjusted Maximum Dive Time |
| ANDI |
American Nitrox Divers Incorporated |
| AODC |
Association of Offshore Diving Contractors |
| AP |
Absolute Pressure Ambient Pressure |
| ASF |
Australian Speleological Federation |
| ASL |
American Sign Language |
| ATA |
Atmospheres Absolute |
| ATEA |
Amphibian Tank Escape Apparatus |
| ATM |
Atmosphere |
| ATS |
Atmospheres Absolute Over Sea Level (ie gauge pressure) |
| AUF |
Australian Underwater Federation |
| AUS |
American Academy of Underwater Sciences |
 |
| BA |
Breathing Apparatus |
| BC |
Buoyancy Compensator |
| BCD |
Buoyancy Compensator Device Buoyancy Control Device |
| BCRA |
British Cave Research Association |
| BHA |
British Hyperbaric Association |
| BIBS |
Built-In Breathing System |
| BMA |
British Medical Association |
| BMJ |
British Medical Journal |
| BP |
Backplate, also Blood Pressure |
| BPM |
Beats Per Minute (heart/pulse rate) |
| BPR |
Back Pressure Regulator |
| BS |
British Standard |
| BSI |
British Standards Institute |
| BSAC |
British Sub-Aqua Club |
| BT |
Bottom Time |
| BWRAF |
Buoyancy Weights Releases Air Final OK (PADI) |
 |
|
| CADC |
Canadian Association of Diving Contractors |
| CAGE |
Cerebral Arterial Gas Embolism |
| CAUS |
Canadian Association for Underwater Sciences |
| CCBA |
Closed Circuit Breathing Apparatus |
| CCR |
Closed Circuit Rebreather |
| CDG |
Cave Divers Group of Great Britain |
| CIRSS |
Comitato Italiano Ricerche Studi Subacquei (Italy) |
| CMAS |
Confederation Mondiale des Activites Subaquatiques (World Underwater Assoc) |
| CNS |
Central Nervous System |
| CO |
Carbon Monoxide |
| CO2 |
Carbon Dioxide |
| CPR |
Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation |
| CPS |
Commission Plongee Souterraine |
| CPTD |
Cumulative Pulmonary Toxic Dose |
| CSAC |
Canadian Sub-Aqua Club |
 |
| DAN |
Diver's Alert Network |
| DCI |
Decompression Illness |
| DCAP |
Decompression Computation and Analysis Program |
| DCIEM |
Defence and Civil Institute of Environmental Medicine |
| DCS |
Decompression Sickness |
| DDA |
Disability Discrimination Act |
| DDC |
Deck Decompression Chamber |
| DDEMS |
Defence Diver Extended Medical Skills (British Forces Qualification) |
| DEMA |
Diving Equipment Manufacturers Association |
| DES |
Divers' Environmental Survey |
| DIR |
Do(ing) It Right |
| DIN |
Deutsches Institut fuer Normung |
| DL |
Dive Leader (BSAC) |
| DM |
Dive Master (PADI) |
| DMAC |
Diving Medical Advisory Committee |
| DO |
Dysbaric Osteonecrosis |
| DO |
Diving Officer |
| DPV |
Diver Propulsion Vehicle |
| DSEA |
Davis Submerged Escape Apparatus |
| DSMB |
Delayed Surface Marker Buoy |
| DV |
Demand Valve |
| DWR97 |
Diving at Work Regulations 1997 (UK legislation) |
 |
|
|
| EAD |
Equivalent Air Depth Effective Air Depth |
| EAN |
Enriched Air Nitrox |
| EANx |
Enriched Air Nitrox |
| EAR |
Expired Air Resuscitation |
| EATD |
European Association of Technical Divers |
| EBS |
Emergency Breathing System |
| ECC |
External Cardiac Compression |
| ECU |
Environmental Control Unit |
| END |
Equivalent Narcotic Depth |
| EO |
Equipment Officer |
 |
| FAUI |
Federation of Australian Underwater Instructors |
| FFDS |
Federation Francais De Speleologie |
| FFM |
Full Face Mask |
| FFW |
Feet of Fresh Water |
| FGV |
Free Gas Volume |
| FPS |
Foot, Pound, Second (Imperial System) |
| FSW |
Feet of Salt Water |
| FV |
Floodable Volume |
 |
| GMDSS |
Global Maritime Distress and Safety System |
| GPS |
Global Positioning System |
 |
| HEPCA |
Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association |
| HDS |
Historical Diving Society |
| HID |
High Intensity Discharge |
| HP |
High Pressure |
| HPNS |
High Pressure Nervous Syndrome |
| HSA |
Handicapped Scuba Association |
| HSE |
Health and Safety Executive |
 |
| IAHD |
International Association for Handicapped Divers |
| IAND |
International Association of Nitrox Divers |
| IDC |
Instructor Development Course (PADI) |
| IDEA |
International Diving Educators Association |
| IDEST |
Inspectorate for Diving Equipment Servicing and Testing |
| IOC |
Instructor Orientation Course (PADI) |
| ISO |
International Standards Organisation |
| ITC |
Instructor Training Course (BSAC) |
| ITS |
Instructor Training Scheme (BSAC) |
| ITW |
Instructor Training Workshop (BSAC) |
| IUC |
Irish Underwater Council |
 |
| JAMA |
The Journal of the American Medical Association |
 |
| KISS |
Keep It Simple, Stupid! |
 |
| LAT |
Lowest Astronomical Tide |
| LIDS |
London International Dive Show |
| LP |
Low Pressure |
 |
| MCA |
Maritime and Coastguard Agency |
| MCS |
Marine Conservation Society |
| MDT |
Maximum Dive Time |
| MFW |
Metres of Fresh Water |
| MGR |
Mixed Gas Rebreather |
| MKS |
Metre, Kilogram, Second (Metric System) |
| MOD |
Maximum Operating Depth |
| MSD |
Master Scuba Diver (PADI) |
| MSDT |
Master Scuba Diver Trainer (PADI) |
| MSW |
Metres of Salt Water |
 |
|
| N2 |
Nitrogen |
| NACD |
National Association for Cave Diving |
| NASDS |
National Association of Scuba Diving Schools |
| NAUI |
National Association of Underwater Instructors |
| NDC |
National Diving Council |
| NDL |
No Decompression Limit |
| NDO |
National Diving Officer |
| NDSTC |
Naval Dive and Salvage Training Centre |
| NEC |
National Exhibition Centre (Birmingham) |
| NED |
Network of Egghead Divers |
| NEDU |
Naval Experimental Diving Unit |
| NERC |
National Environment Research Council (UK) |
| NHC |
National Hyperbaric Centre (Aberdeen) |
| NI |
National Instructor (BSAC) |
| NOAA |
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
| NOB |
Nederlands Onderwater Bond |
| NRMI |
Naval Medical Research Unit |
| NSB |
Natal Shark Board |
| NSS |
National Speleological Society |
 |
| O2 |
Oxygen |
| OD |
Ocean Diver (BSAC) |
| OSHA |
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (USA) |
| OTT |
Oxygen Tolerance Test |
| OTU |
Oxygen Toxicity Unit |
| OW |
Open Water |
| OWI |
Open Water Instructor (BSAC) |
| OWIC |
Open Water Instructor Course (BSAC) |
| OWSI |
Open Water Scuba Instructor (PADI) |
 |
| PADI |
Professional Association of Diving Instructors |
| PADUA |
Pennsylvania Analysis of Decompression for Undersea and Aerospace |
| PDIC |
Professional Diving Instructors Corporation |
| PFO |
Patent Foramen Ovale |
| PP |
Partial Pressure |
| PSI |
Pounds per Square Inch |
| PTC |
Personal Transfer Capsule |
 |
| |
|
 |
| RDP |
Recreational Dive Planner |
| RG |
Repetitive Group |
| RIB |
Rigid hulled Inflatable Boat |
| RMV |
Respiratory Minute Volume |
| RNT |
Residual Nitrogen Time |
| RNLI |
Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
| RNPL |
Royal Naval Physiological Laboratory |
| ROV |
Remotely Operated Vehicle |
| RSTC |
Recreational Scuba Training Committee |
| RYA |
Royal Yachting Association |
 |
| SAA |
Sub-Aqua Association |
| SAELO |
Supply Activated Exhaust Cut-Off Valve |
| SAR |
Search and Rescue |
| SAUU |
South African Underwater Union |
| SCOR |
Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (of International Council of Scientific Unions) |
| SCUBA |
Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus |
| SDC |
Submersible Decompression Chamber or Skill Development Course (BSAC) |
| SDI |
SCUBA Diving International |
| SEAL |
Sea-Air-Land Teams (US Navy special forces) |
| SEBA |
Submarine Escape Breathing Apparatus |
| SGA |
Siebe Gorman Amphibian |
| SI |
Systeme International (Metric System) |
| SI |
Surface Interval |
| SIT |
Surface Interval Time |
| SLAM |
Scuba Lifesaving Accident Management |
| SLJ |
Surface Life Jacket |
| SPG |
Submersible Pressure Guage |
| SPUMS |
South Pacific Underwater Medical Society |
| SRT |
Single Rope Technique |
| SSAC |
Scottish Sub-Aqua Club |
| SSI |
Scuba Schools International |
| SWP |
Safe Working Pressure |
 |
|
| TDT |
Total Dive Time |
| TNT |
Total Nitrogen Time |
| TO |
Training Officer |
| TOD |
Theoretical Ocean Depth |
| TP |
Test Pressure |
 |
| UBA |
Universal Breathing Apparatus |
| UIS |
Union Internationale de Speologie (International Speleological Union) |
| UASR |
Underwater Association for Scientific Research (UK) |
| UBMS |
Undersea Biomedical Society (USA) |
| UKD |
UK Divers |
| UNCLOS |
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea |
| Unesco |
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization |
| UPTD |
Unit Pulmonary Toxic Dose |
| USN |
United States Navy |
| USOA |
Underwater Society of America |
 |
| VENTID |
Vision Ears Nausea Twitching Irritation Dizziness |
| VGE |
Venous Gas Embolism |
 |
| WC |
Water Capacity |
| WP |
Water Pressure, also Working Pressure |
 |
| |
|
 |
|
| YBOD |
Yellow Box Of Death (a rather cruel and unfair reference to the Inspiration CCR) |
| YBOD |
Better known as the "Yellow Box Of Desire" |
| YMCA |
Young Men's Christian Association |
 |
|
| |
|
| If you know of a scuba diving related acronym not in this list, make a post to the forums or email the site admin so that it can be added to this list. |
