AA |
Assisted Ascent |
AAS |
Alternative Air Source |
ABC |
Airway, Breathing, Circulation (casualty assessment) |
ABT |
Actual Bottom Time |
ABLJ |
Adjustable Buoyancy Life Jacket |
ABI |
Approved Boathandling Instructor (BSAC) |
ACI |
Assistant Club Instructor (BSAC) |
ACUC |
American Canadian Underwater Certification |
AD |
Advanced Diver (BSAC) |
AD |
Adventure Diver (PADI) |
AED |
Automatic Emergency Defibrillator See also PAD |
AI |
Assistant Instructor (PADI) |
AI |
Advanced Instructor (BSAC) |
AIC |
Advanced Instructor Course (BSAC) |
AIE |
Advanced Instructor Exam (BSAC) |
AISE |
Association of Independent Scuba Educators |
AIW |
Advanced Instructor Workshop |
AND |
Advanced Nitrox Diver |
ANDI |
American Nitrox Divers International |
AOW |
Advanced Open Water (PADI) |
AP |
Ambient Pressure |
AR |
Ascent Rate |
ASDA |
Advanced Scuba Diving Association |
ATA |
Atmospheres Absolute |
ATM |
Atmosphere |
AV |
Artificial Ventilation |
AVPU |
Alert, Voice, Pain, Unresponsive (simplified consciousness assessment) |
BA |
Breathing Apparatus |
BAR |
Buoyancy Air Releases (BSAC) |
BARF |
Buoyancy, Air, Releases, Fins |
BARZ |
Buoyancy Air Releases ZIPS! (Drysuits) |
BC |
Buoyancy Control |
BCD |
Buoyancy Control Device |
BDO |
Branch Diving Officer |
BH |
Boat Handling (BSAC) |
BHA |
British Hyperbaric Association |
BMA |
British Medical Association |
BMJ |
British Medical Journal |
BP |
Backplate, also Blood Pressure |
BPM |
Beats Per Minute (heart/pulse rate) |
BW |
Backplate and Wing |
BRA |
Buoyancy Releases Air |
BS |
British Standard |
BSI |
British Standards Institute |
BSAC |
British Sub Aqua Club |
BSOUP |
British Society Of Underwater Photographers |
BT |
Bottom Time |
BWRAF |
Begin, With, Review And Friend. (PADI) |
BWRAF |
Buoyancy Weights Releases Air Final OK (PADI) |
CADC |
Canadian Association of Diving Contractors |
CAGE |
Cerebral Arterial Gas Embolism |
CBL |
Controlled Buoyant Lift |
CBPDS |
Conf. Brasileanos de Pesca e Desportos Subaquaticos |
CC |
Cardiac Compressions |
CCCM |
Closed Chest Cardiac Massage.... superceded by ECM, and eventually CC |
CCR |
Closed Circuit Rebreather |
CD |
Club Diver (BSAC) |
CD |
Course Director (PADI, NAUI) |
CDAA |
Cave Divers Association of Australia |
CDG-GB |
Cave Diving Group of Great Britain |
CEDIP |
European Committee of Professional Diving Instructors |
CEN |
Comiteé Européenne de Normalization (The European Committee for Standardisation) |
CESA |
Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent |
CI |
Club Instructor (BSAC) |
CIE |
Club Instructor Exam (BSAC) |
CIPP |
Compagnie des Instructeurs Professionnels de Plongee |
CMAS |
Confederation Mondiale des Activities Subaquatiques (World Underwater Federation) |
CNS |
Central Nervous System |
CO |
Carbon Monoxide |
CO |
Cardiac Output |
CO2 |
Carbon Dioxide |
CPF |
Chartwork & Position Fixing |
CPR |
Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation |
CQR |
Security Patent Anchor |
CTC |
Current Tissue Code |
CTC |
Canadian Transportation Commission |
CWDI |
Canadian Working Divers Institute |
DAN |
Diver's Alert Network |
DCI |
Decompression Illness |
DCIEM |
Defence and Civil Institute of Environmental Medicine(Canadian tables) |
DC or DCC |
Decompression Computer |
DCS |
Decompression Sickness |
DCS |
Dive Control Specialist (SSI) |
DDC |
Deck Decompression Chamber (offshore professional diving) |
DDEMS |
Defence Diver Extended Medical Skills (British Forces Qualification) |
DDRC |
Diving Diseases Research Centre |
DEMA |
Diving Equipment and Marketing Association |
DER |
Depth Experience Record |
DIN |
Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V. (German Institute for Standardization) |
DL |
Dive Leader (BSAC) |
DM |
Divemaster (PADI) |
DM |
Dive Marshal (BSAC) |
DO |
Diving Officer |
DOD |
Department of Defense (US) |
DOT |
Department of Transportation |
DOWR81 |
Diving Operations at Work Regulations 1981 (superceded by DWR97) |
DPM |
Dive Planning & Marshalling |
DPV |
Diver Propulsion Vehicle |
DRABC |
Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing, Circulation (casualty assessment) |
DRI |
Dive Rescue International |
DS |
Decompression Sickness (s. also DCS) |
DSAT |
Diving Science and Technology(PADI) |
DSC |
Digital Selective Calling |
DSF |
Dansk Sportsdykker Forbund (Danish Sport Diving Federation) |
DSMB |
Delayed Surface Marker Buoy |
DT |
Dive Time |
DTR |
Digital Time Recorder |
DUI |
Divers Unlimited International |
DV |
Demand Valve |
DWR97 |
Diving at Work Regulations 1997 (UK legislation) |
IADRS |
International Association of Dive Rescue Specialists |
IAHD |
International Association for Handicapped Divers |
IANTD |
International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers |
IDC |
Instructor Development Course (PADI) |
IDEA |
International Diving Educators Association |
IDEST |
Inspectorate for Diving Equipment Servicing and Testing |
IDOT |
Israeli Dive Operators and Tourism |
IOC |
Instructor Orientation Course (PADI) |
IPDS |
International Police Diver Symposium |
ISE |
International Scuba Educators |
ISO |
International Standards Organisation |
ITC |
Instructor Training Course (BSAC, PADI, NAUI) |
ITS |
Instructor Training Scheme (BSAC) |
ITW |
Instructor Training Workshop (BSAC) |
MCA |
Maritime and Coastguard Agency |
MCQ |
Multiple Choice Questionnaire (also known as Multiple Choice Paper) |
MCS |
Marine Conservation Society |
MDEA |
Multinational Diving Educators Association |
MFA |
Medic First Aid (PADI) |
MFS |
Mask Fin Snorkel |
MI |
Master Instructor (PADI) |
MMSI |
Maritime Mobile Service Identity |
MRCC |
Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre |
MRSC |
Maritime Rescue Sub Centre |
MSD |
Master Scuba Diver (PADI) |
MSDT |
Master Scuba Diver Trainer (PADI) |
N2 |
Nitrogen |
NACD |
National Association of Cave Divers |
NAS |
Nautical Archaeological Society |
NASDS |
National Association of SCUBA Diving Schools |
NASE |
National Association of Scuba Educators |
NAUI |
National Association of Underwater Instructors |
NBDHMT |
National Board of Diving & Hyperbaric Medical Technology |
NDF |
Norwegian Diving Federation |
NDO |
National Diving Officer (BSAC, SAA, CFT) |
NE |
Neon |
NEDU |
Navy Experimental Diving Unit (US Navy) |
NELOS |
Nederlandstalige liga voor onderwateronderzoek en -sport (Belgium) |
NEC |
National Exhibition Centre |
NHC |
National Hyperbaric Centre (Aberdeen) |
NI |
National Instructor (BSAC) |
NIADD |
National Instructors' Assn for Divers with Disabilities |
NN |
Nitrogen Narcosis |
NO |
Nitrox |
NOAA |
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration |
NOB |
Nederlandse Onderwatersport Bond |
NQI |
Nationally Qualified Instructor |
PADI |
Professional Association of Diving Instructors |
PAD |
Public Access Defibrillator (American term for AED) |
PBA |
Professional Boatmans Association |
PDIC |
Professional Diving Instructors Corporation |
PFO |
Patent Foramen Ovale |
PNR |
Passenger Name Record |
PP |
Partial Pressure |
PPP |
Planning Preparation Presentation |
PPPPPP |
Perfect Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance |
PRM |
Practical Rescue Management (BSAC) |
PSA |
Professional Scuba Association |
PSDA |
Public Safety Diving Association |
PSI |
Pounds per Square Inch |
PSI |
Professional Scuba Inspectors, Inc |
RA |
Rescue Assessment |
RAC |
Rebreather Awareness Course |
RDP |
Recreational Dive Planner (PADI) |
REAP |
Review Encourage Assess Plan |
REG |
Regulator |
RES |
Rescue Diver (PADI |
RFA |
Rescue First Aid |
RIB |
Rigid hulled Inflatable Boat |
RhIB |
Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat
|
RLSS |
Royal Life Saving Society |
RMV |
Respiratory Minute Volume |
RNLI |
Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
RNPL |
Royal Navy Physiological Laboratory (produced RN decompression tables) |
RNT |
Residual Nitrogen Time |
ROV |
Remotely Operated Vehicle |
RSTC |
Recreational Scuba Training Council |
RYA |
Royal Yachting Association |
SAA |
Sub Aqua Association |
SADS |
Sub Aqua Diving Supervisor (Joint Services Sub-Aqua Diving Clubs) |
SALT |
Statement of Alternative Level Training |
SAR |
Search and Rescue |
SBS |
Special Boat Service (Royal Navy special forces) |
SC |
Surfacing Code |
SCR |
Semi-closed Circuit Rebreather |
SCUBA |
Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus |
SEAL |
Sea-Air-Land Teams (US Navy special forces) |
SEEDS |
Safety Equipment Exercise Discipline Signals |
SD |
Sports Diver (BSAC, PADI) |
SDC |
Skill Development Course (BSAC) |
SDCC |
Skill Development Course Certificate (BSAC) |
SDI |
SCUBA Diving International |
SI |
Surface Interval |
SITA |
Scuba Industries Trade Association |
SLJ |
Surface Life Jacke |
SMB |
Surface Marker Buoy |
SNK |
Snorkel |
SOLAS |
Safety of Life at Sea (int. maritim norm/convention) |
SPG |
Submersible Pressure Gauge |
SR |
Search & Recovery |
SSAC |
Scottish Sub Aqua Club |
SSI |
Scuba Schools International |
STA |
Scuba Trade Association |
SUF |
Swedish Underwater Federation |
SUSL |
Finnish Sportdivers Association |
SUSV |
Schweizer Unterwasser Sport Verband (Swiss Diving Federation) |
SWA |
Sheltered Water Assessment |
SWE |
Sheltered Water Evaluation |
SWP |
Safe Working Pressure |