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Scuba Diving Dictionary

Scuba Diving Dictionary Landing Page Description

Whether you’re a new diver or one who’s returning to the sport, or even if you’re a frequent diver with the occasional question that needs answering, you’ll discover that our dive dictionary is a very useful scuba diving resource. Here, you’ll see a comprehensive list of scuba diving terms, along with acronyms and so much more.  Using our scuba dictionary to locate diving terms is quick and easy; just choose a letter or number and click on it, or simply enter a keyword to find its definition. Be sure to contact us if you’re looking for diving terms, acronyms, or any other type of scuba-related jargon you cannot uncover here. We’ll do our best to keep updating our diving dictionary so you can find the answers you need, when you need them.

S

Seaward

The direction that points away from land and toward the open sea

Seaway

An inland waterway with traffic lanes or routes that is capable of accommodating ocean-going vessels

Seaworthy

A boat or vessel that is fit to sail the seas

Seizure

A physical condition involving a sudden attack, convulsion, or mental aberration which disrupts the brain’s normal electrical activity

Self-Propelled Submersible

A submersible that operates using its own power

SSI

Scuba Schools International

Stern

The aft-most part of ship or vessel where the rudder is placed

Strangulation

Also known as suffocation; an obstruction of breathing due to being strangled

Strobe

Also known as a strobe light, a device used in underwater photography for high-speed illumination

Strong Breeze

Using the Beaufort scale, a wind with a speed between 25 to 31 miles per hour

Strong Gale

Using the Beaufort scale, a wind with a speed between 47 to 54 miles per hour

Sub-bottom Profiler

An acoustic instrument that is often carried on submersibles to help identify and measure layers of marine sediment 

Subcutaneous

Beneath the skin

Subcutaneous Emphysema

Also known as tissue emphysema or SCE, an accumulation of air or gas in the tissues under the skin

Submersible Pressure Gauge

An instrument used to monitor a diver’s air supply during the course of a dive

Sunburn

Pathological damage to the skin resulting from overexposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun

Supine

Lying flat on the back, with face upward

Surface Interval

Length of time a diver spends on the surface between two consecutive dives

Surface Marker Buoy

Also known as SMB, an inflatable buoy attached to a line that is used by scuba divers to indicate their position under the water 

Swim Thru

A short underwater tunnel in which light can be seen from both ends

Symptom

A characteristic sign or indication that a physical disturbance or disease is present

Syndrome

A group of symptoms which consistently occur together and which characterize an abnormal condition, psychological disorder or disease

Systemic

Affecting the entire body instead of its individual parts

T

Tachometer

A device used to measure the rotative speed of an engine; usually in revolutions per minute

Tachycardia

A rapid heartbeat

Tank

A scuba tank or diving tank is an aluminum or steel cylinder designed to house compressed gas; this high pressure breathing gas is provided to an scuba diver through the demand valve of their regulator

Tank Banger

An underwater device, made of stretchable rubber and a plastic ball, which is placed around a diver's scuba tank.  This scuba tool is used to generate noise and alert or signal other scuba divers in the area

Tank Boot

A rubber, plastic, or vinyl device with a flat bottom which when placed over the rounded end of a scuba tank, allow it to stand up

Taravana

A decompression condition or disease that develops in individuals who engage in frequent, deep breath-hold dives with short surface intervals

Taxonomy

The scientific system of classifying organisms by their similarities and differences and placing them into a hierarchy of ordered categories

TDC

Top Dead Center

TDI

Technical Diving International

Technical Diving

Also known as tec diving, a form of SCUBA diving that exceeds the scope of recreational diving allowing deeper, longer, more challenging dives 

Telephoto Lens

Used in photography and cinematography to magnify a subject, a long-focus lens in which the focal length of the lens is shorter than its physical length

Temperature

Measured in Celsius or Fahrenheit, the degree of hotness or coldness of a body or environment 

Tender

An individual responsible for ensuring that a diver receives the proper care both underwater and topside

Tensor

Any muscle that stretches or tightens some part of the body 

Tethered Diving

A form of SCUBA diving that involves the use of a lifeline 

Therapy

The treatment of a disorder or disease

Thermocline

A distinct layer in a large body of water in which the temperature changes rapidly with depth; latitude and longitude, local environmental conditions, and seasonal weather patterns often affect the depth and thickness of a thermocline

Thermogenesis

The production of heat in organisms; specifically in warm-blooded animals and several plant species

Thoracic Squeeze

Injury to the lungs and chest cavity as a result of a breath-holding dive which prevents the air spaces from being equalized to ambient pressure 

Thorax

The part of the human body between the neck and the abdomen which contains the heart, lungs, trachea and bronchi and is enclosed by the ribs, breastbone, and vertebrae

Thrombosis

Local coagulation of the blood in a section of the circulatory system which forms a clot that obstructs circulation

Tidal Range

The vertical difference in height between consecutive high and low waters

Tide

The periodic rise and fall of the water level in the sea due to the gravitational attraction of the moon and sun

TIG

Tungsten Inert Gas 

TMJ Syndrome

Also known as temporomandibular joint disorder, jaw and ear pain that occurs from clamping one’s teeth around a regulator mouthpiece or other device; TMJ often affects the quality of life because symptoms are chronic and difficult to manage

Tooth Squeeze

Also known as barodontalgia, tooth pain caused by an air pocket between a tooth and a filling that often occurs in response to a change in atmospheric pressure

Torque

A twisting force that produces a rotary motion 

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