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Diving Lingo, etc.

This page is listed in the Diving Information section and the Fun Diving Stuff section.

AGE: arterial gas embolism; lung over-expansion injury caused by holding your breath while ascending allowing air bubbles into the bloodstream that block its flow. (Any foreign object in the bloodstream capable of blocking flow is an embolism.)

AOW: advanced open water certification; second level of certification.

apnea: cessation of breathing.

Baby diver: new diver.

BC or BCD: Buoyancy Compensating Device or Buoyancy Control Device. Vest worn when scuba diving to assist with adjusting buoyancy and to attach one or more tanks.

BFK: big friggin' knife.

blow bubbles: go diving.

Boyle's Law: at a constant temperature, the volume of a given mass of gas is inversely proportional to the absolute pressure; if the volume goes up the pressure goes down and vice versa.

bradycardia: slowing of the heart, triggered by cold moisture on the face while breath holding.

buddy: your diving partner that you stay in contact with while diving.

buddy breathing: two divers sharing air from one second stage regulator.

C-card: scuba diving certification card.

carotid-sinus reflex: tight hood or wet suit causing pressure on the carotid arteries can give a "fake" high pressure signal and slow the heart unnecessarily: carotid-sinus receptors send impulses to the cardionhibitory center of the brain.

Charle's Law: Temperature has a direct relationship on pressure and or volume; heat will make the pressure increase, heat will also make a flexible object increase in size.

chumming for sharks: could be vomiting because of being seasick, or really chumming for sharks with a bloody, fishy mixture.

conduction: transmission of heat via direct contact. Divers are most affected by conduction --- water conducts heat 20 times faster away from a persons body than air.

convection: transmission of heat via fluids. Water is warmed by a person and rises, replaced by cooler water.

DAN: Divers Alert Network; non-profit member organization that does diving research and promotes diving safety.

Dalton's Law: the total pressure of a gas mixture is equal to the sum of the pressures of each of the different gases making up the mixture.

DCS: decompression sickness, caissons disease, or the bends; pressure related injury caused by absorbing excess nitrogen under pressure while diving; if coming up to fast or staying down to long the nitrogen will form bubbles after or during ascent that will cause pain or ill feeling or other symptoms; symptoms are usually delayed.

DEMA: Dive Equipment and Marketing Association; organization of diving businesses.

EAN: Enriched Air Nitrox; air mixture with oxygen content above 21 per cent.

feeding the fishes: vomiting because of seasickness --- it does attract fish.

get wet: go diving.

goodie bag: mesh bag with locking wire frame on top used to carry stuff underwater.

guppie: new diver.

Henry's Law: the amount of gas that will dissolve into a liquid at a given temperature is almost directly proportional to the partial pressure of that gas.

hypercapnia: excess carbon dioxide caused by diver failing to breathe slowly and deeply or by heavy exertion. Headache may occur and may result in loss of consciousness.

hypocapnia: insufficient carbon dioxide caused by voluntary or unintentional hyperventilation. Carbon dioxide is what stimulates the breathing action --- if not stimulated by carbon dioxide build up to breath a diver or skin diver could use up more oxygen than he should and could cause shallow water blackout when ascending.

hypoxemia: not enough oxygen in the bloodstream.

hypoxia: not receiving enough oxygen.

IDEA: International Diving Educators Association; diving instruction organization.

immersion diuresis: or P Phenomenon; when immersed a person will cool down causing constriction of the blood vessels, the blood flow will be sent to the main organs, away from the legs and the body will sense an increase in fluids and send a signal to get rid of some fluid.

lift bag: plastic bag, filled with air from a regulator used to lift heavy objects underwater.

mediastinal emphysema: air expansion injury; air accumulates in the chest pressing on the heart and major blood vessels, interfering with circulation and the person may feel short of breath.

narced: nitrogen narcosis; under the influence of nitrogen while diving.

NASDS: National Association of Scuba Diving Schools; diving instruction organization.

NAUI: National Association of Underwater Instructors; non-profit diving instruction organization.

NITROX: any gas mixture of nitrogen and oxygen; though most commonly used for oxygen mixtures above the normal 21 per cent.

octopus: extra second stage regulator; used by your buddy if he/she runs out of air.

OW: open water certification; first certification level.

PADI: Professional Association of Diving Instructors; diving instruction organization.

PDIC: Professional Diving Instructors Corporation International; diving instruction organization.

pneumothorax: air expansion injury; collapsed lung caused by air in the pleural cavity; symptom would be coughing up blood.

psi: pounds per square inch; pressure measurement.

radiation: transmission of heat via electromagnetic waves --- heat from the sun is one example.

reg: regulator.

RSTC: Recreational Scuba Training Council. Organization that sets basic guidelines for scuba diving agencies. Members of RSTC:

screaming at the submarines: vomiting because of being seasick.

SCUBA: self-contained underwater breathing apparatus.

SCUDA: self contained underwater drinking apparatus. Product that can be used to drink underwater.

SCUHA: self-contained underwater heating apparatus (pee in your wet suit).

sharks: highly misunderstood and feared fish. Of the 380 species of sharks, only four pose any threat to people. A person is more likely to get hit by lightning than get attacked by a shark.

skip breathing: breathing more deeply and slowly and pausing longer than usual before beginning and ending each breath. Some divers use this to make their air last longer. Could lead to carbon dioxide build up and a head ache. It is better to breathe deeply and slowly normally.

sound waves: sound waves travel 4 times faster in water than in air --- making it more difficult to determine the origin of the sound.

SSI: Scuba Schools International; diving instruction organization.

subcutaneous emphysema: air expansion injury; air in the soft tissues at the base of the neck, person could feel a fullness in the neck and experience a voice change.

vis: visibility underwater.

YMCA: Young Men's Christian Association; diving instruction organization.




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