When becoming a dive professional, apart of diving, there is a lot of theory to study. No matter how experienced you are, there will always come the day that you learn something you did not know yet, or you forgot already.
In diving we often use abbreviations & acronyms to shorten words or to remember them better. Unfortunately, many times neither divers, nor professionals do not actually now what they are standing for. To make sure you know what you are talking about, as following you will find a list of the most common abbreviations and acronyms used in diving:
| AAS | Alternate Air Source |
| AB-CABS | Cycle of Care: Airway Open? Breathing normally? Chest Compressions / Airway Open / Breathing / Serious Bleeding, Shock, Spinal Injury |
| ABT | Actual Bottom Time |
| AD | Adventure Diver (PADI) |
| ADT | Actual Dive Time |
| AED | Automated External Defribillator |
| AGE | Aterial Gas Embolism |
| AI | Assistant Instructor (PADI) |
| AOW | Advanced Open Water |
| ATA | Atmospheres Absolute |
| AWARE | Aquatic World Awareness, Responsibility and Education |
| BC | Bouyancy Compensator |
| BCD | Buoyancy Control Device |
| BSAC | British Sub-Aqua Club |
| BT | Bottom Time |
| BWRAF | BCD, Weights, Releases, Air, Final o.k. |
| CAGE | Cerebral Arterial Gas Embolism |
| CCR | Closed Circuit Rebreather |
| CD | Course Director |
| CESA | Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent |
| CMAS | Confederation Moniale Des Activities Subaquatiques |
| CPR | Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, Chest Compressions |
| CNS | Central Nervous System |
| DAN | Divers Alert Network |
| DCI | Decompression Illness |
| DCS | Decompression Sickness |
| DEMA | Diving Equipment Manufacturers Association |
| DIN | Deutsches Insitut Fuer Normung |
| DIR | Doing It Right |
| DM | Divemaster (PADI) |
| DMT | Divemaster Trainee |
| DPV | Diver Propulsion Vehicle |
| DSD | Discover Scuba Diving (PADI) |
| DSMB | Delayed Surface Marker Buoy |
| DV | Demand Valve |
| EAN(X) | Enriched Air Nitrox |
| EAR | Expired Air Resuscitation |
| EFR | Emergency First Response |
| EMS | Emergency Medical Services |
| END | Equivalent Narcotic Depth |
| eRDP | electronic Recrational Dive Planner |
| FAST | Help to identify if a patient is having a stroke: Face, Arms, Speech, Time |
| HP | High Pressure |
| HPNS | High Pressure Nervous Syndrome |
| IAND | International Association Of Nitrox Divers |
| IDC | Instructor Development Course (PADI) |
| IDC Staff Instr | Instructor Development Course Staff Instructor (PADI) |
| LAT | Lowest Astonomical Tide |
| LP | Low Pressure |
| LPI | Low Pressure Inflator |
| MDT | Maximum Dive Time |
| MI | Master instructor |
| MOD | Maximum Operating Depth |
| MSD | Master Scuba Diver (PADI) |
| MSDT | Master Scuba Diver Trainer (PADI) |
| NAUI | National Association Of Underwater Instructors |
| NDL | No Decompression Limit |
| NITROX | Any Gas Mixture Of Nitrogen And Oxygen; Though Most Commonly Used For Oxygen Mixtures Above The Normal 21 Per Cent. |
| OW(D) | Open Water (Diver) (PADI) |
| OWSI | Open Water Scuba Instructor (PADI) |
| OTU | Oxygen Toxicity Unit – One OTU is earned by breathing 100% oxygen at one bar for one minute |
| PADI | Professional Association Of Diving Instructors |
| PIC | Positive Identification Card (PADI) |
| PG | Pressure Group |
| PP | Partial Pressure |
| PPB | Peak Performance Bouyancy |
| PSI | Pounds Per Square Inch |
| RD | Rescue Diver (PADI) |
| RDP | Recreational Dive Planner |
| Resc | Rescue |
| RIB | Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat |
| RNT | Residual Nitrogen Time |
| RSTC | Recreational Scuba Training Council. Organization That Sets Basic Guidelines For Scuba Diving Agencies |
| RYA | Royal Yachting Association |
| SAC | Surface Air Consumption (in liters pe rminute) |
| SAMPLE | Signs & Symptoms / Allergies / Medications / Preexisting Medical / Conditions / Last Meal / Events |
| SCUBA | Self Contained Underwater Breathing Aparatus |
| SDI | Scuba Diving International |
| SI | Surface Interval |
| SMB | Surface Marker Buoy |
| SPG | Submerssible Pressure Guage |
| SSI | Scuba Schools International; Diving Instruction Organization |
| SORTED | Signal, Orientation, Regulator, Time, Elevate, Descend |
| STELLA | Signal, Time, Elevate, Look, Listen, Ascend |
| TDI | Technical Diving International |
| TDT | Total Dive Time |
| TNT | Total Nitrogen Time |
| TP | Test Pressure |
| VENTID | Vision Ears Nausea Twitiching Irritation Dizziness |
| VGE | Venous Gas Embolism |
Obviously there are many more acronyms to be used. However, for now thses are probably enough to remember. In case you would like us to add any new words to the list, feel free to send them to us via email to [email protected].