| 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 superceded by ECM, and eventually CC |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 |