This is a glossary of technical terms, jargon, diver slang and acronyms used in underwater diving. The definitions listed are in the context of underwater diving. There may be other meanings in other contexts.
Underwater diving can be described as a human activity – intentional, purposive, conscious and subjectively meaningful sequence of actions. Underwater diving is practiced as part of an occupation, or for recreation, where the practitioner submerges below the surface of the water or other liquid for a period which may range between seconds to the order of a day at a time, either exposed to the ambient pressure or isolated by a pressure resistant suit, to interact with the underwater environment for pleasure, competitive sport, or as a means to reach a work site for profit, as a public service, or in the pursuit of knowledge, and may use no equipment at all, or a wide range of equipment which may include breathing apparatus, environmental protective clothing, aids to vision, communication, propulsion, maneuverability, buoyancy and safety equipment, and tools for the task at hand.
Many of the terms are in general use by English speaking divers from many parts of the world, both amateur and professional, and using any of the modes of diving. Others are more specialised, variable by location, mode, or professional environment. There are instances where a term may have more than one meaning depending on context, and others where several terms refer to the same concept, or there are variations in spelling. A few are loan-words from other languages.
There are five sub-glossaries, listed here. The tables of content should link between them automatically:
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References
Subsection: Top, Ta, Te, Ti, To, Tu
See: baseline
Main article: Taravana
Main article: Task loading
See: Dynamic positioning#Positioning systems
See: Team redundancy
Main article: Technical diving
Also: "thermal profile monitor", "TPM"
See: Rebreather diving#Temperature monitoring
Main article: Tension-leg platform
See: Decompression sickness#Test of pressure
See: Hydrostatic test#Testing procedures
See also: Scuba skills#Emergency ascents
Also: TMS
See also: VVAL18
Main article: Thalmann algorithm
See: Hyperbaric medicine, Decompression practice#Therapeutic decompression, and Decompression sickness#Treatment
See: temperature stick
Main article Thermocline
See: Decompression theory#The no-supersaturation approach
See: rule of thirds
Also: "bolt and nut shackle", "bolt shackle"
See: through-water communications
Main article Tinnitus
See: Decompression theory#Tissue compartments
See: Decompression theory#Tissue half times
Also: "TBT"
See also: air top
See: Rimbach system
Main article Ear clearing
See: Anxiety#Trait
Main article Transect
Also: "decant"
Also: "bandage scissors" or "paramedic shears"
Main article Trauma shears
Main article Tremie
See: belt slider
Main article Trimix (breathing gas)
See Diving weighting system#Trim
Also: "Kelly tubes" or "Kellys"
Main article Turbidity
See: Diving bell#Type 1 wet bell
See: Diving bell#Type 2 wet bell
See: Umbilical cable#Diver
See also: bell umbilical, diver umbilical, excursion umbilical, and ROV umbilical
See: Surface-supplied diving skills#Umbilical changeout
See: Diving bell#Closed bell
Main article Undertow (water waves)
Also: "hyperventilation-induced blackout"
See: speech unscrambler
Also: "Jersey upline"
See: Decompression equipment#Upline
See: Diving regulator#Upstream vs downstream
Main article Upwelling
Subsection: Top, Va, Ve, Vi, Vo, Vu
Main article: Valsalva maneuver
See: Scuba cylinder valve#Valve cage
Main article: Van der Waals equation
Main article: Vasoconstriction
Main article: Vasodilation
See: Decompression (diving)#Bubble formation, growth and elimination
See: Scuba skills#Entries
Main article: Vertigo
See: venous gas embolism
See: Underwater vision#Visibility, turbidity and nephelometry
See: Eddy-current testing
Main article: Viton
See: Redundancy (engineering)#Voting logic, Rebreather diving#Managing cell failure in an electronic rebreather control system
Main article: Varying Permeability Model
Also: "E-L algorithm", "Exponential-Linear algorithm", "Thalmann algorithm"
See: Underwater diving#Diving environment
See: Gas cylinder
See: Diving weighting system#Weight belt
See: Diving weighting system#Weight harness
Main article: Diving weighting system
Main article: Wellhead
See: Diving bell#Structure of a typical wet bell
See: Diving cylinder#Temperature change during filling
Main article: Wetsuit
Also: containment grip[52]
Main article: Backplate and wing
Also: "charging pressure"
Also: "WOB"
Main article: Work of breathing
See also: Breathing performance of regulators
Main article: Wreck diving
See also: CGA 850 connector system
Also: "slingshot valve"
See: Scuba cylinder valve#Dual outlet valves
Also: "cable tie", "tie wrap"
Main article: Cable tie
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