Glossary of Scuba Diving Terms (S)

Understanding That Strange Scuba Language

Welcome to our glossary of scuba diving terms. Diving, like many sports, has its own language. Our scuba glossary is for anyone interested in understanding the scuba diving definitions, scuba diving terms or scuba slang found in this strange scuba communication that divers use.

Our scuba glossary is easy to use. Just click on the letter that corresponds to the first letter of the word that you are looking for. All the words that begin with that letter will be displayed.

We will be constantly adding new terms to our glossary of scuba diving terms. If you think we have missed a term or you can not find the scuba diving information you are looking for, please let us know. We will add it and the best definition we can find to our scuba glossary.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P QR S UV W Y X Y Z
Glossary of Scuba Diving Terms Home

S

A precautionary stop in a diver's ascent to prevent the formation of nitrogen bubbles in the bloodstream. This pause (at 15 feet/5 meters for 3 mins.) is a recommended on no decompression dives.

The salt content of a measure of water.

The degree to which a gas is dissolved in the blood or tissues, full saturation occurs when the pressure of gas dissolved in the blood or tissues is the same as the surrounding (ambient) pressure of that gas.

Diving performed after the body is fully saturated with nitrogen. To become fully saturated the diver must stay under water for a much longer period than is allowed in recreational scuba diving tables.

Acronym for "Self-Contained-Underwater-Breathing-Apparatus."

The altitude of the world's oceans. All oceans are at sea level.

The part of the regulator that regulates the pressure of a diver's breathing gas to the surrounding (ambient) pressure at any given depth. This is the part of the regulator you put in your mouth and breathe through.

A thick (7mm-9mm) neoprene exposure suit, similar to a wetsuit, used for diving in cold waters.

See Latent Hypoxia.

Another name for breath-hold diving. This is diving without the use of breathing equipment (may include a snorkel).

Surface-supplied compressed air breathing equipment. Snuba is for use in shallow diving in calm waters. The air is delivered to one or more divers through a long hose.

Pain or discomfort caused by a drop in pressure in an enclosed space (sinuses, Middle ear, inside a mask). This happens when a diver does not equalize properly during a descent.

The back end of a boat.

Gauge used to monitor a diver's breathing gas supply during the course of a dive.

Length of time on the surface, out of the water or at the surface, between two consecutive dives.

An inflatable buoy that indicates diver's position to observers on the surface. The buoy (on the surface) is attached to and towed by the diver.

Diving with the air continuously supplied by a compressor on the surface can be used for both sport and professional diving.