Dive Speak - Gear

Aluminum 80: The most common scuba cylinder, so named because it is supposed to hold 80 cubic feet of air. In actuality, it usually holds about 77.4 cubic feet.

Annual: The required yearly visual inspection for scuba tanks. Also, a similar checkup for regulators.

BC: Buoyancy compensator. Also known as a BCD, or buoyancy control device.

Boot: Protective covering on the bottom of a tank.

Booties: Footwear for divers.

Bottle: Another word for scuba tank.

Console: A unit attached to a hose from the regulator first stage for holding and displaying instruments, including dive computer, depth gauge and compass.

Doubles: Two tanks linked together for use on a single dive.
 

DPV: Diver propulsion vehicle, an underwater scooter.

Dump: A valve used to deflate a BC.

Farmer John: Wetsuit pants that extend over the upper body and shoulders (similar to overalls).

First Stage: The part of the regulator that attaches to the tank and reduces the pressure of the air in the tank to an intermediate pressure.

Free Flow: An unwanted loss of air from a regulator.

Glow Stick: A chemical light stick usually attached to the tank valve during a night dive so a diver can be seen in the dark by his buddy and other divers. Also called a cyalume stick.

Hydro: Short for "hydrostatic test." A pressure test for scuba tanks, performed in water. Required for every scuba cylinder in the U.S. every five years.

Lead: The weights worn to offset a diver's positive buoyancy.

Mil: Short for millimeter, usually used in reference to wetsuit thickness (i.e., a three-mil suit).

Octopus: A backup or secondary regulator second stage.

O-Ring: A pliable ring that forms a high-pressure seal on tank valves. Also used on underwater cameras and other equipment to provide a waterproof seal.

Port: An opening in the regulator first stage for hose attachment.

Primary: The main regulator second stage, as opposed to the backup or octopus second stage.

Quick Disconnect: Any one of several different types of fittings that can be used to remove a hose or strap quickly with one hand.

Rebreather: An underwater breathing unit that recycles a breathing gas, removing carbon dioxide and adding oxygen.

Second Stage: The part of the regulator at the end of the hose that includes the mouthpiece. The second stage reduces the pressure in the hose to a breathable pressure.

Shorty: A one-piece wetsuit with short legs and short sleeves.

SPG: Submersible pressure gauge.

Tube: Snorkel


Portions Reprinted with permission from Scuba Diving - The Magazine Divers Trust