Abbreviations BSAC style (alphabetical)

These pages are provided by the Dive Instruct group as a guide to the abbreviations and terminology, used in diving and diving forums, purely as a guide.
It is not complete, and indeed never could be, as terminology changes and is added to all the time. 
If you know of an abbreviation that is missing or incorrect, please email us here and we will update or make appropriate changes as soon as possible.
No responsibility is taken for any inaccuracies, although every care has been taken to make sure that the information is correct.
The terms are laid out in alphabetical order and will eventually contain links, where appropriate, to specific sites, for more information.
The terms will also eventually be explained further as necessary. These explanations will be laid out in other pages which can be reached by clicking on the links (to be added at a later date), specific organization's web sites will also be reached by clicking direct on the underlined name in the list. If you see a broken or incorrect link, or a link to a page that is no longer available, please email us by going here.

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A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

A

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)

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B
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)

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C
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

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D
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)

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E
EAD Equivalent Air Depth, or Effective Air Depth
EAR Expired Air Resuscitation.... superceded by AV
EANx Enriched Air Nitrox
ECM External Cardiac Massage (term superceded by CC)
END Equivalent Narcotic Depth
EO Equipment Officer
EPIRB Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon
ERC European Resuscitation Council
ERD Extended Range Diver (BSAC)
ESDA Emergency Services Diving Association

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F
FAD First Aid for Divers
FCD First Class Diver (BSAC)
FCD Freeflow Control Device
FEDAS Federacion Espanola De Actividades Subacuaticas
FEV(1) Forced Expiratory Volume (in one second)
FFESSM Fédération Française d'Etudes et de Sports Sous Marin
FSSS Fédération Suisse de Sports Subaquatique
FQAS Fédération Québecoise des Activites Subaquatiques

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G
GMDSS Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
GPS Global Positioning System
GUE Global Underwater Explorers

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H
H Hydrogen
HID High Intensity Discharge
HDS Historical Diving Society
HE Helium
HMCG Her Majesty's Coast Guard
HOAL Home Office Aluminium
HOS Home Office Steel
HOT Home Office Tested
HSA Handicapped Scuba Association
HSC Health and Safety Commission (UK)
HSE Health & Safety Executive
HSW Act or HSWA74 Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 (UK legislation)

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I
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)

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J
JAMA The Journal of the American Medical Association
JSSADC Joint Services Sub Aqua Diving Clubs
JULIA Japan Underwater Leaders and Instructors Association

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K
KISS Keep It Simple, Stupid!

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L
LIDS London International Dive Show

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M
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)

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N
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

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O
O2 Oxygen
OA/O2A Oxygen Administration
OAC Oxygen Administration Course
OD Ocean Diver (BSAC)
OMS Ocean Management Systems
OMS Open Muppet Season
OPV Over Pressure Valve
OT Oxygen Toxicity
OWI Open Water Instructor (BSAC)
OWIC Open Water Instructor Course (BSAC)
OWSI Open Water Scuba Instructor (PADI)

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P
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

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Q
QA Quality Assurance
QRB Qualification Record Book

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R
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

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S
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 

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T
TBT Total Bottom Time
TD Technical Diver
TDI Technical Diving International
TIDF The Israeli Diving Federation
TLA Three Letter Acronym
TO Training Officer
TP Test Pressure
TPR Transportable Pressure Receptacle
TSM Technical Support Manager
TSVÖ Tauchsportverband Oesterreichs (Austrian Diving Federation)

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U
UDT Underwater Demolition Team (US Navy)
UHMS Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society
UPTD Unit Pulmonary Toxic Dose
UBA Underwater Breathing Apparatus

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V
V Visual (Inspection of air cylinder for test purposes)
VDST Verband deutscher Sporttaucher e.V. (German Sport Diving Club)
VDTL Verband deutscher Tauchlehrer e.V. (German Dive Instructor Agency)
VVDS Variable Volume Drysuit

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W
WASI World Association of Scuba Instructors
WB Weightbelt
WC Water Capacity
WP Water Pressure, also Working Pressure
WASAC Welsh Association of Sub Aqua Clubs
WKPP Woodville Karst Plains Project

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X

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Y
YBOD Yellow Box Of Death (a rather cruel and unfair reference to the Inspiration CCR)
YBOD Better known as the "Yellow Box Of Desire"
YMCA Young Men's Christian Association National SCUBA Program

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Z

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