SCUBA TERMINOLOGY
EXPLANATIONS AND INFORMATION REGARDING SCUBA DIVING CERTIFICATION ORGANISATIONS:
Useful to understand Presentation, CV and SCUBA Technical Courses!
There are five major international
organisations that offer scuba diving training and certification:
1. Professional Association
of Diving Instructors (PADI)
2. National Association of
Underwater Instructors (NAUI)
3. Scuba Schools
International (SSI)
4. �World
Confederation of Underwater Activities�: Conf�d�ration Mondiale des Activit�s Subaquatiques. (CMAS)
5. �Technical Diving International /SCUBA
Diving International (TDI/SDI)
Dive training and courses
have three stages:
1) Theory sessions
2) Pool sessions
3) Open water dives
Certification Levels:
�
Recreational
�
Instructors
�
Dive
masters
Risks of Scuba Diving
Scuba
diving is a safe and enjoyable sport if done in accordance with correct
procedures and adequate training. There is a great environment to explore under
the waters of the world�s coastlines. 70 percent of our planet earth is water,
with enormous discoveries and adventures to be enjoyed.
Some SCUBA TERMINOLOGY
EXPLAINED:
Scuba is an acronym for self contained
underwater breathing apparatus. It may also refer to:
�
Scuba
diving, the use of a self-contained breathing set to stay underwater for
periods of time
�
Scuba set,
the equipment used to do scuba diving
Dive master
A
professional level diver who leads a group of less experienced divers
underwater.
Trimix
A breathing
gas consisting of oxygen, helium and nitrogen. Conventionally, the mix is named by its oxygen
percentage, helium percentage and optionally the balance percentage, nitrogen.
For example, a mix named �trimix 10/70� consisting of 10% oxygen, 70% helium,
20% nitrogen is suitable for a 100 meters (330 feet) dive.
Rebreather
Breathing
equipment that captures cleanses and re-oxygenates exhaled breath so that it
can be re-inhaled. (Ps. no bubbles created in water) Rebeathers Names of types CCR: Inspiration, Evolution, Megalodon, Copis, Kiss, REVO,
Ouroboros and Sentinel. SCR: Dolphin, Azimuth, Submatix and UBS 40
Nitrogen
narcosis
Condition
caused by breathing nitrogen at high pressure (at depth). (Ps. known as deep sea
raptures due to state of drunkenness.)
Nitrox
A breathing
gas consisting of oxygen and nitrogen . Nitrox refers to any gas
mixture composed (excluding trace gases) of nitrogen and oxygen; this
includes normal air
which is approximately 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, with around
1% inert gases, primarily argon.[1][2][3] However, in SCUBA
diving, nitrox is normally differentiated and handled differently from air.[3] The most common use of nitrox mixtures containing higher
than normal levels of oxygen is in SCUBA, where the reduced percentage of
nitrogen is advantageous in reducing nitrogen take up in the body�s
tissues and so extending the possible dive time, and/or reducing the risk
of decompression sickness (also known as the
bends).
Heliox
a gas blend of Helium and Oxygen in which
helium replaces the normal Nitrogen in air allowing diving at greater depths than can
be done with air. Heliox is a breathing
gas composed of a mixture of helium (He) and oxygen (O2).
Heliox has been used medically
since the 1930s, and although the medical community adopted it initially to
alleviate symptoms of upper airway obstruction, its range of medical uses has
since expanded greatly, mostly because of the low density of the gas.[1][2] Heliox is also used in saturation
diving and sometimes during the deep phase of technical
dives. Owing to the expense of helium[8], heliox is most likely to be used in deep commercial
diving although it is sometimes used by diving enthusiasts using
gas-conserving rebreathers.
The proportion of oxygen in a
diving mix depends on the maximum depth of the dive plan but is often hypoxic
and typically 10%. Each mix is bespoke and is created using gas
blending techniques, which often involve the use of booster pumps to
achieve typical diving cylinder pressures of 200 bar
(2,900 psi) from lower pressure banks of oxygen and
helium cylinders.
Because sound travels faster
in Heliox than in air, voice formants are raised, making divers� speech very high-pitched
and hard to understand to people not used to it.[9]
Trimix is a close rival and slightly less
expensive, deep diving, alternative to Heliox.[10] Trimix is often used in commercial diving and in technical
diving.
Hydreliox �is
an �exotic breathing
gas mixture of helium,
oxygen and a
small amount of hydrogen.[1][2]
It is used primarily for research
and scientific deep diving, usually below 130 meters (427 feet). Below
this depth, extended breathing of heliox gas mixtures may cause high pressure nervous syndrome
(HPNS).[3]
Two gas mixtures exist that attempt to combat this problem: trimix and
hydreliox. Like trimix, hydreliox contains helium and oxygen and a third gas to
prevent HPNS. The third gas in trimix is nitrogen.
Because hydrogen is the lightest element, it is easier to breathe than nitrogen under
high pressure.
Hydreliox has been tested to
depths in excess of 500 meters (1640 feet) by COMEX S.A., a French diving company. Unfortunately,
although it was initially believed that breathing hydreliox would prevent the
sort of symptoms seen in nitrogen
narcosis, the COMEX tests showed that �hydrogen narcosis� became a factor
at depths deeper than 300 meters.
Technical
diving: A form of SCUBA diving that exceeds the
scope of recreational diving allowing deeper and longer
dives. Technical divers require advanced training, extensive experience, and
specialized equipment and often breathe breathing
gases other than air
or standard nitrox. (Sometimes referred to a Tec
diving)
Websites of the 5 Major
International Diving Organisations:
http://www.padi.com/scuba/padi-courses/default.aspx
Professional
Association of Diving Instructors (PADI)
National
Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI)
http://www.divessi.com/about_ssi
Scuba
Schools International (SSI)
�World Confederation
of Underwater Activities�: Conf�d�ration Mondiale des
Activit�s Subaquatiques. (CMAS)
TDI
� Technical Diving International
Some extra info of INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS LIST AND WEBSITE LINKS:
� PADI. The Professional Association of Scuba Divers provides diving courses from novice to technical diving. Their system is recognised all over the world.
� NAUI. National Association of Underwater Instructors� - The world�s oldest diver training organisation with dive centres in many countries.
� CMAS. The World Underwater Federation offers diver training with worldwide recognition in a system based on stars. �World Confederation of Underwater Activities�: Conf�d�ration Mondiale des Activit�s Subaquatiques http://www.cmas.org/ CMAS offers an international framework for dive qualifications. Originates from professional or military diving situations
� IANTD. The International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers are dedicated to furthering the understanding of Nitrox, technical and advanced diving worldwide. They also include free diving in their remit of specialities.
�
SSI �SCUBA Schools International http://www.divessi.com/ is a
worldwide diver certification agency and educational support organization.
Recognized as an innovative leader in diver education.
�
ANMPE: Association Nationale des
Moniteurs de Plong�: http://www.anmp-plongee.com/ Professional
organisation for Trainers and Instructors in diving.
�
PSA: The Professional Scuba
Association International: http://www.psainternational.co.uk/info/about.htm
is one of the oldest scuba instructional training agencies in the world.
� TDI/SDI: TDI � Technical Diving International linked to SDI - SCUBA Diving International http://www.tdisdi.com/ - is the largest technical certification agency in the world. As one of the first agencies to provide training in mixed gas diving and rebreathers, TDI is seen as an innovator of new diving techniques and programs which previously were not available to the general public.
� BSAC. The British Sub Aqua Club has been training divers since 1953. Their accreditation is recognised worldwide and is one of the most comprehensive scuba diving training courses around.
�
SCOTSAC. The Scottish sub-aqua club has 1900 members spread
over 70 branches throughout
�
NAS. The Nautical Archaeology Society run seminars and provides
training for those interested in the
�
The Cave Diving Group. The Group train cave and support
cave divers in the
� NACD. The National Association for Cave Diving is a US based organisation dedicated to the support and training of cave divers and further exploration of underwater cave habitats.
� AIDA. The International Association for the Development of Free Diving was set up in 1993 to manage and oversee competitions, record attempts, and education in the sport of free diving
�...���������..
Additional Comments on various SCUBA organisations:
http://www.cmas2000.org/ - website in
English, French and Spanish !
Per: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CMAS
The Conf�d�ration
Mondiale des Activit�s Subaquatiques (CMAS) is the World Underwater
Federation. CMAS is the international umbrella organization for diver training organizations.
It was founded in Brussels on September 28, 1958. One of the founding members
was the French underwater pioneer Philippe
Tailliez. As such, it is one of the world�s oldest scuba
diving organizations (the British Sub-Aqua Club) was founded in 1953.
The international office is currently in Rome.
CMAS offers an international
framework for dive qualifications. Members of the CMAS Councils are recognized
national dive organizations which guarantee the CMAS standards within the
constraints of local dive situations. They award their own national
qualification cards which has on one side has the CMAS grade and on the other
the specific personal details of the person they have qualified.
Since CMAS started effectively as
a volunteer organization for hobbyists, its courses tend to reflect the full
range of all European and world dive situations. Compared to other dive
organizations, which may be more geared towards holiday and tropical water
diving, the training philosophy of CMAS members clubs obviously originates from
professional or military diving situations. While organizations like PADI or SSI tend to bring divers
into the water immediately in an easy and safe way, CMAS will expect more from
its members. However with the growth of diving as a sport international dive organizations
have started to coordinate their standards. But the difference in the
philosophy for diving is still noticeable between CMAS and PADI dive education.
On the 28th of September 1958, delegates from the following Federations: Federal Republic of Germany, Belgium, Brazil, France, Greece, Italy, Monaco, Portugal, Switzerland, the United States of America and Yugoslavia met in Brussels on the occasion of the congress of the independent International Confederation gathering all underwater disciplines.
With this aim, a meeting was held in
http://www.anmp-plongee.com/ association nationale des moniteurs
de plong�, le syndicat des moniteurs professionnels. L�ANMP est une organisation professionnelle, r�gie sous un statut
syndical, qui regroupe essentiellement des moniteurs de plong�e professionnels,
ou futurs moniteurs.
European Committee of Professional Diving
instructors. ��� Comit� europ�en des
instructeurs de plong�e professionnels �
http://www.psainternational.co.uk/info/about.htm
The Professional Scuba Association International is one of
the oldest scuba instructional training agencies in the world. For many years
it was a small, specialized organization that was predominantly involved with
diving training associated with extended range, deep air diving. Virtually all
of the early history centres on the founder, Hal
The Professional Scuba Association International (PSA) was
originally founded as the Florida Scuba Association in 1962 by Hal Watts in
Quality of instructors
One of the hallmarks of the Professional Scuba Association International is that the programs have always stressed high quality in instructors. Cross-over certification requires evaluation as well as a written examination on the history and philosophy of PSA. Instructor Trainers are all hand selected for their skill and dedication to scuba education. At PSA each IT is fully taught the background of the PSA philosophy of skill, knowledge and integrity. Due to this process, administrative cross-overs are not practical, and in fact, simply not justifiable from a quality and defensibility standpoint.
http://www.iantd.com/index1.html
International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers
IANTD Is the
World�s Largest Scuba Diving Training Organization of Open Water, Nitrox,
Enriched Air, Overhead Environment, Cave, Wreck, Rebreather, Trimix, Gas
Blenders, Technical Scuba Divers, Instructors and Instructor Trainers and now
free diving.
http://www.tdisdi.com/� Technical Diving International/ Scuba Diving International.
SDI was created in 1999 and grew out of the success of the
sister company TDI, which
specializes in the more advanced disciplines
of dive training.
TDI is the largest technical certification agency in the
world. As one of the first agencies to provide training in mixed gas
diving and rebreathers, TDI is seen as an innovator of new diving techniques
and programs which previously were not available to the general public.
Training with TDI has provided divers with the opportunity to see such wrecks
as the Andrea Doria, Luisitania and the Prince of Wales. TDI divers have
explored underwater caves in
TDI�s professionals are held to the highest standard to ensure quality training throughout the world. This means that as a diver taking a TDI course, your instructor will have documented his experience and knowledge prior to achieving that rating. As an instructor candidate taking a TDI course, your TDI instructor trainer will have gone through the paces to achieve the highest level of training that TDI offers.
TDI is committed to offering the highest quality training supported by the latest materials with the most up to date information and techniques. TDI�s materials are written by authors that acutely conduct the type of diving they are writing about. Those same materials are updated as technology and equipment change.
Scuba Schools International is a worldwide diver certification agency and educational support organization. Recognized as an innovative leader in diver education, we create state-of-the-art training programs, training standards and materials for all levels of diver education.
SSI Quality
The SSI Organization is set up to deliver quality. SSI Instructors can only
teach at SSI Training Facilities, which are carefully screened to ensure they
meet our standards. SSI Instructors use our highly-effective water training
method called Comfort through Repetition. Scuba skills become second
nature, so you can relax and enjoy yourself when you go diving.
SSI is the only organization in the industry with this level of quality control
and accountability. This means you can have confidence in everyone associated
with Scuba Schools International. With more than 2,000 facilities in more than
90 countries your certificate will be recognized where ever you want to dive.
http://www.saa.org.uk �The Sub Aqua
Association (SAA) is an association of independent dive clubs. SAA member clubs
maintain their independence while maintaining the national standards of the SAA
and benefiting from regional and national support.
VIDEO: with bubbles ! Obviously not using rebreathers ! J
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKHEj7xVFYU
Incidenti
Subacquei - Apnea � Ara
