Talk like you eat! Underwater vocabulary – 10 common expressions used by divers.

Underwater Vocabulary – 10 Commonly Used Expressions Among Scuba Divers.

I'm sure that at least most of the time we do it involuntarily. All activities have their own vocabulary for insiders, and scuba diving is no exception. Perhaps without meaning to, when we're divers we start speaking strangely. Common expressions among divers, words that until yesterday had a completely different meaning, or none at all, suddenly take on new meanings, and we often tend to use them even when speaking to non-divers, who won't understand us and will look at us questioningly, or worse...

Enough chit-chat, let's get straight to 10 examples.

OK

Unable to speak underwater (fortunately), divers have codified a series of gestures to use to communicate even underwater.

Social media uses (and sometimes abuses) the thumbs-up signal to indicate approval. OK, well done, well said, right. The thumbs-up signal is becoming universal; people almost expect it, but for a diver, the thumbs-up means "let's go back to the surface." The OK, all good, sign is done in the classic way, with the thumb and index finger joined in a circle (or O).

This can lead to two types of misunderstanding: underwater, our diving buddy shows us his thumb pointing upwards: does he want to ascend or, due to force of habit and the influence of social media, does he want to communicate his satisfaction?

Misunderstanding number 2. I sometimes superficially express my agreement with the classic "OK," with my fingers in a circle. From the looks I get, I understand that the person I'm talking to was expecting a thumbs-up. And never mind, I'm a diver!

And thank goodness, since I was far away, I didn't use the "OK" gesture on the surface, the one used to let the dive boat crew know all is well. It consists of a circle made with both arms raised above the head, or with just one arm raised toward the head if the other is holding something. The gesture is legible from a distance, but I admit, incomprehensible to non-divers.

Buddy

An English term that has entered common usage among divers. It refers to a dive buddy, the one who, in a buddy system like the one advocated by many dive schools, keeps an eye on us during the dive, ensuring our safety, and is being watched by us. Another term subject to misinterpretation by non-divers ("My buddy and I").

Cazzillo

Slang term, with a vaguely phallocratic reference, used by divers to indicate the cylindrical balloon sent to the surface to signal their position to the boat during a safety stop, at -3-5 m. A cazzillo, also called a pedagno or in English life sausage (Even worse, if possible)—it's essential in strong currents. But avoid telling your non-diving friends, "So I threw the dipstick." They won't understand and will look at you like you're crazy.

Closed – Open Circuit

Closed circuit refers to rebreathers, respirators that recycle exhaled air by reconverting the CO₂ and O_2. An open circuit, on the other hand, is a standard scuba tank that doesn't recover exhaled air in the form of bubbles. The term can be misleading among non-divers, who typically think of a Formula 1 racetrack or, at most, an electrical circuit.

Blend

For a diver, it's any mix of breathable gases you can fill your tank with, from air to nitrox to heliox. But if you're talking to a non-diver, "mixture" probably means something else. For those of my generation, it might be the gasoline with added oil that you put in the tank of a two-stroke scooter...

Nitrogen Narcosis

Nitrogen has narcotic properties, we know that well, but try explaining that to a non-diver. They'll always look at you with the sympathetic attitude reserved for those who take narcotics. And at this point, don't make the situation worse by trying to explain the "Martini effect."

Neoprene

It's the material wetsuits are made of. For us, it's normal to talk about neoprene, but for a non-diver, it might be a difficult topic. When in doubt, if you see question marks on your pupils, change the subject. The same goes for terms like octopus, DIN/INT, snorkel, and saturation.

O-ring

An English term that has entered common usage, replacing "O-ring gasket," the (horrible) Italian translation found in the manuals of my time. Again, to a diver, the meaning is obvious—we live in a world of O-rings—but will it be equally obvious to a non-diver?

Giant's Step

For most people, it will remind us of the games we played as children. For divers, it is a very common and useful way to enter the water from boats of various heights.

Weighing

Only for us divers is it the lead we wear to balance the positive buoyancy of the suit. A non-diver will first think of the butcher, "It's 2.50 ounces, what do I do, sir? Should I leave it?"

Bottom line: be careful how (and with whom) you use them, words are important…