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How to Speak Like a Diving Pro

With incredible marine life and nearly untouched reefs, Dominica is one of the greatest places in the world to dive. Just beyond your doorstep at Fort Young Hotel lies an endless abyss of diving potential and, believe it or not, there’s no better program to learn the ins and outs of the sport with than Fort Young Dive. But, before you tackle the beautiful and mysterious world of Dominica’s seas, you should first be acquainted with a few typical diver’s terms. Below, get a peek at our glossary to take yourself from a novice to Dominican diver in no time.

Diver’s Glossary

Apnea

Typically referring to a breath-holding strategy, this term refers to a type of freediving. You should never hold your breath while diving.

Ascent

Your journey back to the surface of the water; typically towards the end of your dive.

Backroll

When you enter the water from the side of the boat. Sitting on the ledge, you let yourself roll backwards off of the edge into the water.

Bottom Time

The total length of your dive.

Buoyancy

This refers to your position in the water. When something has negative buoyancy, it will sink. If something has positive buoyancy, it floats. Neutrally buoyant things are floating in the middle, i.e., divers.

Cave Diving

Diving through a water-filled cave through scuba or freediving.

Cavern

A semi-closed rock formation that you can enter and dive in.

Dive Table

A tool developed by the military that helps divers stay safe from decompression sickness.

Drift Dive

When divers enter the water in a current. Typically, the diving boat picks the divers up at the surface.

Entry

The point where divers enter the water, whether that be from the shore or boat.

Exposure Suit

Similar to a wetsuit, an exposure suit keeps divers warm throughout their dive while protecting them from dangerous elements.

Fins

A piece of scuba gear for feet to help divers swim faster and with less effort.

Freediving

A style of diving that does not use an air tank.

Giant Stride

A way to enter the water by taking a large step off a boat or the dock.

Mask Clearing

A call to remove water that has gotten into your eye or face mask.

O-Ring

Donut-shaped rubber rings that are used in the connections of various pieces of scuba gear to prevent water from getting in.

Open Water

A term used to define the element in which you will be diving. Open water refers to a space of water that has no overhead or confining barriers (such as a pool or lake) and has a depth of more than 90 feet.

Profile (Dive Profile)

The profile represents the overview of your dive. It is the planned route, span of time, depth, and travel time that your dive will encompass.

Snorkel

This is a common piece of dive gear that is used to gain air from above the surface of the water. It is used in place of a divers regulator.

Tide

The alternate rising and falling of the sea.

Viz/Visibility

The length of clear visibility that you can see underwater. This is typically measured in meters or feet.

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