Diving Abroad But Can't Speak Diving English? The Essential Diving English Guide Part 1 — [Nouns]

I actually had the idea of writing a diving English article a long time ago, but I kept putting it off — and then I discovered that Underwater 30 Meters had already launched their diving English series (I cried), which gave me even less reason to write one. Recently, though, a lot of friends told me they feel like their English isn't good enough and are wondering whether to go abroad to learn diving. Others are dive instructors or Divemasters here in Taiwan who want to host international guests but aren't sure how to give a proper briefing. I happened to flip through my old notes from Australia, and just like that — this article was born.

When I was learning myself, I was always confused and couldn't find accurate, practical diving English resources anywhere. I hope this article comes close to what most people would find genuinely useful. To avoid this becoming just another list of English words, I'll add some extra context and sprinkle in short anecdotes as asides. That said, if you're here purely to pick up the vocabulary, I've also put together a mind map — just scroll straight to it and save yourself some time (the full noun map is at the bottom)!

The article will focus mainly on recreational scuba diving (freediving and technical diving are genuinely not my area of expertise, and I'd hate to get things wrong — but if any instructors are willing to help me fill in the mind map, please reach out!). Part one covers practical English for everyday divers, simulating situations you might actually encounter, so you can dive abroad without getting lost in translation with your dive guide. Part two is written for Divemasters and above, so you'll be ready to properly host international guests.

Part One: Diving English for All Divers

Nouns

People

Diver

I'll break divers down into a few categories: 1. Student or DSD Customer:

Students generally refers to people working towards their certification — since they haven't passed yet, they're typically called Students. Personally, I don't like calling try-dive participants "divers," because these people haven't received diver training, so I think DSD Customer is a more accurate description.

If you're travelling to another country just for a try dive, remember: if someone asks you 'Are you a diver?' — please say 'No!' with confidence.

🐟 Aside: My best friend told me that once, when I called in sick and there was no Mandarin-speaking instructor on the boat, a group of Chinese-speaking tourists happened to show up. When dive time came, my friend picked up the log sheet to record all the divers heading in, and asked them, 'Are you a diver?' — since they were already geared up. The group nodded and bounced over to jump in. Fortunately, my friend was quick-witted enough to ask them to wait on the side. It turned out they were try-dive customers who had simply imitated the certified divers by putting on equipment and joining the queue. Let's hope nobody else pulls a mix-up like that — it could be genuinely dangerous.

2. Certified Diver (using PADI as a reference):

This basically describes divers at each stage of certification: Open Water Diver (PADI cert), Advanced Open Water Diver (PADI cert), Rescue Diver (PADI cert), Divemaster (PADI cert), Dive Instructor, and Dive Guide.

A dive guide is typically a Divemaster or above who leads guests underwater. One thing worth noting: if you come across a Master Scuba Diver (PADI rating) on your travels, it means this person has completed at least five specialty courses — but it does not mean they are a professional Divemaster qualified to lead guided dives. In PADI terms, the highest learning level for Master Scuba Diver is still Rescue Diver. So if you've just finished your rescue course abroad, the dive shop might pitch you on either the Master Scuba Diver or Divemaster course — make sure you understand the difference!

Also, in some Asian countries Open Water is often abbreviated to OW — if your instructor or guide is a foreigner, they may not immediately follow the abbreviation, but just clarifying that you're an Open Water Diver will sort it out. This situation is becoming rarer, though, given how large the Chinese-speaking market has grown. You might still encounter it occasionally. On another note, Staff Instructor and Course Director are roles most regular divers won't encounter — but if you do, think of them as your instructor's instructor, since they are qualified to assist with or teach instructor-level courses. In other words, they're the grandmaster tier.

Speaking of the hard-working instructors and Divemasters out there — especially dive guides, who have to manage everyone's safety while simultaneously hunting for critters — please don't be stingy with tips in countries where tipping is customary. Your guide will genuinely appreciate it.

🐟 Aside: After one trip, a guest handed me a US$50 tip. I was genuinely moved. My stumbling early life as a Divemaster suddenly felt like it had received a huge vote of confidence. Money isn't the only reward — for a dive guide, it's also a form of recognition.

For detailed information about each certification level, check the major agencies such as PADI, SDI/TDI, SSI, and CMAS.

3. Snorkeler generally refers to tourists doing snorkeling:

Freediver refers to all you breath-hold diving enthusiasts out there!

Non-Diver

Why bother listing non-divers? Because you're heading to a new place, and beyond other divers you'll likely encounter crew members with all sorts of different titles — so it's worth covering them too.

Purser and Hostie: I didn't actually come across these terms until I went to Australia — I don't think they're particularly common on dive trips elsewhere. A Purser generally handles accounts and accommodation, while a Hostie is more like a general helper (similar to what we'd call a small helper in Taiwan). In Australia, some hosties are Volunteers; positions that offer dive certifications in exchange for work, or unpaid internship-style roles, are also often called Volunteer positions — so if you're looking for this kind of opportunity, that's the keyword to search.

Other roles include Chef — if you have special food requirements, such as food allergies, being Vegan, Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian, Lactose intolerant, or following a Keto diet, feel free to let the chef know in advance and ask whether adjustments are possible. That said, it depends on whether the liveaboard or resort you're visiting offers that level of flexibility.

Other roles you might encounter on a dive trip include Staff, Crew, Supervisor, Photographer, Engineer, and Skipper (captain).

🐟 Aside: Some people might wonder why the captain isn't called "Captain." I asked my colleagues about this too, and they told me that the captain of a smaller vessel is typically called a Skipper, while Captain tends to be used for warships, cruise ships, and the like. The boat I worked on felt pretty big to me at the time (it had three decks), so what exactly counts as "big enough" for Captain versus Skipper was never entirely clear — but both terms are widely understood.

[caption id="attachment_6144" align="aligncenter" width="1400"] Far right is our Skipper — that day we went up to the top deck together to figure out the drone[/caption]

Types of Diving

Here I'll focus mainly on recreational scuba diving!

There are truly many types of scuba diving — take a look at the mind map I've put together. Some of the more unusual ones, like Fluorescent Night Diving, Cage Diving, Ice Diving, Underwater Scooter, and SNUBA, are less commonly seen in Taiwan. I've selected some videos for each; click the underlined terms in each section to go directly to a video so you can get a better sense of what each type of diving involves.

Fluorescent Night Diving — besides the Australian dive operator I worked for, I believe it's also available in Thailand. Because the blue-light torch required for this kind of dive is quite specialised and can be extremely expensive per unit, not every dive shop offers it. That said, I'd strongly recommend trying it if you ever get the chance. The idea is that you carry a special blue-light torch and wear yellow-filter lenses — and as you dive, you'll find that healthy coral lights up and fluoresces. Some researchers use coral fluorescence as a health indicator.

🐟 Aside: Honestly, I was quite scared the first time I tried fluorescent night diving — the torch doesn't produce anywhere near the brightness of a regular white-light torch, so once you're in the water it's essentially pitch black. You also need to pay very close attention to your buoyancy, and a lot of patience is required, since the entire dive usually stays within a very small section of reef for observation.

Cage Diving is a fairly controversial form of diving. It typically involves placing divers inside a large cage that is lowered into the water to observe more aggressive species — for example, Great White Shark cage diving in Australia and Mexico. A few years ago there was an incident where a Great White Shark got inside a cage, and activities like this can cause significant harm to the sharks themselves.

Underwater Scooter — many countries offer underwater scooter experiences, usually aimed at guests who aren't quite ready for a scuba try dive. Honestly, I'd love to try one myself, though this kind of experience tends to be quite pricey.

SNUBA — SNUBA, which as far as I know doesn't have an established Chinese name, is actually a rather unique diving experience. The operator gives guests the same second stage regulator used in scuba diving, but the hose is extraordinarily long — it runs all the way from the surface down to about 3 metres underwater. This keeps guests in shallow water rather than going too deep, and the advantage is that you don't need to carry a scuba tank on your back.

Equipment / Dive Gear

We've finally made it to the equipment section (phew). I imagine most divers are already pretty familiar with their gear, so please refer directly to the mind map.

That said, I'll highlight a few terms that I think people use less often but would be really frustrating to forget if something broke on a trip:

Mask:

1. Mask Strap — the rubber or plastic band that holds the mask onto your head. It can sometimes snap in two, which is exactly when you'll need this word.
2. Prescription Mask — if you're shortsighted and don't like wearing contact lenses while diving, ask the dive shop whether they have a Prescription Mask available. Larger operators usually stock masks in a range of prescriptions.

BCD:

Wing BCD — if I recall correctly, some people say "Donut," but the proper term for a back-inflate BCD is Wing. Donut does get used to describe a wing-style BCD — specifically referring to the shape of the bladder — but if you just say "Donut" on its own, some international divers may not follow you.

Fast Exhaust Valve / Dump Valves — dump valves are genuinely one of the most useful features on a BCD. As your experience grows and you rely less and less on manually venting air, you start to realise that raising your left arm to vent is actually pretty inefficient.

🐟 Aside: Dump valves have a little cord attached to a triangular cone-shaped pull. Once, an American instructor said to the supervisor, 'Do we have some spare dumplings?' Everyone went blank for a moment — then he added, 'Don't you think the stuff on the dump valve looks like a dumpling?' It was then I realised that even native speakers don't always know the name for every little thing. To this day, what that little pull is actually called remains a mystery to me…

Integrated Weight System — some dive shops offer BCDs with the weight system built directly into the BCD itself, allowing you to release the weights with a sharp forward pull in one smooth motion. If you've never used one before, ask the staff to show you how it works.

Velcro Strap — it might seem odd to list this, but I think it's actually a word that native speakers are more likely to know than non-native ones, since Velcro is originally the brand name of the company that invented hook-and-loop fastener. If the Velcro on your BCD isn't very sticky, there's no need to panic — as long as you've chosen the right BCD size, there are still buckles to keep things secure. If it really bothers you, just ask the shop to swap it out.

Regulator:

Regulator — while "regulator" refers to the entire regulator assembly, before a dive some instructors will say 'Regulator in!' meaning "put the second stage in your mouth." In that context, "regulator" can stand in for the second stage regulator alone. Outside of that situation, "regulator" refers to the complete assembly, including the first stage regulator, second stage regulator, pressure gauge (SPG), and so on.

Purge Button — there is a button on both the first stage regulator and second stage regulator that releases air when pressed.

Mouthpiece — when using rental regulators, give the mouthpiece a quick inspection. If you find it's damaged or torn, let the dive shop know and remind them to replace it.

Scuba Tank / Cylinder:

Nitrox Tank / Enriched Air Tank — both terms describe an enriched air nitrox (EANx) cylinder. If you receive a nitrox cylinder, you'll need to borrow an Analyser from the shop to verify the oxygen content. Some operators will ask you to record the result — this varies from shop to shop.

DIN / Yoke Valve — I remember never being able to keep these two straight and mixing them up constantly. I finally locked it in by thinking of it this way: "The DIN regulator looks like the letter 'D' and screws in." I'd also recommend this video: Scuba Tech Tips: DIN Regulators and Converters — S04E14, which explains DIN and yoke valves as well as the pressure ratings for different cylinder types like steel tanks and aluminum tanks — at a level that's perfectly accessible for beginners.

Other:

Torch — I used to learn "flashlight" as the word for a dive light, but among divers I've heard "torch" far more often.

[caption id="attachment_6141" align="aligncenter" width="1400"] Torches on the boat are all hung up like this[/caption]

Tank Banger / Stick Pointer — as a dive guide, dealing with a diver who's completely in their own little bubble while you have no tank banger is an absolute nightmare.

🐟 Aside: I remember my tank banger got stolen in Australia, but I had no idea what it was called in English. I ended up describing what it does, and my colleague finally said, 'Ah! Are you saying the tank banger?' So armed with the name, I happily went around to other dive shops to see if any of them sold one — only to discover that a single tank banger in Australia costs between NT$600 and NT$800. I gave up.

That's it for the nouns section of Diving English for All Divers! I hope picking up diving English doesn't feel too dry and tedious. The next instalment will cover practical sentences for real-world situations, and further along there'll also be a practical briefing guide written for Divemasters and above.

Click here for the interactive, zoomable mind map

Cover photo: Photo by Mael BALLAND on Unsplash

Related links:

• Diving Abroad But Can't Speak Diving English? The Essential Diving English Guide Part 2 — [Real-World Practice]
• 'If You Can't Think Like an Instructor, You Don't Belong Here' — The Journey from Divemaster to Dive Instructor
• No Compromises on Dive Safety — The Diver's Guardian: The Lookout
• Tired of Diving the Great Barrier Reef? Head to Melbourne and Swim with pipefish and Seals
• Exploring Australia's Mysterious Shipwreck in Strong Currents — S.S. Yongala
• Travelling on a Backpacker's Budget? The Complete Guide to Liveaboard Diving in Australia for Next to Nothing
• Looking for a Purpose in Life? Do an Unforgettable Dive-for-Certification Working Holiday in Australia!
• Meeting a Minke Whale on the Great Barrier Reef — Australia's Dream Voyage You Must Experience
• Jen's article series on Medium