How to speak SCUBA in Italian or Come parlare subacqueo in italiano

SCUBA diving is a wonderful sport. Diving presents many challenges to overcome and many opportunities to learn something every time you dive. I constantly feel challenged.

When you SCUBA dive in Italy there are many unique opportunities to develop certain skills that many other divers might not have the chance to learn. One of those opportunities is to learn the “lingua Subacqueo” or the “Language of SCUBA”.

Thanks to Anna Nardella for developing such an extensive list of Italian SCUBA words. I’ve included a couple of words below to wet your appetite.

assetto	buoyancy
assetto neutro	neutrally buoyant
contropiastra per appoggio bombola (su schienale)	tank pad (on backpack)
GAV, jacket	buoyancy compensator (BC)
gonfiaggio a bocca	mouth inflation
pulsante di carico	inflation button
pulsante di scarico	deflator button
valvola di scarico rapido	quick air dump valve
valvola di sovrapressione	over-expansion relief valve
acqua salata	seawater
computer	dive computer
curva di sicurezza	no-decompression limits
durata dell’immersione	dive time
immersione fuori curva	decompression-stop diving
immersione in curva di sicurezza	no-decompression dive
immersione successiva	repetitive dive
intervallo di superficie	surface time
risalita	ascent
risalita veloce	excessively fast ascent
tappa di decompressione	decompression stop
tappa di sicurezza	safety stop
tempo residuo di autonomia aria	air time remaining
pinne	fins
maschera a due vetri; maschera bivetro	two-window mask/design

Stop on over to Anna Nardella’s place and see the whole list and then stop back by here and show off your “Subacqueo” skills!