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The Diver’s Dictionary

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Have you ever used the words pygmy, pipe, and dragon together?  You might, if you are a scuba diver.  There is the technical aspect to diving like any sport, but to really discuss your dives, you need a whole new list of vocabulary words for the real, but fantasy-like sea creatures that you get to see.  It is almost a new language, but one you would think you would only find on Star Trek or Harry Potter.  For me, it seems somewhat cathartic when I am on a trip, and I can sit down at lunch or dinner and discuss my dives in the language of diving, almost as if it has replaced my native tongue of English.  “Then I saw this yellow-ridged ceratosoma.”  “Ha, a spotted eagle ray!”  “mmm, I saw an entire school of cownose eagle rays.”  The stakes get progressively greater in terms of novelty (although novelty does not necessarily correspond with greater size of the animal), and it seems as if through diving we have all been transported back to a time in our childhoods when it was ok to express exuberance at simple things.  At the same time, it seems like a journey into another type of geek club for me.  Although if this is my “tribe”, to use a psychological term, I am glad I belong to this one.

Dictionary 2

To develop a unique vocabulary independent of the one I grew up with is not new to me, as I am a scientist.  Most of the words that I might normally use during a day at work have no significance to non-scientists, except for the word clone.  My friends who are mostly non-divers look blankly at me when I show them my photographs and point out macro subjects such as a nudibranch.  They remember the photograph, that snail-like thing with the feathers on top, but what use would they ever have for such words?  Apparently, some non-divers do effectively incorporate these words into their vocabulary, because recently when I complained to my non-scuba diving brother that I never see the big animals, he told me it was because I was always looking at the nudibranchs.  He was right.

Dictionary 3

When it does happen, a non-diver using vocabulary from the diver’s dictionary, it seems completely out of place.  Especially when it might be your 88-year old aunt.  My aunt had asked me to give a presentation on scuba diving and the creatures that I photograph to her senior citizens group.  I had made a poster with some images but failed to include the names of the critters.  She left a voice message: “I found two of the animals, but I am not sure about the third.  Is it a frogfish?”  I am sure it was the first time that she had ever uttered the words frog and fish together and as a single word.

Dictionary 4

I have convinced few of my non-diving friends, who are most of my friends, to take up the sport.  One French couple that I had met on my sabbatical in Norway went on a round-the-world tour and decided finally to take a diving course in the warm and calm waters in Thailand.  She was a bit fearful, so it was a long time before they tried any dives beyond those necessary for certification.  They had to get married first, wait a year, and then honeymoon in French Polynesia.  Soon after, I received an email where she casually described an underwater scene that included the word Napoleon.  Just Napoleon, for if you speak as a diver, it is enough to know that Napoleon is short for Napoleon wrasse or Maori wrasse, a large, beautifully patterned fish.  She was using the diver’s dictionary, which now distinguished her as an underwater traveler.

Dictionary 5

Most of us are content to use the common names of critters.  It is frustrating when you look in a reef ID book and find only the Latin name or “undescribed” under the photo.  Do people really refer to a seahorse as “hippocampus”?  I can remember this one Latin name, as it is also an anatomical structure within the brain.  However, I did once meet a nice woman who could look at a photograph of a nudibranch and immediately name it, but in Latin!  She was unforgettable.  If you had a lot of photographs, though, it could begin to be an extremely laborious conversation, but one that would leave you feeling completely inadequate as a scuba diver.

Dictionary 6

Part of the fun of the common names is the adjectives used within them.  Bearded, hairy, and squat all appear in common names, but there is hardly another circumstance where you might have the opportunity to use them in what is perceived of as somewhat complimentary.  A hairy squat lobster is one of my favorite macro creatures to see.  One way to spend time in between dives is to jumble all of your favorite adjectives to create a whole new imaginary creature.  Usually this game develops after many days of consecutive dives and perhaps to show off after a dive.  I saw a “bearded squat juvenile” fill in the blank.  Although honestly, what evolution has created underwater defies imagination most of the time.  This exercise actually had a practical purpose once when another guest on the boat proposed the outcome of a cross between a trumpet fish and a puffer fish.  These two fish have a very real relationship in nature, where the trumpet fish hides behind the puffer to surprise unsuspecting fish, but we had just observed a pair that seemed more like mates rather than a type of camouflage for a predatory situation.

Some of the words we use do cross over into the non-diver’s vocabulary.  The word “shark”, for example.  However, if you add the adjective whale to it, many fewer people will know of exactly what you speak, and even amongst divers are there only a select few who have been able to use the word in the sentence, “I have seen a whale shark.”  It is a favorite phrase to use on approach to the main boat after a dive on a liveaboard, but it is almost never true.  Seahorse is part of the English working vocabulary, but pygmy and seahorse together are not.  Winged and pipe and fish are probably three words that are never normally strung together.  In fact, “winged” probably is not even a word that comes up in the course of any conversation or book, at least not in the 21st century.  However, it exists in the diver’s dictionary.

Like a secret language, the diver’s dictionary is at your disposal to describe something ordinary in a not so ordinary way.  If you say something is like a whale shark, it could be a metaphor for something elusive, like finding true love perhaps.  Of course, it could always symbolize something really big.

Dive destinations also fall into the diver’s dictionary.  I have piles of magazines around my apartment on the topic of diving.  A casual acquaintance once asked how did I figure out where to go.  I said, “Look (pointing to the stacks), I read about places.”  You might have heard of Bali if you are a non-diver, but less likely to have read about Raja Ampat.  Many destinations are invisible with a casual glance on any world map, but Google of course now has a solution for that (find Sangeang, for example).

My diver’s dictionary is an abridged one.  And the more trips that I go on, ironically, the more I find I have left to see both above and below the sea.

What is your favorite dive destination or organism?

Janice Nigro is an avid scuba diver with a PhD in biology.  She is a scientist who has studied the development of human cancer at universities in the USA and Norway, and has discovered the benefits of artistic expression through underwater photography and story writing of her travel adventures.

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Four opportunities to go pro in 2024 with Dive Friends Bonaire

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Dive Friends teaches the Instructor Development Course (IDC) several times a year to students who are eager to share their passion for diving with the world.

Dive Friends is known for the personal approach throughout the course. Their in-house course director will lead the students through every essential step, mentoring them to achieve their fullest potential as a dive instructor.

Applications for the following IDC start dates are now open:

  • 12 April
  • 5 July,
  • 20 September
  • 29 November

Partnership with Casita Palma

If the student opts for the IDC-Deluxe or IDC-Supreme package, their accommodation will be arranged for them at Casita Palma. This small and quiet resort is within walking distance from Dive Friends Bonaire’s main dive shop location and has everything you need to relax after an intense day of IDC training. Breakfast is included, so the student will always be fuelled and ready for their day.

Contact Dive Friends Bonaire’s Course Director Eddy for more information: coursedirector@divefriendsbonaire.com.

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Scubility: Achieving Success through Adaptability

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Introduction to Scubility

Being a scuba diving professional, I am always fascinated by the beauty of the underwater world, filled with colorful coral and a variety of marine species. Every dive site around the world has something unique to offer, attracting the diving community to immerse themselves time and time again. The feeling of being underwater is a unique experience, akin to being in space, where you can escape Earth’s gravity to enjoy the freedom of movement. However, water sports are often believed to be accessible only to those with good physical strength, leaving others to only dream of being there.

The Genesis of Scubility

Scubility was developed as a way to help people with disabilities experience the magic of scuba diving or snorkeling. A few years back we became involved in the SDI Scubility program as a way to use our diving experience and knowledge to bring disabled people beneath the ocean. To empower them with a feeling where they can forget their disability and limitations. The image of a Wheelchair Hero from the movie ‘AVATAR’, who could walk and run only in dreams, was the first seed of the idea for a local Scubility program.

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Launching the Scubility Course

Since 2014, my friend has dedicated himself to helping disabled people. Knowing that I am an SDI/TDI Instructor Trainer, he called upon me to help bring them into the world of scuba diving. Captivated by this idea, I decided to offer a special diving course adapted for disabled people: the SDI Scubility Course. The sole purpose was to bring happiness and a feeling of belonging back to our precious disabled students, by giving them an immersive experience under the sea. Perhaps, the mother ocean has a way of treating us all equally, to rebuild confidence and give hope of being alive.

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Adapting Diving for All Abilities

Initially, most Scubility divers in our programs were wheelchair users. The main challenge was to design a unique technique suitable for each Scubility diver, based on their limitations. To do so, we set up a protocol keeping in mind all the scenarios that could arise during diving, starting from boarding the boat, to diving, and the communication signals during the dive. Training was also provided to volunteer participants, mostly instructors and assistant divers.

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The Scubility Program in Action

In the last four events, we have enrolled many Scubility divers in the program. We also have a team of trained instructors and assistants; without them, this wouldn’t be possible. The main objective was to make safe and comfortable diving experiences for Scubility students. In fact, in the last Scubility program, which concluded in March 2023, we included a blind diver along with six other Scubility divers. We also had 8 instructors and more than 10 assistant participants to make this possible.

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The main challenge for blind divers is to set up a communication signal. So, I designed a unique ‘touch signal’ for blind students where they just need to touch an arm to convey a message. For example, when an instructor touches your arm twice, it means he is asking, “Are you okay?”. In case of any emergency during the dive, the blind diver just needs to squeeze the arm of the instructor to get his attention to solve the problem. For each Scubility diver, there were at least two personnel, an instructor, and an assistant, assigned.

Impact and Emotions of Scubility

The most satisfying experience of this program was to see Scubility divers happy, with emotional, teary eyes. I could imagine that probably for the first time, or perhaps the only time, some of them could walk, stand, and move again underwater without a wheelchair, feeling alive again. Seeing a courageous Scubility diver overcoming all challenges and obstacles to make it possible definitely inspires me to organize more events like this.

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“Scuba Diving for All” Event

The biggest local Scubility program, named “Scuba Diving for All,” was organized in Khao Lak, Phang-nga Province, south of Thailand, from October 30 to November 5, 2018. We invited international Scubility participant divers for this event. Leading up to this program, we put in lots of effort, preparing hotels and resorts in a friendly design, making sure of choosing good dive sites, and above all, to bring a smile to our precious Scubility students.

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I hope that this endeavor will serve as an inspiration for people worldwide to achieve what may seem impossible, while also raising awareness about the importance of charity and kindness in our society. I look forward to welcoming you soon to our joyful underwater realm.

As an SDI TDI & Scubility IT, Dan Phutthakhun Prungkananon, owner of All Star Diving Academy located in Thailand, has a deep-rooted passion for ensuring safety and fun in the water. Keep up with Dan and the All Star Diving Academy via Instagram  or Facebook and by checking out their Dive Center Facebook.

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