Can You Pass a Scuba Diving Certification Quiz?

By: Torrance Grey
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
Can You Pass a Scuba Diving Certification Quiz?
Image: Ken Kiefer 2/Cultura/Getty Images

About This Quiz

Scuba diving: Among those who do it, it's more than a sport, it's a way of life. For the uninitiated, it's fascinating, and more than a little scary. Which is as it should be -- scuba diving is considered an extreme sport, and it does cause about 13 deaths per 100,000 divers. And yet, this fatality rate is on par with jogging. So is scuba truly dangerous? Or just misunderstood?

A few facts about scuba: Technically, it should be written SCUBA, as it's an acronym for Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. However, few people actually use the capitals, just like few people remember that the word "SCUBA" doesn't refer primarily to a form of diving, but to the equipment itself. The gear that a diver takes down is called a "scuba set," and its primary components are the tank of compressed air, the hoses and the mouthpiece through which the diver breathes. 

There's a good bit to learn about scuba, even for simple recreational divers. (Examples of non-recreational divers include military "frogmen," underwater photographers and salvage operators). That's why divers have to be certified ... which brings us to our quiz! Whether you've already been diving, or whether it remains a persistent daydream for you, we're here to test your knowledge on all things scuba. Think you're ready to take the plunge? Try our quiz now!

A standard way to prevent decompression sickness is __________.
decompression stops (gradual ascent)
high-speed ascent
megadosing with Vitamin D
adding methane to the breathing gas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This is one of the few things non-divers know about scuba: to prevent the "bends," make several stops on the ascent. And although people expect Vitamin D to help with *everything* nowadays, it's not a decompression-sickness preventive.

The tendency of a liquid to push a lighter object to the surface is called _____.
buoyancy
compression
decompression
torque
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Buoyancy is an easy concept for non-divers to grasp. We see it in swimming pools and bathtubs and so on. However, in scuba diving, buoyancy and its management becomes a much more complicated subject.

When you've reached your desired depth, you want to have ...
negative buoyancy
neutral buoyancy
positive buoyancy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Neutral buoyancy, as you'd imagine, means you're neither being pulled up nor down. This allows more energy to be devoted to locomotion and exploration.

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Which of these is a "confined water" environment?
a bay
a river
offshore shallows
a swimming pool or tank
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

You'll start your training in a "confined water" situation. Learning the basics in a swimming pool obviously lessens the risks.

The cylinder is another name for a diver's _____.
pressure gauge
light
rebreather
tank
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A cylinder or tank carries a diver's supply of compressed air. The compression allows a diver to stay under longer -- a normal volume of air wouldn't last very long.

What are "the bends"?
a slang term for diver's fins
kinks in an air-delivery hose
symptoms of decompression sickness
tight turns in underwater caves
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The joint pain caused by decompression sickness is termed "the bends." This happens when a diver comes up from depth too quickly, and can have worse effects.

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What is the opposite of "confined water"?
sea water
moving water
open water
international waters
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A sea is an example of open water. However, it's far from the only kind. Open water includes lakes, rivers, ponds, et cetera -- anything not small and manmade. (Note: A manmade lake would also count as "open water," as manmade lakes are too large to be considered controlled environments).

Which of these might you use only when swimming close to the surface?
fins
a pressure guage
a mask
a snorkel
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A snorkel is a short tube allowing the diver to breathe surface air. It's like a simplified version of surface-supplied air system.

What does the "A" in "SCUBA" stand for?
Air
Apparatus
Autonomous
Automatic
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you're being a perfectionist, the word SCUBA should be in all-caps. It stands for "Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus." In this quiz, we'll be lowercasing the word, which is how most divers (and others) write it.

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True or false: Some divers carry tanks that are filled with gas mixtures other than compressed air.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Gas mixtures" makes it sound very different from air, but bear in mind that air itself is a mixture of gases. Here, we're talking about air that is enriched with other elements, which are beneficial to the diver.

Most recreational divers use a set that let them breathe through the ...
nose and mouth
nose only
mouth only
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In recreational scuba, among other forms, divers breathe air from their tank only through their mouths. Those making challenging dives -- military divers, for example -- will use a nose-and-mouth setup.

Your diver certification card will also be called a "______."
C-card
log card
aquapass
carte du mer
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The diver certification card is casually known as a "C-card." The "C" is (unsurprisingly) for "certification."

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True or false: Scuba is the only kind of diving that allows extended time underwater.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There is also "surface supply" diving. In this mode, a long tube provides air from the surface. You might have seen this in illustrations of 19th-century diving. Scuba is a 20th-century innovation.

Will you be expected to prove medical fitness to dive?
yes
no
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In fact, you'll probably be asked to at least attest to your medical fitness before you can begin scuba training. This isn't an intensive process -- it essentially means you'll sign a form saying you do not have certain disqualifying medical conditions. Later, if you want to be a professional diver or dive instructor, an actual exam will be performed.

Which of these life experiences is most likely to lead to a successful diving career?
earning a master's or PhD
military service
parenthood
performing in improv theater
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While all these experiences are valuable in their own ways, military service has been shown to make for clearheaded, competent divers. Obviously, in emergency situations you do have to improvise, but it's not the kind of improv one does on a stage!

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Which of these gives a diver extra buoyancy?
air trapped in their regulator
their body fat
the neoprene of their wet suit
both #2 and #3
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The "foamed" neoprene used in wetsuits (as opposed to standard neoprene) is very buoyant. So is body fat -- both of these will influence a diver's attempts to achieve negative or neutral buoyancy.

Which of these is the biggest threat to safety in the underwater environment?
decompression sickness
exposure
panic
sharks
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There are many risks involved in diving, which some people classify as an extreme sport. However, most risks are avoidable or escapable with a cool head. Panic is the greatest threat to a safe return to surface.

If you are certified as a recreational diver, you are able, at minimum, to do what?
dive alone
assist a dive buddy in trouble
handle yourself and your equipment in open water
dive in caves
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This is the minimum standard to be a diver. It's also referred to as "being able to dive unsupervised," which does NOT mean alone! It means without an instructor.

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True or false: There is such a thing as oxygen toxicity.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Oxygen: We talk about it like it's completely benign, but it truly is a mixed blessing! Pure oxygen is highly explosive. It also causes oxidative damage to substances from metal to apples (that's why apples brown when exposed to air). And for divers, too high a concentration of oxygen in their air supply can cause nervous-system damage and cell death. Yikes!

Everyone's heard of the wetsuit. Is there such a thing as a "dry suit"?
yes
no
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Wetsuits are so named because they allow a layer of water to enter the suit; the water absorbs body heat and actually helps keep the diver warm. A "dry suit" does not, providing greater protection in truly frigid waters. Dry suits are expensive and less frequently used than wetsuits.

Which of these is NOT a breathing-gas mix for diving?
Heliox
Heliair
Marmite
Nitrox
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you knew this one, it was IMMEDIATELY obvious! "Marmite" is a British sandwich spread, like "Vegemite" in Australia.

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If you are pregnant, should you postpone your certification?
no
yes
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There is evidence that scuba diving poses a risk to the fetus. When can you return to diving? Medically, about four weeks after giving birth is the rule of thumb -- but the sleep deprivation typical of new parents is probably too great a risk to one's judgment!

The mouthpiece of a scuba set is called what?
It's just called a mouthpiece.
a mask
a notch
a regulator
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The mouthpiece has this name because it regulates the pressure of the air in the tank. It also delivers the air to the diver.

How much of a diver's compressed-air tank is oxygen?
21 percent
50 percent
78 percent
all of it is oxygen
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This is one of the first things that new divers learn: Oxygen is actually a minority component of air. Earth's atmosphere is about 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, and 1 percent other gases.

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Which of these is NOT an element of "trimix"?
barium
helium
oxygen
nitrogen
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Trimix" is a helium, nitrogen and oxygen mix for diving. Barium is a metal, often used as a contrast agent in medical imaging.

Which of these qualifies as "technical diving"?
diving in icy water
diving below 50 meters
exploring a confined space like a shipwreck
any of these might qualify
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Technical diving" is the name for diving that is more than just recreational scuba diving, but isn't professional in purpose (e.g. salvage work). There's no real definition for technical diving, but any of the above complications might qualify.

A rebreather is part of what scuba setup?
closed-circuit
open-circuit
both
neither
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Rebreathers are used in closed-circuit setups, so named because they do not release waste gases (exhalations) into the water. Instead, they recycle exhaled air for partial re-use by the diver. (We say partial because some carbon dioxide must be ejected, as too much is unhealthy).

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What is NAUI?
an association of diving instructors
a type of self-rescue rebreather
a Hawaiian island
none of these
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The National Association of Underwater Instructors is one of the major organizations that certifies divers. It's likely that when you take your test, you'll be expected to live up to standards that, at least in part, NAUI has set.

Which of these is an advantage of a closed-circuit system?
It releases fewer or no bubbles.
It extends time spent underwater.
It allows a diver to carry a smaller or lighter tank.
all of these
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

As mentioned in another question, rebreather systems don't create bubbles, which is an advantage to stealth divers, or underwater photographers who don't want to disturb the environment. However, rebreather systems can also lengthen the time a diver can spend underwater, or let them carry a lighter tank (usually not both at once, as these goals work against each other).

"BC" usually stands for what?
before certification
beyond certification
buoyancy compensator
buoyancy classification
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"BC" is the short form of "buoyancy compensator." It can be any of many pieces of equipment with an air bladder. The air within can be adjusted to help the diver ascend, descend, or stay at depth.

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What is the advantage of having helium in a breathing-gas mixture?
It is cheaper to buy.
It compresses more tightly in the cylinder.
It offsets negative effects of nitrogen on the body and brain.
It aids buoyancy.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There's such a thing as "nitrogen narcosis," or a feeling of drunkenness and lethargy caused by nitrogen inhalation. This can also lead to bad judgment during a dive. Replacing some of the nitrogen with helium helps.

Which of these symptoms of decompression sickness is fairly rare?
joint pain
lung symptoms, e.g. shortness of breath
skin itching
tiredness
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It is rare for decompression sickness to be so intensive that it affects the lungs. The frequency has decreased in recent decades with improvements in the way breathing gases are used in a dive.

Which of these is a disqualifying medical condition?
asthma
epilepsy
history of stroke or aneurysm
all of these
just #2 and #3
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Surprised? Asthma was once considered disqualifying, but standards are different today, and asthmatics have proven they can successfully dive. However, the brain conditions listed above are still disqualifiers.

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What is the main reason for attacks by aquatic animals?
They are afraid of you
They've mistaken you for food
It's a mating display intended for females
They're evil, duh.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Most of the time, if an animal stings or bites you, it's because you have intruded in their environment, and they are frightened. Remember, you're in their home ... so proceed with caution and respect!

Which of these is an immediate disqualifier for being a scuba diver?
having blood pressure over 180/100
having 20/100 or worse uncorrected vision
being afraid of enclosed spaces
not being able to swim
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you can't swim, there's not a lot a scuba instructor can do for you!

You Got:
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