Naval slang term "pond life" for civilian sport divers?

[Anthony Appleyard]

(I am in England.) A few years ago I read somewhere about a naval slang term "pond life" used to mean civilian sport divers. Have any of you heard of that expression? If so, how widely and where is it used? Google search found nothing much.

 

[NYCNaiad]

I thought "pond life" in England = scum as in dirty, nasty people. (I used to spend a lot of time with people from the UK.) I haven't heard that term in regards to rec divers, but I'm not in the Navy or the UK for that matter.

I did a quick search as well and found a story and an article mentioning pond life=divers, but there's no citation. You probably saw this as well.

It'll be interesting to see if anyone else has heard this in relation to divers.

 

[The Chairman]

I've heard the term "pond scum" used, but never in reference to divers.

 

[NAM001]

pond is used in many applications when referring to many things like coast guard and being puddle pirates which need to spend time on the big pond. The big pond is where you are out of reach of mommy's apron strings. Its where the real men go. Big boys or men use the big pond. pond being the only analogy non-men can understand. Again with coast guard it is inferred that they don't go any further from shore that they cant swim or row a boat back to. pond puppies and pond life in general can go home each night to a cushy life that the boys on the seas cant do. Ponds are also equated to as home to simple lie forms that are pre land creatures. Mostly its ritual of harassing. Same goes for jarheads screwing on their hats. I supposed it would be like calling divers daylight divers when they don't do caves, inferring daylight divers are not real divers. During my time in the service I heard nearly daily to get some time on the big pond if I want to talk to someone. Meaning spend some time learning and actually doing your job before offering your opinion of how I do mine.

 

[Anthony Appleyard]

Given the term "frogman", I thought that that use of "pond life" meant naval men comparing civilian sport divers to frogs in a pond (whether fairly or not).

 

[CuzzA]

When I hear the term "frogmen" I immediately think U.S. Navy Seal, but essentially it's a term for any tactical diver.

When I hear pond, pond life, or the BIG pond, depending on the context I think of operating in any body of water. Pond often being used in a "humorous diminutive" way to describe the big ocean. No different than when we often say, "The other side of the pond" when talking about the Atlantic.

In the context you likely heard the term "pond life" it was likely just a play on words. Living/working in/on the water. Perhaps where you read that the author was just using pond to make a comparison to the big deep ocean. But I've never heard pond life to describe sport divers.

And to confuse things even more, there are those of us who also celebrate living the "Swamp Life".

^ Sorry, couldn't resist.

Frogman - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A frogman is someone who is trained in scuba diving or swimming underwater in a tactical capacity that includes combat. Such personnel are also known by the more formal names of combat diver, combatant diver, or combat swimmer.

In the U.S. military and intelligence community, divers trained in scuba or CCUBA who deploy for tactical assault missions are called "combat divers". This term is used to refer to the Navy SEALs, operatives of the CIA's Special Activities Division, elements of Marine Recon, Army Ranger Regimental Reconnaissance Company members, Army Special Forces divers, Air Force Pararescue, Air Force Combat Controllers, U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue Swimmers, United States Naval Search and Rescue Swimmers, United States Air Force Special Operations Weather Technicians, and the Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal(EOD) units. In Britain, police divers have often been called "police frogmen".

 

[Anthony Appleyard]

Sometimes civilians use the word "frogman" loosely to mean any swimming diver.

 

[CuzzA]

Sometimes civilians use the word "frogman" loosely to mean any swimming diver.

I suppose. I've never heard or used that term to describe a civilian diver/swimmer. I do recall my wife describing my 3 year old as a little frog when he swims... and when he exits the shower he insists on exiting on all fours, hopping and saying, "ribbit".