Common Signals in Tech?

[AndyNZ]

I guess for me, light signals are the primary signal... with hand signals to explain further/add detail.

Light signals much as you described, wiggling light back and forward = "I want you"... frantic back and forwards "I need you". with the big O being OK.

As much as anything else, we tend to just pass the light across each others beam now and again as friendly reminder of where we are and that we are ok.

Hand signals:

Thumb: This dive is over, ascend straight up
Thumb + pointing forefinger: This dive is over, but we'll go back to the line
Pinching thumb and forefinger: Bubbles
Raised little finger: Deco
Crooked over forefinger: Question (e.g. Crooked over forefinger, followed by raised little finger.... Question, What is your deco status?)

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

Light signals are used here for night dives only, since the normal visibility is 20m+ (66 ft+). Circle is OK while back and forth indicates a problem (not necessarily OOA).

 

[ae3753]

Here's my list of hand signals for technical divers (and non technical divers).

Eventually, I'll get around adding light signals. The active commands are what everyone wrote above, but I think that there needs to be more discussion on passive light communication. It can be really powerful when everyone knows and uses lights passively. Or it can be frustration when passive lights are not being used to communicate position and state.

 

[Ben_ca]

We had discussed signals prior to diving but it became obvious that one signal I used didn't mean anything to her -- a rapid back & forth of my light for OOA. When she signaled me that she was OOA, she "slashed her throat" back and forth. (As she used the hand with her 21 W HID, all I saw was a bright light -- her first time using a can light!)

....back and forth? or do you mean side to side?

 

[Peter Guy]

Ben -- "back and forth" is meant as side-to-side (horizontal). My buddy did the "slash the throat" movement with her light (right) hand which is really why I started the thread -- not as a question of/for her (we discussed it and she agreed "my way" was better) -- just a question of whether there WAS a "standard" for light signals.

 

[Ben_ca]

gotcha...

 

[AndyNZ]

Eventually, I'll get around adding light signals. The active commands are what everyone wrote above, but I think that there needs to be more discussion on passive light communication. It can be really powerful when everyone knows and uses lights passively. Or it can be frustration when passive lights are not being used to communicate position and state.

Totally, I've never thought of it as passive communication... but just using your light as a reassurance and reminder that you are there is very powerful.

I notice it most when it's not there, diving with someone new who darts their light around from place to place is really frustrating, when you are used to someone who gently passes it across your field of view now and again.



In terms of hand signals, I found these a while back, some align with what we use and some don't.

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

Andy,
The "Hold" or "Wait" signal in the second image looks like the 50 bars signal.

 

[rjack321]

Ben -- "back and forth" is meant as side-to-side (horizontal). My buddy did the "slash the throat" movement with her light (right) hand which is really why I started the thread -- not as a question of/for her (we discussed it and she agreed "my way" was better) -- just a question of whether there WAS a "standard" for light signals.

what kind of light did she have?

lighthead in the same hand that's doing the throat slashing?

 

[AndyNZ]

The "Hold" or "Wait" signal in the second image looks like the 50 bars signal.

Indeed - but the 50 bar signal isn't universal, it's mostly prevalent in Europe. The first time I saw it was when I asked a diver how much air... and they responded with that, which I interpreted as zero!

I tend to use specific numbers for gas, pinching this diagram from Don's page:

They are non-ambiguous, whereas "50 bar" is an odd signal.... I tend to use a non-specific signal for "I have reached my turn pressure".

Stop, or hold, I tend to use flat palm, fingers up (just like a traffic cop).