What's your hand signal for decompression?

  • Pinky finger

  • Hawaiian hang loose

  • Either

  • Deco?.. You mean Home Depot?


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I think in some cases folks confuse a relaxed hand showing a deco pinky as a "hang loose". They can look similar to people not used to the "shaka"
A shaka has to shake.....otherwise it is just a crappy pinky signal.
I think if someone gave me a non-shaking shaka during a dive, I would respond with a question (crooked first finger) and a deco sign (pinky extended upward from a fist). If that didn't work I would point to my computer and then point at them and then show the question-sign.
 
This thread has generated another question. Deco is suppose to be planned, this thread indicates to me the hand signal was/is used for unintended deco, not good IMO.

In some types of training, when we reach a planned deco stop, we give the pinky and then the "one minute" sign, and the signs are expected to be returned from the rest of the team. For example, an ok sign would not be the expected sign as confirmation of deco. Similarly to a thumb sign where the required response is a thumb. For an ok sign, an ok sign or something's wrong is expected back. That way it's a clear signal that everyone's on the same page, doing the same dive.

So it's not necessarily unplanned deco. It's an extension of communication and feedback and confirmation of the dive plan.
 
It’s not as widespread as the media would like us to believe. I have four dive buddies that are black and we give each other the OK signal all the time.

IMO that is more often true than false.
 
So it's not necessarily unplanned deco. It's an extension of communication and feedback and confirmation of the dive plan.

When I did deco it was only me and a buddy, I'd just showed him my slate with the plan on it and point to the relevant part. Since I stopped deco diving before there were classes for it I never learned the shaking pinky sign.
 
Interesting looking at the feedback.

It has only now occurred to me that I was never really taught a deco' signal as such. Not with TDI, IANTD, or any of the other tech agencies I did courses with. But my training with these organisations was way back in time.
The interesting thing is that apart from my initial qualification (PADI OW), I have always been involved in dives that may, or may not involve decompression.
The only hard rules for No Stop Dives, are Ocean Divers and trainees. Also, anyone that states they don't want to do any compulsory decompression. As a general rule, the amount of decompression we do is dictated by my buddy, and the dive being done.
Point of interest, all dives I do with those qualified at Ocean Diver, I run the dive and ascent as if we had compulsory stops anyway. i.e. controlled ascents, stop (safety stop), then 1m stops to the surface from 3m. Even if they struggle with the buoyancy control, they get it into their mind that control on ascent is important, and there is an expectation that they should be able to stop at any depth for as long as required at any time during the ascent.

On the actual signals used, I guess I use a variety, dependent on who I'm diving with. An interesting observation, is that I don't do as many dives now that require me to do compulsory decompression. Mainly because I generally am on CCR, and my buddies are generally on OC. So I generally can follow rather than lead on the decompression. Similarly, MOD is generally dictated by my buddies, rather than me. Other than I would prefer to have a squirt of Helium if we are dropping below 40m. As a rule, dives beyond 40m are pre-planned, so I have the right gas (both DIL and bailout), before I leave home.

My signals vary.
Generally, I believe the signal I use is the Hawaiian.
So that would be an Up, Hawaiian, then depth.
The other is a two handed signal, up, with the thumb, in contact with a flat palm from the second hand. Followed with the depth.
A variation of the second with one hand is up, followed by stop, followed by depth.

Someone commented on not liking the OK signal, or at least frequent OK's.
I used to dive with a buddy who would give one distinct nod when you looked at him, or if you signalled OK. Interestingly, if your OK was a proper question, rather than a check he was cool on the dive, he would signal OK (I wonder if that makes sense). Really chilled guy to dive with.
 
Since I stopped deco diving before there were classes for it I never learned the shaking pinky sign
Were you trained in the 40s? Deco training has been around a long time. And the pinky does not shake....
 
I've never been really near deco, especially the last few years with mostly 30' dives. To be honest, I'd never heard of a signal for it--now I have thanks to SB. You'd think it should be included in OW course (or at least in Deep, Wreck, AOW, etc.)--anyone regardless of experience may have to signal the need for deco.
 
Were you trained in the 40s? Deco training has been around a long time. And the pinky does not shake....

Maybe in some places not around here until the late 80's

Almost all my air only deco diving was done in the 70's. There were 2 maybe 3 LDS within 100 miles of where I lived, none offered anything called tech training until the mid - late 80's. By that time the divers I knew with boats had all quit diving or sold their boats. Charters where still in the embryonic stage here also, sometimes when fishing was slow a fishermen could be paid to take a group of divers to the U853 or the USS Bass. Some of the closer wrecks they'd drop us off go fishing and come back 2 hours later to pick us up.
With no need for deco diving and not a lot of funds I never opted for tech training when it was available around here.
 
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