Advanced Signaling System - animals and difficult words

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Sbiriguda

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The signaling system is pretty standard, though I found some slight differences in different countries. "I have 120 bars" "I'm cold" "Let's go up" and so on
Still, I saw sometimes odd and exotic signals for e.g. "I saw a Peltodoris Atromaculata" ("sea cow" a nudibranch common in the Mediterranean) or, the best ever, "I saw St Peter's fish" (making the sign of the cross like in catholic churches).
Is there some kind of comprehensive dictionary of all the signals, including the rare and uncommon ones for very specific animals and actions?
 
No. The unusual stuff is either local or agreed on in advance by buddies or the group.

I suggest a slate. I guess you could learn one of the sign language alphabets. Or just scream the word through your reg :)
 
No. The unusual stuff is either local or agreed on in advance by buddies or the group.

I suggest a slate. I guess you could learn one of the sign language alphabets. Or just scream the word through your reg :)

I prefer to scream on the inside.
 
Here's a nice list with mini-vid demonstrations for 23 aquatic creatures. Scuba Diving Hand Signals for Identifying Marine Life

They are missing my favorite hand signal, which I've yet to actually see underwater: hammerhead shark
hammerhead-signal_sm.jpg
 
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Joking aside, I still remember my first diving vacation. One of the other divers swam around with her arms crossed across her chest. To me, crossing your forearms across your chest means "I'm freezing!". Which usually means that we're thumbing the dive.

Turned out she had just been taught that that was the way to hold your hands to avoid flailing. Took me a couple of interactions to understand that she was quite ok.
 

I talk about this one on the boat with new divers on the way out during the initial briefs when the DMs are talking signals, gets them laughing. Classic concerned looks until they figure out its a joke.
 
We always just agree prior to a dive.
For example, if it's a group dive with a guide, the guide will go over signs he/she will use for specific cool things, emergency, gas, etc.
When my brother used to dive, we could carry on whole conversations underwater using signs without actually discussing them on the surface at any point, simply because we grew up super close and had all the same inside jokes and references. He doesn't dive now, but my regular buddy(spouse) and I have been developing our own signs naturally without really discussing them in advance (beyond the emergency ones and whatever we are using with the group).

Learning an actual sign language, like ASL, would be extremely useful in general but may be more limited when diving simply because you can't expect other divers and instabuddies to know what your signs and gestures mean.
 
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