Hand Signal Communication Training

[bradStyle]

Hello all,

It occurs to me that I've never seen, or heard discussed, any formalized training for underwater hand signal communication. I know that some guides and instructors are much better at it than others, and I've even met guides who can seemingly transmit complete sentences directly into my cerebral cortex though a combination of hand signals, gestures, and timing. It is an art form, those who do it well.

So why isn't there any formalized training?

I'd love to get better at it, and I do work at it, and I have improved over time, but just as you can get somewhere faster with expert coaching than self-learning in many cases, it would be great to see people teaching this. I figured it would be a no-brainer for a YouTube channel, but if it already is, I haven't been able to find it.

Any thoughts, or can anyone point me in the direction where this is already happening?

Thanks!

 

[Doc]

Kind of

American Sign Language - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

I have seen this u/w between a daughter and her two deaf parrnts.

 

[steinbil]

There are some really good resources for this on GUE TV, but you have to pay for access. There is a 3 day trial if you want to check it out: Underwater communication collection

Outside that, here are some of the best advice I've been given:

1. First: get attention. Don't start making signs before the recipient is ready to listen.
2. Go slow. Slower than you think. Seriously. And then a bit slower. Both in terms of speed of movement and sequence of signs.
3. Less is more: don't try to say complicated things, stick to simple unambiguous signs:
   • LOOK THERE
   • YOU GAS (how much gas do you have left?)
   • ME SMB
   • ? YOU COLD
   • LIGHT BROKEN
   • YOU LOOK BUBBLES
   • STOP! ENTANGLEMENT
   • ASCEND 12(m)
   • SAFETY STOP
4. Repeat signs to show understanding/avoid misunderstandings
   • Buddy says: YOU SMB, I reply: ME SMB
   • Buddy says: ASCEND 6(m), I reply: ASCEND 6
5. Always respond to command signs: THUMB, STOP, OK
6. Don't abuse the OK sign. Don't end every sign with OK - make your signs and wait for a response/acknowledgement. Don't respond with OK unless it is the best answer - often it is better to just reply or repeat. And don't ask somebody if they're ok every 5 minutes unless they act weird.

​

​

Oh, and here's a pet peeve of mine: Don't flourish your signs. I've seen a lot of videos on Youtube of instructors doing all kinds of unnecessary movements to demonstrate a skill. It looks ridiculous, and is completely unnecessary. I can't tell if it's worse when demonstrating skills or in general communication. Either way, keep it simple.

 

[rjack321]

https://members.caves.org/store/viewproduct.aspx?id=11306031

 

[tursiops]

https://seasigns.org/

SeaSigns | Honolulu HI

SeaSigns, Honolulu. Gefällt 257 Mal. SeaSigns, LLC. is recognized as the leader of underwater signing. To find out more about our underwa

www.facebook.com

 

[Pressurehead]

I have seen this u/w between a daughter and her two deaf parrnts.

Same, a family doing Auslan [Auslan is the sign language used by the majority of the Australian Deaf community].
Could not 'shut them up', you know what I mean, struggled to get their attention during their first OW dives.

 

[TMHeimer]

To be honest, I always had a little trouble figuring out some of the signals instructors gave me. The two finger "look at me" signal was obvious of course. But after that it seemed different instructors signaled differently. I suppose it was just me. No need to signal on my solo dives.

 

[Pressurehead]

There is a 'Shed load' of YouTube videos on this subject.
Here is one of 10 that came up on a Youtube search:

 

[bradStyle]

There is a 'Shed load' of YouTube videos on this subject.
Here is one of 10 that came up on a Youtube search:

This is a good one, thanks.

It does make me aware that perhaps I don't quite know how to put into words what I'm looking for. The vocabulary is not the problem, and there weren't any signals in that video that were new to me. The instructor in the video also was very clear with physically delivering the signals and had perfect timing. I have to remind myself to go slower when giving signals underwater, that they are understood better that way. Perhaps I'm signing at the same speed I'm used to talking, I don't know. Anyway, I am looking for instruction in better delivering the signals that I already know.

It's easy to ask a simple question and get a simple answer. I'm wanting to get better at having more complex conversations, and sometimes situations arise where there isn't a gesture for something. I know a slate is a possible workaround, but again, having dove in the past with guides who were incredibly conversational underwater, I want to develop such skills myself.

Appreciate the input.

 

[bradStyle]

There are some really good resources for this on GUE TV, but you have to pay for access. There is a 3 day trial if you want to check it out: Underwater communication collection

Outside that, here are some of the best advice I've been given:

1. First: get attention. Don't start making signs before the recipient is ready to listen.
2. Go slow. Slower than you think. Seriously. And then a bit slower. Both in terms of speed of movement and sequence of signs.
3. Less is more: don't try to say complicated things, stick to simple unambiguous signs:
   • LOOK THERE
   • YOU GAS (how much gas do you have left?)
   • ME SMB
   • ? YOU COLD
   • LIGHT BROKEN
   • YOU LOOK BUBBLES
   • STOP! ENTANGLEMENT
   • ASCEND 12(m)
   • SAFETY STOP
4. Repeat signs to show understanding/avoid misunderstandings
   • Buddy says: YOU SMB, I reply: ME SMB
   • Buddy says: ASCEND 6(m), I reply: ASCEND 6
5. Always respond to command signs: THUMB, STOP, OK
6. Don't abuse the OK sign. Don't end every sign with OK - make your signs and wait for a response/acknowledgement. Don't respond with OK unless it is the best answer - often it is better to just reply or repeat. And don't ask somebody if they're ok every 5 minutes unless they act weird.

​

​

Oh, and here's a pet peeve of mine: Don't flourish your signs. I've seen a lot of videos on Youtube of instructors doing all kinds of unnecessary movements to demonstrate a skill. It looks ridiculous, and is completely unnecessary. I can't tell if it's worse when demonstrating skills or in general communication. Either way, keep it simple.

Thanks, the go slow, slower, slowest is something I'm working on.