Hand signals for tank pressure

[countryboy]

LOL. I see Countryboy and I are on the same page.

Joe

Yes, the thumbs up is a statement.... NOT a question..

 

[Spratman]

The 5-5-5 method I learned up north. When I was certified in Mexico, it was thousands being the fingers being on the forearm and hundreds fingers up. The first time I did that the guy I was diving with had no idea what I was telling him.

I prefer the one hand method of Rick's. But when in Rome.....I need to think about this since I'm going to Florida next week.

 

[limeyx]

what would that be for 2700 then?

Gotta admit I like Rick's method, but I have yet to meet anyone who has ever discussed using it with me. Rick, is this idea from a certain training agency? Or is it from your gang-bangin' days when you were flashing numbers from street corners in the 'hood?

We've been using the two hand method for the first two numbers, indicating thousands and hundreds, without adding on the zeroes at the end. This isn't a recommendation of our undiscussed method, I'm just saying a good number of us use it from what I can tell.

I use exactly the same technique, as do many divers I dive with for communicating anything numeric.

However, it's extremely rare that we need to communicate pressure. Think about what signaling your pressure really means. When I dive, I need to know

1) The Pressure I need to turn the dive on
2) The lowest pressure I can have before I absolutely have to ascend.

(1) is based on the kind of dive we are doing, my SAC rate and the tanks/fill I have
My SAC and tanks may well be different than my buddys, so what does him telling you "I have 1200 psi in a Steel 100 tank" tell you when you have 800 psi in an AL80?

Answer: (In my opinion): Not much.
We try to keep it really simple. If you need to know how much pressure your buddy has -- do you really trust them as a buddy?

However, it is useful after the dive to compare volume of gas used, so you get an understanding of your gas consumption compared to your buddy for planning future dives.

 

[limeyx]

Yes, the thumbs up is a statement.... NOT a question..

but you still need to wait for a response before ascending

 

[ontario-diver]

What about us cold water divers who wear 7mm gloves with only thumb and index finger separate and the other 3 fingers together.

 

[Scuba_Steve]

Same as Rick and NetDoc.

I posted this a while ago.

http://www.scubaboard.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=29396&d=1140441771

Definately the way to go.

O-D:

Buy a dry suit with dry gloves, stay warm and signal appropriately

 

[Sideband]

but you still need to wait for a response before ascending

Ah, but you are not waiting on them to reply as you would be answering their request to ascend. You ask for a pressure, they give the thumb, you reply with a thumb and begin the ascent. Of course there is the probability that they won't begin to ascend and will just look at you strange at which point you will stop and grab their guage. So again, if the intent is to signal, "I have over 1500psi and am OK", then why not use the signal thats only purpose is to indicate "OK"?
To me, giving the thumb to show you have enough air is the same as signaling Out Of Air while shaking your head "no" and intending to convey the message that you are not out of air.

Joe

 

[Shaka Doug]

I teach my divers to stay close enough to read the "Whites of their gauges". This eliminates any mis-communicated hand signals. I can't tell you how many times a diver has given me a "thumbs up" when they really mean "OK" or "Good". It happens all the time, even after a briefing discussing what the "thumbs up" signal really means!

On top of that, some divers can't seem to add when they get underwater. I've seen both sides get confused when divers try to give lots of five finger then two or three or four finger flashes. Like it was said before, this should be discussed prior to getting below the water to eliminate any confusion. If you find a method that works for you and your buddy (buddies), be consistent and always use it. I simply stay close enough to see the actual gauge. This provides a lot more benefit than just knowing the other guys tank pressure. It eliminates separation, anxiety, confusion and mis-communication. It improves fun and enjoyment and comfort, among other things.

 

[Rick Murchison]

is this idea from a certain training agency? Or is it from your gang-bangin' days when you were flashing numbers from street corners in the 'hood?

It's a formation flying thing (one hand on the stick, of course) for fuel state that predates diving entirely. I and many that I dive with have always used it diving as well as flying; the cave diving community (at least the part that follows the guidelines in Prosser's Cave Diving Communications) uses it. In flying we signal to the nearest 100 pounds of fuel, in diving to the nearest 100 psi. I suppose that if using Bar it would make sense to signal to the nearest Bar or 10 bar, whatever the team agrees is best suited to their needs.
The idea is to reduce the number and the complexity of signals to the lowest possible level, which helps avoid confusion and misinterpretations of signals. In the system we use, each digit is distinct and occupies one decimal place. I recommend and expect to see a wider adaptation of it in the diving community.
Rick

 

[Mambo Dave]

I recommend and expect to see a wider adaptation of it in the diving community.
Rick

Well, you've converted one. eyebrow