Hand signals, underwater communication.

[GROBIOG]

Cave Diving (and technical wreck) tends to have the most comprehensive 'standard' signalling language. Search the internet and/or off-line research will provide many useful signs and signals that you can incorporate into recreational diving...

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One of the best references I've seen is "Cave Diving Communciations" by Joe Prosser and H.V.Grey (NSS-CDS). The link (before) goes to a pdf copy online

The gesture/sign for "tank/cylinder" on page 21 is open to some heavy misinterpretation though... especially if diving with a British diver! LOL

That's more like it, thanks.

 

[DevonDiver]

When he got back to the boat he goes "What do you mean? You mean to ask if im wanking or are you calling me a wanker!?"

In case of the former, it would be preceded by this sign:



For the later, it might go something like this....

 

[DevonDiver]

My 100th SM dive is coming up though, and I might just have to carry on this tradition in the 85* water here.

I didn't know the tradition extended into each specific diving area. Thankfully, I've well exceeded 100 technical-wreck dives now... :shocked2:

 

[JamesK]

I didn't know the tradition extended into each specific diving area. Thankfully, I've well exceeded 100 technical-wreck dives now... :shocked2:

I don't think it does, but hey, no way in hell was I going to do it on a cave dive in what I consider cold water! lol...... So why not try it here?!?! Although I think my 100th SM dive will actually come when I am doing video for the SUDS group coming down. I don't think they want to see that! LOL.

 

[Searcaigh]

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What could the problem possibly be?? Ha Ha Ha Ha........

This signal is frequently used by myself and other divers to describe a specific type of diver

 

[DevonDiver]

A diver with a spare air cylinder? (hence the 1' direction for the signal)? LMAO

 

[Tigerman]

A diver with a spare air cylinder? (hence the 1' direction for the signal)? LMAO

Nono, that would be expressed with "you", "small", "tank"

 

[yarik83]

I tell you what folks... hand signals and knowledge of there of are crucial.

Location: Blue Grotto
Here I am video taping students taking their scuba lessons. They go up, I stay there, they go down, I continue filming. They go up again and want me to go up with them. I am doing my safety stop so showing them the "T" just like I was taught. They gave me the "I have no idea what you are trying to tell me" look. I then proceed to show 3 fingers, point at the dive computer then at my wrist then show a "T" again. They had no idea. I whip out my computer and flip it and it clearly says "STOP" and it counts down. They had no idea still... At the surface they told me that the signal they were taught was putting a fist to the chest across heart to show a safety stop?!

Location: Blue Grotto. I am at the bottom at 80 some feet with shop owner's adult son. I have 1200 psi which will last me for 5-10 minutes till I get to 1000 where I want to go up and do my safety stop. I signal him by pointing on my wrist and showing him 5 fingers implying that I want to go up in 5 mins. 5 mins later I signal him again showing to my wrist then showing 1 finger and 3 "O' explaining what I have left in my tank and then point to myself and do the finger swim thing along with a flat wrist gliding upwards. He had no idea and indicated that he was confused. I whip out my console and show to him. He nods and we go up slowly. I switched to my pony to test it out (maiden voyage) as we were going up. At the surface he told me he had no idea because to him pointing at the wrist implied that I had half of my tank left.

Moral of the story is that even after 5 years I still have to remind myself that everyone was taught differently and that similar signals mean different things to different people.

Going forward I will always remind people I dive with about signals that worth for both of us. I may have become a little too complacent.

 

[arthurmnev]

I happen to like this video

[video=youtube;23ZRSiQKx2w]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23ZRSiQKx2w[/video]

Somehow signals for the video get lost in her attire

 

[Danielle's_Dives]

hubby and I have all sorts of hand signals we have just came up with. We know what we are doing when diving together which is almost always. I don't know if they have been used before, they make sense to me
Hand signals
C for sea
L for land
2 fingers walking pointing down - you lead, I follow
2 fingers in v by forehead for lobster
making circle with one finger, lets have a look around here
shark fin symbol on forehead followed by a circle (halo) drawn around head for angel shark
holding a baby in arms swinging for nurse shark
snake motion with hand for eel

I once mistook his sharkfin for a big blacktip as to me, go up. He kept doing it, I kept going up. Which we all know isn't good. he finally grabbed my fin and pulled me down to bottom.
Not having many different dive buddies, I think I would discuss on the boat what they use so I know.