Missing Diver Hand Signal

[Ber Rabbit]

With this plus your "flashing 5's" method of showing leftover air, you seem to have this thing for convoluted hand signals. :mooner:

If I don't see a buddy for whatever reason, I turn to my other one (usually dive in a team of 3) and just go "question -- 3?"

We haven't even gotten into the convoluted ones I use my hands a lot when I speak on the surface and it goes underwater with me My regular dive buddies can tell the difference between when I'm talking to them and when I'm using my hands to talk to myself underwater I'm flexible in the hand signal department, like I said my long winded conversations underwater aren't for everyone but they steady my head letting me think my way through problems. That's why I like to do a hand signal review as part of the pre-dive buddy check, I find out what the other diver likes to use and run with it.

Come out and dive with me, it's entertainment if nothing else. I promise to behave with the hand signals
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[creamofwheat]

sometimes i think diving would be so much easier if we all just knew ASL

But when I help out on OW classes, I'll look around, discover someone is missing, look at the missing diver's buddy...give the "buddy up" signal and then shrug my shoulders...it's usually understood. And it's usually followed by an index finger pointing to the surface, and it's usually the one in the drysuit that has done this unwanted ascent

 

[rslatkin]

You should agree(at the surface) with your buddies what the 'where is your buddy?' hand signal is so everyone understands.

I don't remember going over that one in class, but I had no trouble understanding it during my first ocean dive when my instructor put his two index fingers together and gave me a questioning and glaring look. I had been trying to simultaneously follow my instructor (who had the dive flag), and my buddy (who liked to swim more than I do during a drift dive.)

 

[scubajcf]

With SeaSigns (An ASL derivative specifically designed for Divers), we simply ask ...

Where Buddy?
At that point, we can ask direction, depth, etc. the diver was last seen at?

Takes about 4 hours to learn. Like all skills, will get rusty if you don't use them.

I guess you could pass a slate back and forth too.


http://www.seasigns.com

 

[Thalassamania]

The problem with ASL (and by extension SeaSigns) is that many of the signs are two handed. IMHO, the basic criterion should be to make as many signs as possible one handed.

 

[Gombessa]

You can eliminate the ambiguity of hand signals if you have something to write on:

1. Pull out slate.
2. Write: "I do not see <name of missing buddy>. He was behind <you/me> <x> minutes ago, when I last checked. Did you see him/her?
3. Hand slate to buddy. Buddy writes: "I also do not see <name of missing buddy>. I last saw him <y> minutes ago when we passed by that <landmark>. I had <z> psi of gas at the time, how about you?"
4. Buddy hands slate back. I write: "Confirmed. I had <aa> psi at the time, but I started with <bb> psi so my SAC rate is not appreciably better than yours." Hand back slate.
5. "Oh good, I was worrying that I was breathing too heavily. Do you want to turn around now?"
6. Flip to blank page. "Yeah, we might as well. I am starting to feel a little cold, and I'm also quite hungry. What do you want to eat after the dive?"
7. "How about pizza? That place we went last week was pretty good."
8. "Right on. Let's grab some pizza. I'll cover you this time since <missing buddy> paid last time."
9. "Sounds good. Let's go."

 

[scubajcf]

Hi Thal,

I appreciate and respect your perspective. Thanks for the input. When it comes to diving and communication, there is no perfect solution. However, I think this thread shines a light on the fact that there are dozens of ways to communicate the same thing. In my 20+ years of diving, I have seen some pretty interesting ways to say things, as I am confident you have too. While two handed signs can be cumbersome, more than half the SeaSigns hand signals are one handed (I will have to do an exact count at some point). It is based on a commonly known and widely accepted language (This too is not perfect as there are several different types of sign language). It's easy (and fun) to learn. With all this being said, it would be too easy to find the imperfections.

I think one thing we can agree too is effective communications makes diving more enjoyable and safer. I know some people don't like to communicate underwater. That's why I used the term effective . No matter what form of communication you use, it should be agreed in advance on how buddies communicate.

Again thanks for your input!

Full Disclosure: I am the Director of International Training for SeaSigns

 

[4sak3n]

My signals are pretty similar to a number of other people's but for what it is worth I'll explain them anyway.

When I want to communicate a missing diver I make a circular motion with a single finger in a horizontal plane to indicate everyone around us. Then I hold up n-1 fingers (where n is the number of divers that should be here) to indicate everyone present. Then I hold up the n'th finger (representing the missing diver), emphasize it and shrug to indicate a question.

More often than not I get a blank stare back (*cough*cluelessinstructors*cough*) so I go through things slowly, pointing out each diver in turn and then pointing to a finger to represent them, counting upwards one by one. When I get to the n'th finger instead of pointing to a diver I shrug.

Luckily though I normally know which diver is missing because I have been keeping an eye on them all and can recognise each one individually so I can use the missing diver's buddy as reference. Either asking the buddy directly where their missing buddy is or pointing the buddy out to someone else, making the buddy sign and shrugging a question.

Although I'm not always successful. One time I tried to show the instructor that we were missing a buddy pair he thought I was telling him everyone was low on air.

 

[piikki]

If I was in a larger group that I did not share a common/agreed sign language - say we came together at the upline with a bunch from same boat, and I knew there were 9 of us when we went in the water - this is what I would do if I noticed one missing.
Get someone's attention
Start mock-counting by pointing with finger 1-2-3 (possibly flash 9 but it's not even necessary, no one else might remember how many there were)
Turn palm upwards in asking motion
Turn head side-to-side as if looking
Repeat

 

[24940]

This has always worked well for me.

I point to a diver, make a "buddy up" signal (two hands coming together, index fingers extended), then make a "huh?" signal (shrug shoulders, arms extended slightly forward with palms up).

Always seems to be understood ... although the response I get is usually a blank stare or a return shrug (they dunno where he went) ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)