Tank-banging etiquette

[backprop]

On my last dive trip to Bonaire, a couple fellow divers and I had a discussion about the etiquette of tank banging. We had been doing some boat dives, and each of the two dive leaders/DMs took to banging their tanks -- I would say furiously banging -- in order to get divers' attention to look at a special fish, eel, or whatever.

To be fair, I'm not going to compare their noise to a newbie banging his/her tank at every passing fish. They were generally fairly unique specimens (seahorses, frogfish, squid), although many times they were calling photographers over to take pictures of the more regular creatures -- shrimp, Christmas tree worms, small eels, etc.

Typically the banging was maybe seven or eight bangs in rapid succession....often followed by another round(s) if their target didn't respond to the first.

Personally, I began to hate it. That type of banging to me sounds like something you'd do in an emergency, rapid un-targeted broadcasts to get the attention of anyone within a hundred or more feet. I felt it should be reserved for getting the attention of somebody who swam too far away, warning someone of danger, or a low-air/OOA emergency. So I broke my relaxation, looking underneath/backwards, and then stopping and looking around if I couldn't find the banger in question. It was really distracting to me.

Other divers didn't have an issue with it, saying that was just the way you grab attention underwater.

I started ignoring it, but then thought...what if someone really IS out of air. What if they're warning me of something?

So I started thinking: is there a good way to handle situations like this, where a big group of divers is underwater and spread out? What about 2-bangs to get someone's "looky here" attention, and save 3+ for emergencies? Or is there another system that I haven't been versed in yet?

 

[Guba]

My regular dive partners and I use this set of signals, particularly when we are in low vis and lose each other (Not hard to do in our lakes): The diver who wants to get another's attention bangs three times. The other answers with two to mean "be right there". One return bang means "I hear you, but one moment, please" (such as when he/she might be taking a photo or making an observation of a critter). An emergency is many rapid bangs.

 

[Texasdivechick]

I personally can't stand to hear those tank-bangers. I've been diving in a group of three when one guy kept finning furiously away from us (viz was about 5 ft) and then banging constantly. Sound travels underwater but one can't tell the direction of the noise at all. I have also dived with someone who had something unsecured on her tank (didn't use an official banger) but it replicated the sound throughout the entire dive. It's annoying, but even more so, it should be used for emergencies only. Just my .02.

 

[Stu S.]

Didn't Mike Nelson show us how to beat on the tank with a big knife? Clackers, quackers, shakers and bangers might be suitable if there was an emergency, but should be otherwise avoided.

Why? Because most of us dive to be with nature, just like we hike and camp. These noisemakers are no more appropriate than a using a horn on the Appalachian Trail. If divers want direction from a dive leader, stick close enough that conventional hand signals will work.

Remember that tipping is not mandatory or automatic.

 

[SparticleBrane]

I can't stand it when people bang on their tanks to get someone's attention...

 

[almitywife]

im guessing if i was there i would have annoyed also but im also thinking maybe some of the divers dont get to dive alot, this may be their one big trip for the year and they pay alot of money to see & photograph critters

DM's giving the divers their monies worth and trying to earn themselves a nice tip in the process could explain their constant attention & banging

 

[Oxy]

I think I'm going to learn to dislike tank bangers and beeping computers before I even get certified

 

[salth2owannabe]

I've only heard them used once and they scared the be-jeepers out of the fish. Made me decide I didn't really need one.

 

[alcina]

If this is something you think might affect you, talk to your guides/buddies/fellow divers before the dive to find out what they think is "normal/acceptable".

When I dive with my regular "buddies" we have a system for underwater noises, just like a couple of others above. If you hear something, you KNOW it's something you likely want to check out.

When I dive on our boats, our guides don't usually use noise to get the attention of their divers, so again, if I do hear it, it's likely something I need to know about.

But, as with so many other things with diving, communication before the dive with those who are going to be in there with you is a great thing

 

[vladimir]

I hate noisemakers of all kinds. I also hate when people call me over--usually with gesticulations of dire urgency--to photograph something. Just in case I haven't seen a moray eel in 30 years of diving. I usually give them an OK and continue what I was doing. Mostly, I hate diving with divemasters who are trying to enhance their tip by pointing stuff out to me. I can find my own stuff, probably have 100 photos of that seahorse already, and I really enjoy the sense of peace and solitude more than anything they are likely to show me on a dive.

That said, Alcina is correct, pre-dive communication prevents a lot of problems. Most people are just trying (too hard) to be helpful. I tell divemasters that if it isn't bigger than me, I don't want them to help me find it.