Thumbs Up/Down?

[Gombessa]

I agree it's completely nonintuitive, but just from this conversation it seems pretty clear that there's no significantly superior or less ambiguous way.

The only instance in "everyday" usage where I would use my thumb to point would be to point to someone behind me, over my shoulder (and that's not even a directive to go in a particular direction). I doubt that's where it comes from, but I found one thing that makes it more "intuitive" to me is to always accompany the gesture with a "back and forth" motion along the axis of the thumb - that way it looks more like a pointing gesture and less than a "yeah baby" sign.

 

[Walter]

When I learned to dive the BC didn't have a cummerbund, it had a waist strap that looked like a weightbelt.

The good ones are still made that way.

 

[DiveMaven]

Think of the universal acceptance of a diver having a right hand release on his or her weight belt. Would there be a disaster to have a left handed release? I can't see why. But the right handed release is what a diver looks for if they have to ditch a buddy's or his or her own weight. Where did it come from...Don't know...I assume some of you do know...

I always figured it was because most people are right handed....

 

[String]

I must be missing something.

Why would a 3 fingered mitt be "messy" when using the index finger? Why would the thumb be recognizable but not the index finger?

Certainly in my case the mitts are thick by their very nature and i cant bend my other 3 fingers into my palm enough to get them clear from the index finger so the signal wouldnt be clear.

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Hmmmm. Last guy sounds like a DIR freak to me. Maybe you should take off your mask and yell at the top of your lungs: "I'm going up, m***********."

If my understanding is correct Tri is not a fan of DIR. I could be wrong and that and he can correct me if I am.

 

[tridacna]

If my understanding is correct Tri is not a fan of DIR. I could be wrong and that and he can correct me if I am.

Don't care too much either way here. I was actually thinking of doing fundies but then none of buddies would dive with me and they would also not be good enough for me to consider diving with them. Damn. You just can't win. Hey USBB, what about a DIR Netipot? The pot has to be black with a 7" hose. The solution has to be 54% NaCl and... you know the rest.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Now who's trolling?

... or are we done with the original question ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[RJP]

ON THE USE OF INDEX FINGER UP/DOWN FOR ASCENT DESCENT: How would you then indicate "one"?
or even point to something without it being confusing?

BING BING BING - sounds like a winner.

If index finger point up meant "ascend" every time you pointed towards something even slightly above your current position your buddy would think you were ending the dive.

 

[Walter]

BING BING BING - sounds like a winner.

If index finger point up meant "ascend" every time you pointed towards something even slightly above your current position your buddy would think you were ending the dive.

Not necessarily. Not everyone uses a thumb up to indicate an end to the dive. Most of us use it to mean, "ascend."

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Don't care too much either way here. I was actually thinking of doing fundies but then none of buddies would dive with me and they would also not be good enough for me to consider diving with them. Damn. You just can't win. Hey USBB, what about a DIR Netipot? The pot has to be black with a 7" hose. The solution has to be 54% NaCl and... you know the rest.

Well since you posted in my other thread that the sinus rinse is one of the best finds you might have ever encounted on SB, I am feeling like there might be a little hope for you LOL. And there really are several workable delivery methods and solutions that work well, so there isn't one way to Do It Right--you just need to do it!

As for the original thread--when you have a sign that is recognized all over the world and it doesn't matter the cert agency--I think that is great success. I can tell anyone anywhere that the dive is over and we need to go up and they know what I am talking about.