Thumbs Up

[JasonH20]

This has been nagging me a bit for the last few days, and so I thought I would throw it out to everyone to chew on.

This weekend I did a dive where we had a 2 twosomes combined into 1 foursome. Before the dive we discussed possibly switching primary buddies if someone had to go back early. So mid way through the dive I end up switching to a new dive buddy. We continue the dive which is in the 60-70fsw range and then slowly follow the shore gradually back up to about 15fsw, which is where we're suppose to surface for the boat to pick us up. From 60 to 15 feet took maybe 5 minutes.

With the few other buddies I've had, we would always do a 3 minute safety stop at this point, but my new buddy gave me the thumbs up sign. At that moment I interpreted it as a question, rather than a statement, and instead pointed to my dive watch and then held up 3 fingers. He seemed to be cool with that and we hung out for 3 minutes and then surfaced together. But then I started thinking about the whole "Thumbs up means time to ascend, no questions!" thing?

After the dive I asked my buddy about it, and he was totally cool. He said he knew exactly what I meant, and that he would have just softly punched me and given the thumbs up again if he really needed to go up immediatley. We buddied for second dive and had a great time (and did a 3 minute safety stop), and everything was just fine.

But what's nagging me is should I have just surfaced immediately that first time and then discussed with him that for future dives I'd prefer to always do a safety stop at 15fsw. Does the thumbs up always mean "ascend now, no questions", or are there times like mine where it is open to interpretation?

Thanks,
Jason

 

[Uncle Pug]

Jason... you need to pre-arrange with your buddies what you mean by signals.
Yes... for most folks the thumb means up. But as you noticed your buddy was cool with questioning that.

In fact in the group you are diving with it isn't uncommon to give a thumb followed by an a palm up *whatdayathink* signal.

Conversely you could have acknowledge your buddy's thumb with a palm up *whatdayameanascend* before pointing to your watch and holding up 3 fingers.

We acknowledge such with an OK... or a double thumbs up.

 

[bob1dp]

Underwater communication is just that communication. A sign from one diver, unless it is a dire emergency signal like an out of air, often elicits a question from the other. What you described is a perfect example of underwater communication. He signaled he wanted to go up or asked you if you wanted to go up. You signaled him you wanted to do a safety stop for 3 minutes. He understood and agreed.

 

[DBailey]

Ok, the safety stop portion of the dive plan must have not been discussed. Other than that, I think the situation was handled correctly underwater. There was no danger or situation, and your buddy admitted that if he needed to ascend right then he would have thumbed again.

 

[H2Andy]

i agree with bob1dp. the "thumbs up" is not an emergency signal anyway, so
you are entitled to tell him that you still have some safety stop time to go.

and what if he insists on bolting for the surface at that point? do you have to
endanger yourself and follow just because he thumbed the dive?

i think you guys communicated efficiently and took care of business.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Jason let me add that it depends on what you observe of your buddy as well... even with the group you are diving with.

If your buddy has signalled cold or is appearing at all distressed then the only acknowledgement should be to return the thumbs up and ascend.

For example a week ago when Bob had a veritgo episode and was holding onto the piling... his single thumb was enough!

 

[mossym]

for a while i was diving with one buddy every weekend, we got to the point where a thumbs up meant up to 15ft and stop, my first dive with another buddy and we plan the dive, but being used to safety stops always happening we didn't mention it, at the end he gives me the thumbs up, and we head on slowly up.

We get to 15ft and i stop and start my safety hang, he just keeps on going, all the way up..it'd been a pretty shallow dive so he didn't think we needed a stop, but viz was good so i finished my stop 15 ft below him while he watched me from the surface..


since then i've told all my buddies that i do a stop for 3 minutes even if the dive ws all in the 25 ft range...hell if nthing else you get to relax before struggling out of all that gear!!

 

[StingRob]

It is a good practice to highlight ALL diving aspects (dive location, depth, duration, buddy teams, emergency issues… etc.) when you plan a dive. Is not just important just to do it, it’s important to talk about it. Any unspoken issues can lead to problems all mentioned aspects will be more a confirmation/assessment that everybody in comfortable with the dive.

When you signal ‘thumbs up” to your buddy this is a statement not a question. Eventually he can eventually ask back if everything is ok…

 

[Moogyboy]

Incidentally, has anyone ever encountered divers who (unwittingly or otherwise) use the thumbs-up to signal "OK" or "yeah!"?

I know I did once early on and fortunately it didn't cause any trouble, but I was given a brief friendly lecture by my buddy.

Just curious.

cheers

Billy S.

 

[DBailey]

But then I started thinking about the whole "Thumbs up means time to ascend, no questions!" thing?

The only place that I have heard the thumbs with no questions asked is in my wreck diving class where the thumb means "lets get out of the wreck, and I don't have time to explain it to you in here." It doesn't mean lets surface, but just get out of the wreck.

Granted, every one here uses the phrase "any diver can thumb a dive at any time, no questions asked". I agree with this in the sense any diver can cancel a dive at any time, but it doesn't mean you cut short your safety procedures.