Underwater Communication

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A few times in the past we've had a deaf freelancer instructor teaching groups of deaf OW students at our dive centre. Fantastic to watch them having fluent conversations underwater, whilst the rest of us are struggling with basic signs.

I noticed a few of them pointing at our group once and making a funny hand signal to each other. After the session I asked their instructor what this meant and he said it was sign language for laughing :giggle:. It did make me chuckle.

On that note, if a new instructor wants to increase their employability, I'd highly recommend learning sign language as it could give them an edge in a competitive field. I know the deaf instructor above was in high demand throughout Europe. Just a thought.
 
@TMHeimer
"Very interesting. So that's where the "standard" signals like "OK" came from. "
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No !
The original SS UW signaling system was based on available common usage signals with a concentration of air craft signals made popular in WW11 by the military.

Diving specific signals were developed over several months and were adapted by the then civilian dive community which was concentrated in California.

When LA Co UIA issued the very first civilian manual they adapted the signaling system

When the USN issued their NAVSHPs directive on self contained diving In October 1956 they copied the SS UW Signaling system
This was followed by NAUI in 1960 and PADI about 1970-1972

That is over 65 years of acceptance and usage a tribute to the Sea Sabres signaling system

I would suggest that you re read
~~ Sea Sabres Signaling System by Dr. Sam Miller - History of SCUBA Diving ~~~

SDM
 
@TMHeimer
"Very interesting. So that's where the "standard" signals like "OK" came from. "
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No !
The original SS UW signaling system was based on available common usage signals with a concentration of air craft signals made popular in WW11 by the military.

Diving specific signals were developed over several months and were adapted by the then civilian dive community which was concentrated in California.

When LA Co UIA issued the very first civilian manual they adapted the signaling system

When the USN issued their NAVSHPs directive on self contained diving In October 1956 they copied the SS UW Signaling system
This was followed by NAUI in 1960 and PADI about 1970-1972

That is over 65 years of acceptance and usage a tribute to the Sea Sabres signaling system

I would suggest that you re read
~~ Sea Sabres Signaling System by Dr. Sam Miller - History of SCUBA Diving ~~~

SDM
OK, so in a nutshell, Retherford and his club developed the SS UW system from already existing common usage among divers. It progressed to the NAVY (legally) and was then adopted by PADI & NAUI (and others?) without permission. Is that the basics?
 
All new is well forgotten old...
Re 2 subj:
1. Sea Voice
svoice.jpg

p.s. is anybody know, why this small rope used? :)

2. Scuba/com (July 1969 issue of Skin diver)
1.jpg

2.jpg

3.jpg


3. Water Talkie
wtalkie.jpg

10 year-old Richie Stachowski was snorkeling for the first time with his dad in Maui. Excited by some exotic sea turtles and eels swimming by, Richie quickly became frustrated when he couldn't get his dad's attention to show him. For the rest of the family vacation Richie began brainstorming - scribbling notes on coasters in the hotel room. When they returned home he searched the internet for information about underwater talking devices. Then he invented his own.

Three months and $267 later, after tests in the bathtub and fish tank, Richie pitched his water talkies to Toys "R" Us. Richie had invented a toy that allows people to talk to each other underwater. Words don't come out clearly and you have to be within a certain range to hear but it's one of a kind. His two hour speech resulted in his water talkies being placed in every Toys "R" Us store. During the first three month, it brought in over $50,000.

Not long afterwards, Richie became the president of the four-person family pool toy company, Short Stack LLC - named after his favorite food, pancakes. Richie's partner Bob Miller handles brand building, international sales and specialty stores. His mom, Barbara, manages national sales and mass market retailing. Richie works with his dad doing product development. Richie also invented a few other water toys but the water talkie is one of the most popular.

Richie had plans to sell his company from the beginning so it came as no surprise when he agreed to sell Short Stack three years later. Skipping a grade seven history exam, Richie and his parents signed a deal with Wild Planet Toys of San Francisco. Short Stacks had been bought for seven million dollars - definitely worth skipping an exam for.

What about me - I use just hands, placed in horn position before 2nd stage membrane. And LOUDLY speaking into the mouthpiece :)


sources:
Pool Toys & Games
UB DIVING Ltd
Kid Invents Water Talkie
 
I had a buddy this weekend that was deaf. It got me thinking, we use a rudimentary form of sign language in diving. But how many divers have a more advanced knowledge of sign language? Do you use it for formal underwater communication with your buddies?

If I need to have a longer discussion outside of the basics I use a slate. It would be way easier to have the conversation in sign. What is your mileage, experience with it?

Where on the East Coast? I'm a hearing ASL signer, and it would be fun to dive with people I could talk to underwater! It'd be nice if most divers would at least learn to fingerspell, too.

That said, there are probably as many sign languages as spoken languages, so ASL does not scale well internationally.
 
You can positively scream at someone through the loop of a rebreather. It's rare that it's required, but sometimes it comes in handy.
 
There are numerous means of UW communication other than hand signals originally developed 55 years ago in (1954) by the Sea Sabers Dive club in the David Star Jordan swimming pool under the direction of the late Bob Retherford.

Titled Sea Sabres Underwater signaling system it was adapted first by LA Co UW UIA in 1954, the US Government USN 2 years later , 5 years later by NAUI, and copied and sold to the members of PADI 15 years later in the early 1970s
.
Those of you who are truly interested might want t examine the 1970 UCLA masters thesis published almost 50 years ago by the late Bonnie June (Davis) Tumbler titled " Underwater communication" which examined numerous alternate methods of UW communication.

SDM
 
Loop around ones wrist so one won't lose it, could also clip it to the rig?
Bob
to prevent it floating off
when you speak, this balloon is filling of the air, and after some words it try to run out from you
Yes
 

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