The 10 hand signals you HAVE to know while scuba diving (according to a scuba instructor)
Communication can sure be tricky underwater with a regulator in your mouth. However, we still need to relay messages to our dive buddies and fellow divers. To do so, we rely on hand signals. Below are my top 10 hand signals that every diver should know.
1. OK
I’m ok and you’re ok…at least we hope so. The most common signal we divers use is the ok signal. When diving if someone gives you the ok sign, index finger and thumb making a circle with other fingers out, they are asking if you are ok. If you are ok, give them the sign back.
Now if you are diving from a boat or shore, there may be a person back on the boat or land that wants to know if you are ok when you surface. Since they may not be able to see the normal ok sign, you may have to give them the ok sign used for distance, which is either one or both arms coming up over your head and touching the top of your head with your hand(s).
2. So so or No
So your buddy gives you the ok sign, but you’re not ok and are having some issue. In the situation where something is a little off, in response to the ok sign, you will hold your hand out and tilt it back and forth to say so so.
If you’re not doing good at all, you can simply shake your head from side to side to respond no.
Usually when you give the so so or no signs it is followed by a sign that is your issue, like you’re cold or having middle ear issues (see below).
3. come and get me
Now let’s say you surface a distance from the boat or land and can’t make it back. In that case you are going to signal for the folks on the boat or land to come and get you by raising your arm up in front of you and waving back towards yourself.
4. Remaining air
Letting your dive buddy know how much air you have left and vice versa is rather important to make sure you don’t have an out of air emergency. Divers do this in different ways, but I prefer to show the thousands psi by holding my finger(s) over my bicep. So for 3,000 psi, I hold out three fingers over my arm.
Then to signal the psi in hundreds remaining, I hold my hand out and hold up the finger(s) to represent that amount. For example, for 100 psi, I would hold up one finger.
5. Out of air
Ok, so maybe you were a bonehead and forgot to check your air and now you’re out. Hopefully you stayed next to your dive buddy. In that situation you would grab your dive buddy’s BC, shake them and give them a nice slash across your throat to indicate that you are out of air.
6. middle ear Squeeze
Hands down, see what I did there, the most common squeeze and issue most divers encounter is middle ear squeeze. This is when you are having trouble equalizing and the water pressure is pushing your ear drum into your middle ear, which can be very painful. To signal a middle ear squeeze simple point to your ear.
Remember don’t push it. If having middle ear squeeze on descent, stop! ascend a little to relive the pressure. Then try to head back down equalizing. If you still can’t equalize, call the dive off and come back another day as opposed to damaging your ear.
7. up and down
So now you’re in the water and want to signal to your buddy to descend. Hold your fist closed with your thumb out pointing down and move your hand downward.
Now you’ve completed your dive and want to head up. Hold your fist closed with your thumb out pointing up and move your hand upward. A common mistake among new divers is when they are given the ok sign, they return the thumbs up sign. This signals to their buddy that they want to ascend, as opposed to that they are ok. Remember to give the ok signal back, if ok (see above) and the thumbs up if you want to ascend.
8. cold
Maybe your wetsuit is a little too thin for the dive and you need to indicate to your buddy that you’re cold. Cross your arms across your chest and rub your biceps with your hands.
9. Boat
Sometimes us divers get so caught up in what we are seeing that we lose track of the dive boat. In that situation, you can always ask other divers from your boat if they know where the boat is…and hopefully you’ve not wandered too far off. To ask where the boat is, hold your palms up, with thumbs angled up, and tap the sides of your hands together.
10. Shark
Last, but not least, you may have a shark in your vicinity that you want to let your buddy know about. Place your palm up to the top of your head, making like a fin.
Bonus: stay together
This one is more for us instructors. The buddy system is an important one. Since your buddy is the one you may have to rely on in an emergency, like being out of air or an entanglement, it is important to stick close by them. For that reason, you may see an Instructor or Divemaster putting their two index fingers together. This is telling you that you are too far from your buddy and that you need to get closer to each other.
Wrapping Things up
So there yo have it, my top 10 diving hand signals. This clearly is not an exhaustive list and you and your dive buddy may have more or even different signals for the items I mention above. The most important thing is that you both are on the same page and know what the signals mean to you in order to make sure your dive is fun and safe. In case of an emergency, no one likes to get the arms out shoulder shrug signal that indicates “I don’t know what the heck you are saying.”
If You’re Looking For other Scuba Diving Tips, Check Out The Below.
“How boring would the world be if everywhere and everyone were the same. Safe travels and good adventures.” Scuba Jay
