Standardized Hand Signals for Remaining Air

[Kharon]

Well "end the dive" does not work very well if you are a 15 minute swim away from the fringin boat...

Actually it works perfectly frigggin well - you just end 15 minutes earlier than if you were under the boat. And what are you doing a 15 minute swim away from the boat without enough air to get back?

 

[Diving Dubai]

The "KISS" principle, is best used here.

All I've ever seen (and used) is 100 Bar a T and 10's of bar indicated by a finger. None of this fist for 50 rubbish. - I know i'ts more complicated with PSI and bigger numbers.

When I'm guiding newer divers, you can see the confusion with them translating what they see on their SPG to a hand signal - even if the signals have been briefed. You often get the T and then wait while they figure out how many fingers to hold up, and of course this task loads them and their buoyancy changes.

 

[Neilwood]

Use T for 100 bar and fingers of one hand for remaining 10's. So if 170 bar, T + full open hand + 2 fingers. 130 would be T + 3 fingers. Keeps it fairly simple.

As the group I dive with were all trained by the same shop, we all use the same system.

 

[Storker]

this fist for 50 rubbish

How is it any more rubbish than one to five fingers for 1-5/10-50/100-500?

If you're carrying a camera (as I usually do) or a spear (as my regular buddy often does), being able to use just one hand for signaling is definitely an advantage. And since one of my hands usually is holding onto a camera, I don't like the "timeout" T signal for... uh, is it 100 bar? Or 115? Or 200? AFAIK it started out meaning "half tank", so in principle the meaning of the sign depends on your tank's pressure rating. The meaning of one finger, or of five fingers, is pretty obvious. The "timeout" isn't.

 

[Diving Dubai]

I can't believe even with your camera you're not able to use two hands, unless it's a monster SLR.

My point is to use the minimum of signals. Choose what you like for 100 bar and every 10 thereafter (or for less than 100 as long as it's clear.

Flashing a hand multiple times, isn't clear for the guide nor the person giving the signal. I'm not talking about competent divers but the newer divers who struggle to multi task.

Where ever I've dived in the world I've seen or been briefed the T and the fingers. Sometimes the fist, but as I never get to 50 bar I've never used it

My comments are based on experience of guiding inexperienced divers, who's consumption you need to be in top of. For normal club diving no-one asks air as we're all experienced at can get through an hours dive without being at the minimum

 

[tursiops]

I can't believe even with your camera you're not able to use two hands, unless it's a monster SLR.

Well, believe it. Two hands are just not always available: big cameras, spears, hanging on deco lines, whatever.

My point is to use the minimum of signals. Choose what you like for 100 bar and every 10 thereafter (or for less than 100 as long as it's clear.

No the point is NOT the minimum of signals; the point is the clarity of the signals...and if that takes longer or has some redundancy in it, that is OK. And try diving in groups that have both psi and bars.

Where ever I've dived in the world I've seen or been briefed the T and the fingers. Sometimes the fist, but as I never get to 50 bar I've never used it

You need to get out more. There are LOTS of places that don't use your system.

By the way, indicating a half-tank is perfectly OK, regardless of the size of the tank, if the point is to indicate to the DM your status. That allows the DM to plan the rest of the dive, knowing you've only got half left, so the second half of the dive better be shallower and shorter. that works for all size tanks.

 

[Skeptic14]

My cert is PADI and what they taught was the 1-5 digit was fingers up, 6-9 digits was fingers sideways or down.

Then I dove with a DM that used the sideways finger(s) for thousands and up fingers for hundreds... and that seemed IMO way more intuitive and have stuck with it since... but shoving my computer in buddies face works too

 

[Diving Dubai]

You need to get out more. There are LOTS of places that don't use your system.

By the way, indicating a half-tank is perfectly OK, regardless of the size of the tank, if the point is to indicate to the DM your status. That allows the DM to plan the rest of the dive, knowing you've only got half left, so the second half of the dive better be shallower and shorter. that works for all size tanks.

I get out plenty thanks, more than most on here

It's not MY system either, it's the one I've been briefed constantly, obviously not in the USA as I've never dived there, having easy access to lots of other exciting places.

Agree about the half thank signal, my mistake stating it as 100 bar. 99% of LOB or Resort. Fills are to 200 bar thus 100 is the half tank or turn. (Anything more than a 200 bar fill is a bonus on holiday

 

[Storker]

I can't believe even with your camera you're not able to use two hands, unless it's a monster SLR.

It's a pretty decently sized m43. With two strobes and a tray. I hold it by the handles of the tray. I could of course drop it and leave it dangling form its tether to use both hands (and I do that if I really need to use both hands), but I'd rather hold on to it. That takes one hand. The other hand is used for making signs. Two hands, two different tasks. How would you suggest I should do it?

Flashing a hand multiple times, isn't clear for the guide nor the person giving the signal.

Isn't it? If diving with someone whom I suspect isn't quite aligned with my use of hand signals, I make sure to include the number signs in the pre-dive chat. I assume by default that if we've talked it through and we agree on what signals to use, it'll be clear for all parties involved.

Where ever I've dived in the world I've seen or been briefed the T and the fingers. Sometimes the fist, but as I never get to 50 bar I've never used it

What about 80 bar? For me, it's fist, then three fingers. What would you use?

For normal club diving no-one asks air

We obviously live in different realities. >95% of my diving is club diving, and more often than not either I or my buddy find it prudent to tell the other that we have X bar left sometime as we approach the end of the dive.

as we're all experienced at can get through an hours dive without being at the minimum

Ever tried cold-water drysuit diving? Join me, wearing a trilam with heavy undergarments and EAN32 in the tank. I'd be quite surprised if you were able to reach your NDL before reaching min gas limits. Even with a steel 15x200 or 12x232 (about 100 cu.ft.). And if the deep part of the dive is at 25-30m, I'd give more than even odds that that would happen before you've been down an hour.

 

[Diving Dubai]

Ever tried cold-water drysuit diving? Join me, wearing a trilam with heavy undergarments and EAN32 in the tank. I'd be quite surprised if you were able to reach your NDL before reaching min gas limits. Even with a steel 15x200 or 12x232 (about 100 cu.ft.). And if the deep part of the dive is at 25-30m, I'd give more than even odds that that would happen before you've been down an hour.

Oh for heavens sake @Storker Grow Up!

This isn't a debate on who has the best signals, use what you want I don't give a flying F. I was merely quoting the basics that have been taught to me, and that have been the conventions every where I've dived. And form my experience leading inexperience PADI divers, as opposed to my club diving with experienced BSAC divers. If someone is low, they'll tell you, we're all adults, have dived lots together and trust each other.

And no I wouldn't like cold water diving. I don't like cold period, hence I live in Dubai DUR! And yes I respect cold is different. I'd like to see you with your camera on the sites we dive, where one hand is needed to hold on to avoid the down currents. Where the air temp between dives can hit 50C and the water temp is 31C and can be as much as 37C @ 30m