How R U on basic hand signals?

[Garth]

Being a diabetic, I have never seen nor heard of that one before. As for the low blood sugar, they need to abort right away. A snack at depth is not going to work quick enough, depth plays havoc on blood sugars and a diabetic should never dive when there sugr levels are BELOW 180. When they notice levels are low, it is not long before they could appear narced and their condition be misinterpretted. All they need to do is surface, have a pepsi and a candy bar and get ready for the next dive!

Okay. I need sources on this statement. Greater than 180? I don't doubt you are a diabetic but this makes no sense. Having blood glucose greater than 180 doesn't give any ... Let me repeat that.. ANY safety bro. Depending on the trend of the blood sugar it could drop from 300 to 30 in less than 30 minutes. Depending on your control, whether you take insulin, whether you ate before the dive, etc.
So I guess you have a few things to explain about how depth affects the release of insulin, or glycogenesis. I'll be waiting for you specifically but a more knowledgable source may chime in because I would like to hear what is being recommended to the diabetic divers out there ( insulin and noninsulin dependent).

 

[Thalassamania]

Take this online quiz and find out!

Alert Diver | Hand Signals Quiz

Many thanks to DAN and the Alert Diver Newsletter.


Edit: General consensus is that the signal given as is bogus, even if DAN claims it means "Low Blood Sugar".
This signal is NOT recognized by anyone on this or the cavediver.net forums.

So basically, everyone agrees that the "Loser" sign has never been seen before?

Never, ever have I seen that.

Another error is:

Q: What does this signal mean?
A: I don't know

It does not mean "I don't know" though that is close, it is a punctuation mark indicating that the next hand signal is a question, as in: shrug, tap wrist = "how deep?" or shrug, point to ear = "Are your ears OK?" a.k.a. "Did you clear OK?" Rather than the shrug we use one hand, palm up.

 

[Garth]

Oh and I'm not suggesting the dive should or should not be aborted. Just to clarify.

 

[Scott]

According to the proceedings of the 2005 Diabetes and Recreational Diving Workshop, jointly sponsored by the UHMS and DAN, “Use of an “L” signal with the thumb and index finger of either hand is recommended as a signal for suspected hypoglycemia.”

Well hell, there's the problem. None of us that posted attended the workshop in 2005. Had I of known such cool things as alternative hand signaling would have been covered, I may have signed up.

 

[Garth]

Yeah that and I may think the low blood glucose person was the leader..

 

[jester1226]

See above

 

[jester1226]

Okay. I need sources on this statement. Greater than 180? ).

Numbers directly from DAN

 

[diver_doug]

I'm great! Here's an example:

"Hey man, you're gonna go out there by yourself?...you know you should have a buddy right?"

http://merrymerryquitecontrary.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/flipping-off-grandma.jpg?w=346&h=546

 

[Ste Wart]

Never, ever have I seen that.

Another error is:

Q: What does this signal mean?
A: I don't know

It does not mean "I don't know" though that is close, it is a punctuation mark indicating that the next hand signal is a question, as in: shrug, tap wrist = "how deep?" or shrug, point to ear = "Are your ears OK?" a.k.a. "Did you clear OK?" Rather than the shrug we use one hand, palm up.

Yes it does!

I, and many others I dive with, use this signal. It's normally the response to a question, not the precursor.

If I wanted to know about a divers ears I would point to them, then ears then give an OK ?.

OK is question and answer.

 

[DevonDiver]

I, and many others I dive with, use this signal. It's normally the response to a question, not the precursor.

Agreed. I've only seen this used as a answer.

"I don't know"

If I wanted to know about a divers ears I would point to them, then ears then give an OK ?.

Yeah, that's the easiest method of posing a question...

The only specific sign, I have seen, for highlighting a question/query is the following: