Standardized Hand Signals for Remaining Air

[TMHeimer]

I probably assisted 12-13 OW course instructors and saw maybe 4-6 different ways to signal remaining PSI. After each course I just wiped the slate clean and did my best to memorize on the spot what the next instructor taught. Yes, there SHOULD be one standard--or at least one for all Metric and one for all Imperial countries (all 1, 2?). The signals should take into consideration some divers wear "lobster claw" mitts. But as it stands, just agree on something each time with a new buddy. Doubt that will ever change.

 

[NYCNaiad]

I now hold you responsible for my next dive when I start laughing underwater & possibly drown when a buddy or dm makes one of these signals above.

Side note: My go to hand signals are in 100s (PSI) with one finger for each. However, I do make sure that I review the hand signals with the dm and buddy before splashing down to make sure there's no confusion and we're using the same ones.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I sent this to my friend Kevin last year. He sometimes comes up to me during a dive and gives "that" sign. My mask leaks each time I laugh.

 

[Diver0001]

Situation yesterday during a dive pertaining to remaining air signals. I was taught (PADI Instructor) 1,2,3,4,5 fingers up or 6,7,8,9 fingers down and circle for zero. I was with another PADI instructor for a leisure dive yesterday who "misinterpreted" my five fingers up to mean 1,000 as opposed to 500 because he "thought he saw me flash it twice." Long story short (and some additional issues later) he continued ahead of me while I needed to begin my safety stop and way back to the boat in a bit of a current. He must not have turned around until I was ascending because he didn't realize I was gone. I did the 1 minute under to search for him, then floated at the service for around 5 minutes before kicking back to the boat, then floated near the boat for another 5 minutes. He was no where in sight. He finally emerged after diving to the boat.
Needless to say, a lot of recommendations weren't followed, and we should have ensured we had the same hand signals, but fortunately I'm a very comfortable diver albeit new. This was the first time I had seen hand signals in flashes of five, so I didn't understand why he didn't interpret it correctly.
Had I been a new OW or uncomfortable diver, this hand signal misinterpretation could have been tragic and turned into panic diver or out-of-air situation quickly.
My question being, what is the PADI (and other organizations) standards in air signals? If there are several, then why is this not standardized?

What we use is this:

for 100 bar (1/2 tank) we make a "T" with the hands.
for 50 bar we make a fist
for 10 bar we show a finger.

Then you can chain them. so for 120 bar you make a T followed by 2 fingers.

These are regionally used signs. PADI doesn't have standard ones.

R..

 

[Storker]

What we use is this:

for 100 bar (1/2 tank) we make a "T" with the hands.
for 50 bar we make a fist
for 10 bar we show a finger.

Same up here on the other side of the North Sea. 40 can be kinda tricky since 3-finger gloves are rather common, though

Personally, I'm not too fond of the "T" (timeout sign) for 100 bar, since if IIUC it originally meant "half". That's fine and dandy if you're using a 200 bar tank, but these days most tanks around here are 232 or 300 bar. So I often prefer to show the fist twice.

Then you can chain them. so for 120 bar you make a T followed by 2 fingers.

For me it's fist-fist-2 fingers, for the reason mentioned above. But I make sure my buddy and I are aligned on the hand signals before we descend.


And BTW, another reason for switching to drygloves is that you can't flip someone off if you're wearing 3-fingers

 

[mattia_v]

What we use is this:

for 100 bar (1/2 tank) we make a "T" with the hands.
for 50 bar we make a fist
for 10 bar we show a finger.

Then you can chain them. so for 120 bar you make a T followed by 2 fingers.

These are regionally used signs. PADI doesn't have standard ones.

R..

I'm also Dutch, but didn't learn to dive 'at home', but this is what we use and have encountered quite widely (Curaçao, Bonaire, GBR, Raja Ampat). Works for us, but it is one of the things I always check with everyone I'm diving with before entering the water.

 

[Kevrumbo]

I probably assisted 12-13 OW course instructors and saw maybe 4-6 different ways to signal remaining PSI. After each course I just wiped the slate clean and did my best to memorize on the spot what the next instructor taught. Yes, there SHOULD be one standard--or at least one for all Metric and one for all Imperial countries (all 1, 2?). The signals should take into consideration some divers wear "lobster claw" mitts. But as it stands, just agree on something each time with a new buddy. Doubt that will ever change.

Same up here on the other side of the North Sea. 40 can be kinda tricky since 3-finger gloves are rather common, though

Personally, I'm not too fond of the "T" (timeout sign) for 100 bar, since if IIUC it originally meant "half". That's fine and dandy if you're using a 200 bar tank, but these days most tanks around here are 232 or 300 bar. So I often prefer to show the fist twice.


For me it's fist-fist-2 fingers, for the reason mentioned above. But I make sure my buddy and I are aligned on the hand signals before we descend.


And BTW, another reason for switching to drygloves is that you can't flip someone off if you're wearing 3-fingers

Three finger glove and air pressure?

 

[Duglum]

for 100 bar (1/2 tank) we make a "T" with the hands.
for 50 bar we make a fist
for 10 bar we show a finger.

Then you can chain them. so for 120 bar you make a T followed by 2 fingers.

Same in Germany. And everywhere i've been to as well, e.g. Spain, Egypt or the Philippines.

 

[Kevrumbo]

What we use is this:

for 100 bar (1/2 tank) we make a "T" with the hands.
for 50 bar we make a fist
for 10 bar we show a finger.

Then you can chain them. so for 120 bar you make a T followed by 2 fingers.

These are regionally used signs. PADI doesn't have standard ones.

R..

For overhead cave & wreck diving, you need more precision than the above to communicate gas pressure amounts -especially for example, critical values like re-calculating an on-the-fly turnaround gas pressure for a lost buddy search and relating this exact integer number to another teammate.

Since one hand is holding both an illuminating primary light and penetration reel or spool, the only way to exchange this full integer information after checking & reclipping the SPG --is with the other free hand:

( Again, the scary cute Goth Chick with the sexy UK/UC Accent. . .!)

 

[Storker]

Three finger glove and air pressure?

Good one. Has to be discussed with the buddy first, of course. Because at least I don't see the "three fingers" as an unambiguous 5.