Blinded signs

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piikki

piikki

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Is there a good resource/list in existence for signs for situations where one or both buddies have pretty much lost ability to visually recognize communications?

What basic signs (hand to hand/bodyparts/gear?) you use when your buddy goes blind as a bat (losing mask etc) or when viz messes it all up, and you need to to collect yourselves and make a plan what next? Any consensus or well-known ones around? Or any you could share that you've agreed with your team members to use?

piikki
 
Good question piiki, I look forward to hearing what others have to say, as I don't have any idea on this one. Seems cave divers would have some non-visual communications.
 
I have seen some of the cave divers' touch comminication. Very good stuff. I don't know if a guide to it exists, but what I learned was in one of my books. Lets see what they have to say about it.
 
One of my fears is being kicked in the face and losing my mask and then not knowing where in the heck my buddy is and not being able to see. After discussing this with one of my buddies we decided: if the buddy w/mask does not immediately see the problem blind buddy bangs on tank w/knife to get attention. Next we have hand squeezes: one squeeze=ok/ok? two squeezes=not ok, can we get outta here? (for the blind buddy who may be getting panicky) three squeezes= I can't find your mask in all this mud, aborting the dive and ascending. We decided we'd work on this in the pool over the winter a lot to make sure it works well and if not to tweak it a bit.
 
Note that cave divers generally carry a backup mask. At least the one's I know do. I'll have one in open water as well. Given the importance of this item, and the reasonable cost, it makes no sense not to carry a spare.
 
I have no interest in cave diving and while I have two masks I have no desire to carry one around with me underwater, especially since I do shallow dives and it is perfectly reasonable to ascend properly with no mask with buddy assistance.
 
Ok, sorry to trouble you.
 
gibbs...true you can definitely thumb a dive if you lose your mask..but wouldn't you MUCH rather have a spare mask which you can put on? This (most likely) would give you a chance to get your "lost" mask back and let you continue your dive safely...
 
The desired on-person redundancy is a balancing act, and in a pure OW environment I would put carrying spare masks in the too-much category Nothing against having a spare mask on shore, or on the boat, but any place I go has a clear shot to the surface and I can read my gauges by holding them close.
(that includes salt water -- other threads have mentioned the idea of doing a full mask remove/replace right on initial entry, to acclimatize)
As always, YMMV.
 
So how do you go about communicating in a non-visual way you have another mask on the boat? :wink:
 
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