Deaf/HoH divers and ASL signers

[Scuba_Signer]

Hola!

I introduced myself in the Intro/Guests board and Dandy Don suggested I pipe up in here! (http://www.scubaboard.com/t45227.html)

I'm curious to find out if there are many Deaf/HoH divers, as well as those who can sign (ASL or other) hanging out here.

Myself, I am hard-of-hearing and can sign in American Sign Language (ASL). When out on the dive boat, I pack away my hearing aid. It would be nice to chat with other divers while enroute to the next site.

I'm considering taking a Rescue Diver class and I can already see the value in signing during a rescue for clear communication underwater.

If you see me, hollar or wave!

Steve

 

[Rick Inman]

Where are you located? I dive with a deaf diver sometimes in the Puget Sound. Great diver, great guy. There is no hearing handicap under water. However, on the surface he does have to tolerate my inability to sign, and is very patient with me as I write everything down.

 

[Scuba_Signer]

I'm in Waterloo, Iowa. I'll update my profile location.

That's one reason I like it underwater, we're all the same!

Steve

 

[bug]

I am currently a student at Rochester Institute of Technology and have been taking ASL classes as electives for about 3 years now. I decided to start taking classes because of the large population of deaf/HH people in the Rochester area. I absolutely love the classes and it just allows for me to meet so many new people. Plus with my part-time jobs on campus the ability to communicate easier with deaf/HH students and faculty makes both of our lives easier.
I haven't come across any deaf/HH divers during any of my dives. I would love to be able to communicate with divers underwater. I am really trying to get my family more interested in taking some classes so we can have some more communication underwater.
I do remember my first day of OW class (which I took as a gym class at school) there were 2 deaf students in the class. They did not request an interpreter so they just kinda got through as best as they could. But when we got in the water the first night it kinda dawned on us that their communication with each other was not lacking.

I would really like for the whole "how much air do you have left" to be done with ASL numbers. It would be so much easier.

-Matt

 

[Snowbear]

Great diver, great guy. There is no hearing handicap under water. However, on the surface he does have to tolerate my inability to sign, and is very patient with me as I write everything down.

I've had several pages of conversation with him last time I was there - next time I'm going to bring him a stack of those little notebooks he uses

 

[dc4bs]

I stumbled across a "Learn ASL at home" program on CD-rom at a computer show/swap meet a while back and bought 2 copies.

I gave one copy to my buddy.

I tried to install it but it has some ugly issues with XP... I sort of got it to work just enough to be able to figure out how to sign "adjust your depth" but then I prety much gave up on it since it was just to frustrating to make it work on my PC.

I don't think my budy has done anything with it yet, but he's been burried in grad school work so he has very little free time. When he does, we dive...

Can anyone reccomend a good "beginners" book or software I should look for to get started learning ASL?

 

[yukoneer]

Hola!

I introduced myself in the Intro/Guests board and Dandy Don suggested I pipe up in here! (http://www.scubaboard.com/t45227.html)

I'm curious to find out if there are many Deaf/HoH divers, as well as those who can sign (ASL or other) hanging out here.

Myself, I am hard-of-hearing and can sign in American Sign Language (ASL). When out on the dive boat, I pack away my hearing aid. It would be nice to chat with other divers while enroute to the next site.

I'm considering taking a Rescue Diver class and I can already see the value in signing during a rescue for clear communication underwater.

If you see me, hollar or wave!

Steve

Hello!

I am a deaf diver, i just got my certification a month ago! I am attending rochester institute of technology, and living in rochester, ny. My girlfriend also is a diver, and she also is deaf. So far, other than us both, I've only known 2 other deaf divers - one is my fraternity brother, and another that I met at Dutch Springs. I have successfully hooked one fraternity brother into diving, and he will be taking a OW course this fall.

We will be taking AOW courses this september, sounds like that you're ahead of us with taking the rescue diving course.

 

[ScubaJW]

Yo! I am a deaf diver, as you see in Yukoneer's post - I am his girlfriend. Glad that you post a thread to see if there is any deaf divers across the country.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Where are you located? I dive with a deaf diver sometimes in the Puget Sound. Great diver, great guy. There is no hearing handicap under water. However, on the surface he does have to tolerate my inability to sign, and is very patient with me as I write everything down.

He's also an awesome dive buddy. Last summer, when we were both unemployed, we dived together almost every day. After a couple months we were able to communicate with just a look, a nod, or some subtle body movement ... it was great! He's the very best critter finder I've ever gone diving with. Sometimes he'll point out something tiny, or so perfectly camoflauged I have to stare at it for a few seconds before I can even see it.

Very few of his dive buddies know sign language. We almost all just use those little note pads to talk to each other.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[sparkyjames]

But a few of us are learning to use ASL for him I am tryinfg to learn and my wife is teaching me she is not deaf but she does know ASL

MR Lew is the worlds best dive buddy.

and a lot of fun once you get to know him

Sparky