I'm a SeaSigns instructor if you have any questions

[lucybuykx]

Hi Normoxic, that's a broad question.

Two diving buddies should always discuss their communications before a dive. The things we need to say to each other underwater don't change because of disability. We are still going to talk about fish, about our kit and about how good we feel.

SeaSigns is a rich language which can explain most things you need to say underwater. If there are areas of particular concern to do with a disability the dive buddies should discuss this before a dive and agree how it will be communicated.

Its a difficult question to answer because people with a wide range of disabilities can dive. The Handicapped Scuba Association would be your best starting point if you have specific questions.

If your dive buddy is partially sighted then you need to amplify the recommendations given by all training organisations and SeaSigns.

1. Get your buddies attention
2. Sign slowly, clearly and distinctly
3. Check for understanding

If you are diving in lower visibility SeaSigns recommends you use gloves with high viz paint on them to contrast your hands with your body as much as possible. This would be a good technique for diving with a partially sighted diver even if the viz is good.

 

[Normoxic Diver]

Hi lucybuykx & thank you for replying my post.

On SeaSings site says:

''Approved by scuba certifying agencies.

SeaSigns Safety Signing Diver class has been approved as a specialty course by PADI, SSI, SDI, NAUI, YMCA, NASE, and IAHD, recommended by HSA. This makes SeaSigns the most popular and widely used underwater communications system in the industry.''

So that, i thought maybe there was some specific signs/ uw signals in order to help handicapped divers...

Personally talking, i find seasigns objective very interesting in handicapped divers u/w activities, too.

Certified (Advanced Open Water) Paraplegic Divers, for example, maybe could use some SeaSigns signals in order to describe something very fast without having to use their hands to unclip and write on a slate, destroy totally by this way their buoyancy...

 

[pir8]

I also teach the course in the Phila area and have also taught it on trips I have done with singledivers.com.

 

[ReefHound]

I'd be happy to have everyone signal air pressure in a universal way!

Short of an instructed course is Sea Signs available for home study?

Pete

There is a video and a set of flashcards so it's certainly something you could study on your own if "course credit" is not important. The flash cards make for good entertainment while driving with buddies on a dive road trip.

 

[minski39]

I teach the courses as well and get rave reviews. The students really seem to enjoy the course. I also teach the course as a destinctive specialty through SDI and YSCUBA. How to you maket the course to your students? Any suggestions?

To EastCoastDiverLLC:

Hi! I found this post by searching google for "'sea signs' maryland." I'm recently certified and was looking for a SeaSigns course my buddy and I could take to better communicate underwater. I've taken courses in ASL and was trying to teach him, but figured it might be easier to just take a course together!

At any rate, I checked your website for course dates and didn't find any. Any idea when you might offer an upcoming SeaSigns course?

Though I don't have any specific experience in marketing scuba courses/services, I am a marketing professional and have some ideas that may/may not be of help to you. First, I think you're doing a great job already. I mentioned that I found this ScubaBoard post through a google search, so it's already paid off once. When I search for "seasigns maryland," you come up in the top 10 search results - great! As I just signed up for your e-newsletter, I'm not sure if you promote it there or not, but I'm guessing you do. I also like that you have the "sign of the week" on the SeaSigns portion of your webpage - that could be moved to the homepage for more visibility. I think one of your best methods of promotion is past students; encouraging them to share their SeaSigns experience with other divers might end up being one of your most beneficial forms of marketing (Also an added plus that it's completely free!).

I hope this helps. If I can be of any further assistance, please feel free to contact me - I'd be happy to help. I'm also looking forward to taking a SeaSigns course with you!

Thanks!

 

[Deefstes]

OK, I have two questions.

1. How do you ask "Where is the Dive Master?" I was on a dive recently where the Dive Master disappeared just about at the time when I needed to inform her that I was low on air and had to start my ascent. Luckily there was another instructor on the dive who was actually responsible for a few students he was training and he was carrying the buoyline anyway. I went up to him and told him that I was low on air and had to surface so not much harm done. Would've liked to be able to ask him if he knew where the DM was though. As a matter of interest, it turned out that the DM just swam ahead for a brief moment to see if the resident electric rays were around and whether it was worth taking us to that part of the reef. She was back with the group when I was about halfway up my ascent.

2. How do you ask "Where is the nearest cleaning station? I spilt tomato ketchup on my collar"

 

[simcoediver]

OK, I have two questions.

1. How do you ask "Where is the Dive Master?" I was on a dive recently where the Dive Master disappeared just about at the time when I needed to inform her that I was low on air and had to start my ascent. Luckily there was another instructor on the dive who was actually responsible for a few students he was training and he was carrying the buoyline anyway. I went up to him and told him that I was low on air and had to surface so not much harm done. Would've liked to be able to ask him if he knew where the DM was though. As a matter of interest, it turned out that the DM just swam ahead for a brief moment to see if the resident electric rays were around and whether it was worth taking us to that part of the reef. She was back with the group when I was about halfway up my ascent.

2. How do you ask "Where is the nearest cleaning station? I spilt tomato ketchup on my collar"

For detailed complex signing underwater you will need to take an ASL sign language course ,Heres a website with video you can use to find almost any word in ASL ASL Browser

 

[Deefstes]

For detailed complex signing underwater you will need to take an ASL sign language course ,Heres a website with video you can use to find almost any word in ASL ASL Browser

OK, but surely "Where is the Divemaster?" should not require detailed complex signing underwater?!?!

It's a very cool website though but unfortunately it will serve very little purpose for me who is thousands of kilometers (make that miles) away from America and other speakers of American Sign Language.

 

[pir8]

OK, but surely "Where is the Divemaster?" should not require detailed complex signing underwater?!?!

It's a very cool website though but unfortunately it will serve very little purpose for me who is thousands of kilometers (make that miles) away from America and other speakers of American Sign Language.

Then you need to create your own version of UnderH2O Sign Language if you don't want to use ASL

 

[ReefHound]

OK, but surely "Where is the Divemaster?" should not require detailed complex signing underwater?!?!

There's always a slate or wet notes.

All of this advanced signing is nice to know but useless if your buddies don't also know it. In practice, I've found that you can't rely on more than the basic signals unless you are regular buddies or thoroughly go over signs before the dive.

"Where is the Divemaster?" can be anything you and your group want it to be, although you shouldn't normally need it. The DM should have signaled to you that she was going ahead to scout. And a diver should manage their air so they can hold their horses for a few minutes.