GUE specific communication ?!

[Oldbear]

Palm of the hand toward buddy for 1 - 5, back of the hand toward them for 6 - 9. Has the result of fingers up for the former and sideways for the latter.

I have never really thought about it that way before. But sitting here I tried it and it makes perfect sense in my little world. :d

 

[laurin]

I've heard a lot of different interpretations about the number signals, not limited to GUE, so it seems a lot of people get these taught differently.

I like the palm / back-of-hand as the main differentiator, as it's fairly clear and allows showing the signs in whatever position convenient. However, that has a drawback when you have a buddy on either side. Anyway, getting the numbers right is fairly context-sensitive, once you're in the numbers-incoming-mode and they come slow enough it's generally easy.

 

[kensuf]

Drop and light (and sometimes we've got more than the normal amount of lights) can be confusing esp at the start of a dive when a lot of stuff is going on. There's just not a good reason to the signals to be SO similar. I'll give a real life example:

Going into a restrictive cave and at 70ft there's an equipment drop area where things like 50%, scooters, stages, camelbacks, etc are staged and its also a good time to check over your buddy to make sure things are squared away before starting the dive in earnest. Buddy's backup light is on. What's easier? A quick signal and my bud fixes it or me having to get over there with lower vis, somewhat restrictive cave, lots of gear, and silty as all get out and fix it for him? The same signal is contextual for both conditions at that point of the dive because its a staging area, but also a 'check over your buddy' area.

A more simple example would be diving a long and hitting stage drop pressure, you signal, and your buddy goes to check his backup lights because he's not at pressure yet.

Is it some sort of critical thing? No, not really. Is it ambiguous? You bet. UW communication should be clear and simple as can be, imo.

SMB shoot is pretty obvi, though.

While we're at it, throw in "Flow" from the NAUI cave manual.

 

[LiteHedded]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought 1-5 is with fingers pointing up, 6-9 with fingers pointing sideways?
Quite hard to misunderstand unless you're in a situation where orientation is tricky.

correct. but orientation can often be tricky. fingers together removes some of that ambiguity IMO

 

[kdupreez]

Fingers together is kinda hard to see, especially using black wetsuit gloves in the dark..

Never used or seen anyone use the finger down signal..

Smb usually points up.. Dropping stage points down..

Very rarely will we drop stages in open water, even if so, won't be at smb depths.. So it's hard to confuse the two in my opinion.

Backup light is a faster signaling and pointed towards the diver.. I usually wil point to my primary light, then point to the diver and then signal light is on... I.e your light is on.. Nobody has ever mistaken that aand tried to drop their light or shoot it to the surface..

 

[eelnoraa]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought 1-5 is with fingers pointing up, 6-9 with fingers pointing sideways?
Quite hard to misunderstand unless you're in a situation where orientation is tricky.

It is not the orientation of the the hand/finger, it is the face of the palm. Palm toward outside usually toward the person you want to signal to, it is 1-5. Palm toward inside (yourself is 6-9)

 

[bradells]

It is not the orientation of the the hand/finger, it is the face of the palm. Palm toward outside usually toward the person you want to signal to, it is 1-5. Palm toward inside (yourself is 6-9)

Here's a good one for you (the thread). I have a copy of 'Doing It Right: The Fundamentals of Better Diving' (numerous editions from 2000 to 2006), where all the number signals have the same palm orientation. And they weren't added to the publication until after 2002. It isn't talked about in the publication, just pictures of 1-10 (with 10 being all 5 fingers horizontal).

The 2006 version came with Fundies as of last year.


BRad

 

[TSandM]

It's actually difficult and uncomfortable to orient the fingers horizontally without flipping the hand. I don't think I've ever seen anyone do it. The natural consequence of the vertical versus horizontal distinction is to force the diver to change the orientation of the palm.

 

[Redshift]

But it's easy to signal vertically with the back of the hand facing the other diver the same way as when the hand is horizontal.
Although I don't quite understand this back/palm when the obvious difference is vertical against horizontal... What am I missing?

 

[Patoux01]

Well the main issue would be: what's horizontal or vertical?
Do I sign in my referential, in the one of the other diver, in the global frame ? Causing too much chance for misunderstanding imho.