Buddy Skills

[fjpatrum]

I just went on my 10th dive and have apparently found an issue. The other diver has maybe 20 or 30 dives more than I do, I believe. On this particular dive, though, I was the "lead" diver because I am more familiar with the particular dive site having done 6 dives there (including my OW dives) previously.

In any case, after the dive my buddy said he had a hard time keeping up with me. I was very conscientious about checking for him every couple of minutes and he was never far away, only a few feet. I assumed that was where he was comfortable because he had mentioned he normally dives solo.

We had communicated well pre-dive (about things like cold and air etc) and I believed I was swimming at a slow pace that he was comfortable with, but I was obviously incorrect. It never occurred to me I was swimming fast at all.

So, how do you folks communicate things like "slow down" when you're under water but don't have a slate or something?

 

[Rainer]

Point at the diver, with one hand open, palm forward, repeatedly (a couple of times) move it forward and back (like you're dribbling a basket ball). For us, that means "slow down" or "calm down".

It's been my experience (both as a new diver and diving with new divers) that new divers generally all swim too fast. Learning to slow down and enjoy the process (and the little stuff) comes with experience.

 

[highdesert]

Unless I was familiar with your specific hand signals in adavance, that one would confuse me. If you had said, "palm facing down, moving hand up and down repeatedly," it would have made more sense to me. Personal opinion ... just saying.

 

[Rainer]

That's basically the same. It's just a lot easier to see a palm than a hand on edge, so facing it toward the buddy makes the signal easier to see. In reality, the signal is probably mostly faced down, with a bit of angle so it's easier for the other diver to see.

Thankfully, I almost always dive with people who use reasonably standard signals.

Unless I was familiar with your specific hand signals in adavance, that one would confuse me. If you had said, "palm facing down, moving hand up and down repeatedly," it would have made more sense to me. Personal opinion ... just saying.

 

[stairman]

He should have stopped you and asked you to slow down with the universal [I thought] sign of sorta waving up and down but mainly down, or write SLOW on a wrist slate, or take over the lead, or if he's used to diving solo just let you go.

 

[aquaregia]

It's worth mentioning that a slate's only $5-$10 if you buy one, and less if you just grab a random piece of plastic. I rarely write on mine, but I usually carry one.

Although to answer the OP, I also use palm down pat-pat.

 

[diver 85]

Sorta like this guy-----scroll till you see slow down then click short video..........

Scuba Diving & Underwater General & Basic Communications, Hand Signals - Dayo Scuba, Orlando, Florida

 

[vinegarbiscuit]

I say 'slow' by holding both hands in front of me at a 45-degree angle and moving them down-and-up. Sounds the same as hands-down pat-pat or the basketball dribble contributed by previous posters. I've also been known to catch up with a speedy dive leader and (at neutral buoyancy) move my arms and legs quickly to convey the image of a fast swimmer, and then dramatically mop my forehead. It's seemed to work in the past! Failing that, "SLOW" in a wrist-slate is pretty hard to misinterpret.

 

[lowtech]

I was told on several occasions to slow down during dives.
I thought I was going slow enough, but my buddies didn't think so.
Thinking about it for a while I found that I was using finning as a crutch for my buoyancy control.
Working on buoyancy, and making sure after each kick I came to a complete stop while staying neutral, helped me to slow down.
I've also found that unless your in current you only need small ankle movements to move along a reef.
Now I don't get told to slow down....as much

 

[fjpatrum]

Point at the diver, with one hand open, palm forward, repeatedly (a couple of times) move it forward and back (like you're dribbling a basket ball). For us, that means "slow down" or "calm down".

It's been my experience (both as a new diver and diving with new divers) that new divers generally all swim too fast. Learning to slow down and enjoy the process (and the little stuff) comes with experience.

Well, I may have been swimming faster than I realized but I was stopping to look at things along the way, and didn't feel any exertion at all... at the end of the dive he attributed it to "jets (him) versus splits (me)". I don't know what it was but I was actively trying to dive slowly and pay attention to that. I have no reference on my speed yet though, so it's certainly possible I was moving faster than I thought I was.

Thanks everyone for the ideas for signals. I have some pvc I was going to use as a slate but didn't get it ready for the dive... next time.