Hand Signal in Emergency When Diving

Hand Signal in an Emergency - For divers and would-be divers, the ability to communicate using hand signals is important when enjoying the beauty of the underwater world as well as in an emergency. Below are some of the hand cues to use when dealing with emergencies, such as cold, sore ears, lack of air, cues to ask for help to share air.

- Freezing

Both hands hug your body. This hand signal is emitted when the diver begins to feel cold. Chills can occur if the diver is in the water for too long or wears inappropriate protective clothing or if the diver is in unsanitary conditions while diving. Divers who are cold should advise the instructor or dive leader to return to the surface safely.

- Sore Ears

The index finger points towards the ear followed by "the there is a problem"signal. This hand signal is used when the diver is hearing impaired while descending into deeper water (Descent) or vice versa when the diver is about to head into shallower water.

Divers who have difficulty descending are encouraged to swim a little high as they equalize until they do. If the diver cannot overcome this equalization disturbance or the hearing problem persists, it is best to stop the dive and return to the surface slowly.

- Lack of Air

The palms of the hands face down in front of the neck and repeatedly move left and right. This manual signal is used when the diver runs out of air during the dive. After performing this signal with the hand out of the air, the diver continues with the hand signal asking for help to share the air with the diving instructor or dive buddy, and continues with the Up hand signal.

- Share Air

The right hand holds the mouthpiece and the fingertips of the left hand meet and point towards the mouth. This hand signal is to inform the dive buddy to share the air.