Sometimes a diver will be in such trouble that he or she can’t signal. It’s for that reason that all participants should keep one eye on a partner at all times. That’s difficult to do when you’re enjoying a dive. There are many interesting distractions. But it’s the best way to stay safe. You and your partners will appreciate it if it ever becomes necessary to take action.

When you glance at your partner, he or she and you both should already be well familiar with common dive signals. Even as few as a half-dozen well-practiced signals that you can recognize underwater can save a life. All of them should be practiced in advance and immediately after diving under the surface to confirm visibility. Obviously, you should make clear to each partner that it is just a practice drill.

At the surface, if you get into trouble, raise and extend an arm and wave it up and down as if ready to slice the water. That signals you have an emergency and need help. Those on the boat should be watching at all times for just such an occurrence.

Under the water there are a number of signals used to indicate trouble. One is to simply point to the head and shake your head in a common ‘No’. That could indicate a problem with the air supply, for example. If that’s the trouble use the following to suggest buddy breathing. Lift your arm and bend at the elbow. Point a finger across your chest and move it back and forth.

For external dangers, extend your arm and point a finger, shaking your head no. Be sure not to confuse this with an ordinary expression of desire to show something interesting under the water. That should not involve head shaking.

If you experience excessive cold it can cause serious damage within a few minutes. In extreme cases, nerve damage to hands and feet can be permanent. Before things reach this level, fold your arms, make fists and imitate a broad shiver. You should surface as quickly as safety allows.

That ascension can be signaled by holding a fist at shoulder level and extending a thumb upward, then wave the fist upward. Take care though not to rise too fast when you can avoid it. You may start to feel the effects of nitrogen narcosis. If you do, point your finger toward your head and wave it around in the classic “He’s crazy” fashion.

When all is safe and you want to descend, simply reverse the ascension signal by making a fist at shoulder height and point the thumb down. Wave it downward a few times. Before you start to go, you may want to join your partner, so give the ‘buddy up’ sign. Extend your hand and put the index and middle finger together, like the Cub Scout sign.

When everything is ok, you can signal so by using the classic sign. Just make a circle with your thumb and index finger, with the other three fingers together and straight. In some cases, this is posing a question: “Are you OK?” Agree in advance on the meaning. In this case, you can use the same thumb and finger circle, with the other three fingers circled too, to answer “Yes, I’m OK.”

On the surface, you can use one arm circled and touching the head to signal OK. If you have both arms free make the circle by touching the tips of the fingers together over your head.

Learning these simple signals can keep you and your partners safer underwater. That increases the odds that you’ll be able to enjoy a dive a second time.

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