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Numbers by hand signals made easy
by Bill Crowley
In many ways, a good diving partnership is much like a good marriage. Both require a certain amount of teamwork, cooperation, compromise, and understanding. Any successful marriage partner knows that last one, understanding, is dependent upon a priceless skill-communication. Without good communication, there cannot be true understanding, and that spells trouble underwater, just as it does in the state of matrimony.
For example, how many times have you and a partner been merrily swimming along, and you checked your gauges, then wondered how much air your partner had, too? You swim over to him, tap your gauge and then point to his. If you have good communication skills and both of you "speak the same language", he's able to tell you quickly and efficiently. If you haven't agreed on the "language", however, the answer to your simple question could be a confusing array of signs, numbered digits waved frantically about, and possibly completely unintelligible signals that could spell trouble for the rest of the dive.
Of course, you could simply offer him a glance at your SPG, but that's not always convenient, and he may not be totally familiar with your equipment's display. Many times, the hand signals require both hands and still may not be completely clear. Throw in the fact that the dive is at night and one hand is occupied with holding the light, and things get totally "out of hand."
It doesn't have to be that way. There's an extremely easy way to sign this information using, for the most part, a single hand. It's simple, clear, and leaves little room for misinterpretation if both divers know the gestures ahead of time. It goes something like this:
Let's say you have 1800 pounds of air in your tank and you want to convey this to your buddy. With one hand, you hold up a single digit and then tap it on your other forearm (I know, that uses both hands, but you could just as easily tap your chest or some other body part as long as you agree to it beforehand). That signifies 1000 pounds. Then hold up one full hand, fingers spread. Each finger denotes 100 pounds. That's five hundred plus the original 1000, or 1500. Now, hold up another three fingers. Three hundred plus fifteen hundred is eighteen hundred pounds. It all adds up.
Simple, huh? Just add the numbers together. Let's try another. How would you indicate a pressure of 2200 pounds? Think about it. Hold up two digits and then tap. That's 2000 pounds. Hold up another two digits for 200. Add. Twenty-two hundred pounds is the answer displayed.
One more time. What would 700 pounds look like? Hold up five fingers, then two more. Five hundred plus two hundred is seven hundred. It's fast, easy and there's no room for mistakes. If you're holding a dive light on your hand, you can display all numerals with the other. It's readable from a distance, and it's clear, clean communication.
Give it a try with your dive partner next time you hit the water. Anything we can do to make our dives more enjoyable and less frustrating is-just like in a good marriage-worth the time and effort to learn.
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