This is embarrassing...

[archisgore]

but how do you sign numbers greater than 5 with one hand?

[archisgore]

Aside from the trivial answer of using a pen in one hand and writing it. :-P

(I'm sure there's some imminent smartass comments.)

[spatman]

http://www.breakaway.cc/scubadive/SignsNumbers.php

[BillZ]

http://www.deepseasherpa.com/blog/train ... s-numbers/

Edit: Spatman beat me to it

[LCF]

Didn't Koos go through that in Fundies? I'm surprised.

[Linedog]

Or, 5 fingers 5 fingers 3 fingers equals 13.

[Jeremy]

Didn't Koos go through that in Fundies? I'm surprised.

I don't think he does. I learned it from Mercer in Bonaire while doing deco drills.

[kdupreez]

Ruh-Roh… Archis and Jeremy.. Someone didnt read his "required reading" materials for fundies…

GUE Fundamentals for Better Diving - by Jarrod Jablonski.. Chapter 3, under the Communication heading on Page 47..

But no, we dont specifically cover all diving and numeric signals as its assumed you have at least read the materials and if you had no clue and asked, it will be covered..

[mpenders]

I teach the same technique during OW classes - figuring that if you're planning on diving in the NW, you'll likely encounter night-diving conditions, regardless of time of day. Easier to get the new divers used to signaling with one hand from the get-go, then progress to shining a light on it with their other when it becomes necessary.

[kdupreez]

yup - i learnt this in my OW class here pnw too and also teach it that way in OW.

[Grateful Diver]

... it's also a handout in my AOW class ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[LCF]

Peter teaches that system in OW, too.

[archisgore]

Yeah ok, so that's what I always thought it was. I had a confused buddy one of these days, and that confused me. I wanted to take him down to 70, and he read that as 20.

[archisgore]

About Fundies..... the only required prep I got for Fundies, was experienced advice from Jeremy - to impress Koos, flip him the bird at 100', and do a CESA to the surface. Did I miss something?

[Jeremy]

About Fundies..... the only required prep I got for Fundies, was experienced advice from Jeremy - to impress Koos, flip him the bird at 100', and do a CESA to the surface. Did I miss something?

Say "ahhhhhhhhhh" all the way to the surface...

[archisgore]

So that's why Koos was mad. He didn't head the Ahhhhhhh.

[Peter Guy]

Funny -- I had another instructor criticize me for teaching the one hand numbering system in my open water class. He said it was just confusing.

[oldsalt]

Funny -- I had another instructor criticize me for teaching the one hand numbering system in my open water class. He said it was just confusing.

As much effort as the certifying agencies have made to standardize hand signals, they are anything but standard. I found changes over time, regional differences, and some just seem quirky. When diving with someone new, discussing and agreeing on hand signals should be part of the pre-dive procedure, IMHO.
I learned that by screwing it up.
-Curt

[Mortuus]

About Fundies..... the only required prep I got for Fundies, was experienced advice from Jeremy - to impress Koos, flip him the bird at 100', and do a CESA to the surface. Did I miss something?

Say "ahhhhhhhhhh" all the way to the surface...

IIRC, it was actually "Brahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" he was supposed to say..

[Grateful Diver]

Funny -- I had another instructor criticize me for teaching the one hand numbering system in my open water class. He said it was just confusing.

Many instructors ... and some agencies ... approach OW training as though they're teaching idiots. I've found that most OW students are capable of amazing things if you just treat them as though they're capable of learning those things ... and take the time to explain them clearly.

Then again, you have to understand it before you can teach it to someone else ... and a lot of the confusion that some instructors face from their students stems from their own confusion understanding what they're trying to teach ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[JayO]

I didn't know there was another way other than one hand.

[johnclark]

Now I'm worried what else Archis missed! =D

[Skyflyer]

It might be of interest to some that these hand signals have been used by aviators for many decades (perhaps even predating WWII) to pass number information from the cockpit to ground crew, fuelers, gate agents and rampers.