If you are just
starting out in scuba diving, you probably will not need scuba diving hand
signs. However, over the years you will develop skills, learn how to use them
properly, and want to impress your friends and family by using them correctly.
You can either get these signs professionally made, or if you are handy with a
needle and thread you can make them yourself. Either way, they will help you
out during your dives.
The basic sign used
most of the time is one arm signaling, which means you are not supposed to move
your hands at all during the dive. For example, it tells your friend that
you've been scuba diving for long enough to warm up a bit and need to stretch
out before a dive. The movements for scuba diving hand signs are fairly easy
and you can do them even if wearing regular dive gloves, while still being able
to do them on the bottom, where they won't get as wet.
Another common diving
sign is the two-handed signal, which means you are to wave your hands above the
ocean water with only one arm extended out in front of you. Usually, though, a
scuba diver will hold both hands in the same area of the Ocean Pleiote at all
times. This is because two hands are easier to see in the water, especially at
night. Some divers also use the "three-finger trick," meaning one
outstretched palm in front of your body and the other two fingers pointing
outwards. The idea here is to get more light and better visibility for your
underwater expeditions.
One of the most basic
scuba diving hand signals is called the adex. It is an extremely useful device
that provides an underwater camera through its built-in optic system. A small
lens is placed above the adex's eye, and when your hands are extended above the
water, the lens will automatically focus on the area you want to take a
picture. If you're planning to dive in absolutely dark conditions (and for a
lot of people who plan to scuba dive in the black depths of oceans and other
such places), the adex is an excellent tool to have. The ability to use the
camera without getting someone's undivided attention is very helpful.
Autofocusing underwater
hand signals is another common device used by divers. These underwater hand
signals require a lens to be placed behind the diver's mask. Once it has been
mounted behind the mask, it will then focus an image on the diver's eyes. This
feature is especially helpful in low-light conditions where the sun can easily
make objects on the floor nearly invisible.
In addition to the many
practical uses for scuba diving hand signals, these underwater devices play a
large part in marine conservation efforts. Many divers work with local
organizations in order to obtain funding for trips or research expeditions to
observe and document aquatic life. These dives can lead to exciting
discoveries, but it also helps to document a specific habitat or species in the
wild so that it can be protected in the future. As a result, a diver who is
properly equipped with the proper underwater signals can help save the world by
helping to protect various underwater species today, and in the future.
