How well do you know the standardized visual signals known as surface signaling? Are you capable of being seen and understood when you need to communicate with surface support personnel? You may be adept at signaling underwater, but there are a few signals you should be ready to use on the surface if the need arises, plus there is some equipment you should be sure to carry in case of emergency.
OK Signal
Anytime you surface and you and your buddy are OK, give the OK signal as a courtesy to the boat crew, even if you are only a few feet from the boat. If you surface far from the boat and everything is fine, be sure to do the same. When you’re some distance from the crew, the standard underwater OK signal is too small to be properly interpreted; use the full arm OK signal, creating a large letter “O” over your head with both of your arms. If one arm is busy, use only a single arm to create an O, bending your elbow and pointing your fingers straight down to touch the top of your head. This same signal applies when shore diving; it lets your spotter know that all is well.
Need Assistance Getting Back to the Boat
If you are OK but need to be picked up, hold one arm straight over your head with your fist clenched. This lets the crew know that they need to come get you, but that you are not in danger. Be sure to stay calm and continue to signal until the boat arrives.
A Real Distress Signal
Unless a true emergency exists, you should never wave one or both arms above your head to signal a boat crew. This signal is used expressly for indicating that a real emergency situation is in progress, and that immediate assistance is needed. Use this signal if you are having trouble maintaining buoyancy at the surface, if a diver is missing or unconscious, or if another emergency situation such as illness or injury exists.
In the event you are shore diving and you use this signal, emergency crews will probably be dispatched to come to your aid. Use the signal judiciously.
Attracting Attention When You Believe Others Cannot See You
There are several different ways to attract attention while on the surface. Using a whistle works when others are nearby, but other products such as Scub-Alert from Aquatec and Dive Alert from Ideations are essentially air horns that use a little burst of air from your tank to produce a noisy blast that can be heard for a distance of up to about a mile away. Whether you use a whistle or one of these new methods for signaling, keep making noise until you are spotted or until you are no longer physically able to do so.
Safety Sausages, or Inflatable Surface Markers are another essential piece of signaling equipment. Ideal for drift diving as well as to aid crews in spotting divers during poor weather, these markers should be fully inflated so they maintain a vertical profile, increasing the chance of quick pickup.
Mirrors, signal flares maintained in watertight packages, and even a brightly colored scuba fin or any other colorful object that sticks up above the surface can catch rescuers’ attention. Use reflective materials, strobes, and dive lights to be seen at night, and remember to equip yourself as well as possible in order to be prepared for any situation.