I forgot something really important the last time I dived.
Hand signals. It's bugged me that during my first dive in the sea I neglected one to follow one of the most basic procedures in scuba diving. When you enter enter the water and when you surface after a dive the first thing you should do is indicate to the boat crew that you're okay, using a recognised hand signal. I forgot.
My neglect was sort of excusable. Learning to dive is a bit lit learning to drive. There's so much to remember that you wonder how anyone manages to appear relaxed while doing it. I forgot to use hand signals because I had too much to think about.
While it's a great excuse, it's not something I want to repeat. Failing to signal your intentions when driving could lead to difficulties. Failing to signal when diving isn't quite as risky, as no one's likely to run into you as you perform an unexpected manoeuvre. But it's good practice to let the dive team on the boat, and your buddy, know that you're okay.
Successful diving relies on use of hand signals. They're the main form of communication what you're underwater. I was taught early on about the importance of the 'I'm okay' signal, which isn't a thumbs up, as you might expect.
The 'I'm okay' signal is both a question and a statement. When you give the sign to your buddy you're saying 'I'm okay, how about you?' and it prompts a response - usually 'I'm okay'.
This isn't the place to go into a list of hand signals, and it appears that they vary between the different diving groups. Suffice to say, a good grasp of the basic signals is important and they should be discussed with your buddy in advance, to reduce the risk of potential misunderstanding later.
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