Using signals for better communication

Article by Mark Powell

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place”

The “OK” signal is one of the most widely used signals in SCUBA diving. However, the very fact that it is so widely used can be a drawback. There are times when it is not used appropriately or is used as a reflex action rather than actually signifying anything. At other times it is used as a generic response when a more specific response is required.

Using signals for better communication

Consider the following scenarios;

Scenario 1

You decide that you are reaching the end of the dive, this could be because you are reaching your planned air limit or are approaching the end of your no-stop time. You turn to your buddy and give him the “thumbs up” signal.  Your buddy responds with the “OK” signal.

What does his response mean? Does it mean;

  • OK, I agree it’s time to go up
  • it’s OK I have plenty of air left so we can stay down a bit longer
  • I still have five minutes of no-stop time left so we can stay longer
  • I missed your signal and am giving an OK signal as a generic response
  • I missed your signal and I’m asking if you are OK

Scenario 2

You have been monitoring your SPG and your gauge now reads 70 bar / 1,000 PSI. You had planned your dive to finish with 50 bar / 750 PSI remaining so now would be a good time to start your ascent. You signal to your buddy that you have 70 bar / 1,000 PSI and she responds with the “OK” signal

What does her response mean? Does it mean;

  • OK, I understand that you are thinking we should start the ascent now in order to be back on the surface with 50 bar / 750 PSI
  • it’s OK I have plenty of air left
  • 50 bar / 750 PSI on the surface is very conservative, let’s stay a bit longer as it’s so amazing down here
  • I still have 5 minutes of no-stop time left so I want to stay a bit longer
  • I missed your signal and I’m asking if you are OK
  • I missed your signal and am giving an OK signal as a generic response
Using signals for better communication

Scenario 3

You are doing a dive along a reef and it is time to start the return leg in order to make sure you can make it back to the boat. You signal “turn around” to your buddy and they respond with “OK”.

What does the OK mean?

  • I agree, now is the time to turn around
  • It’s OK we have been swimming against the current so we will get back quicker
  • It’s OK, we are more than halfway around this reef so it will be quicker to carry on going around in the same direction.
  • It’s OK we can change the plan and get picked up by the inflatable boat rather than swimming back to the main boat.
  • it’s OK I have plenty of air left so we can go a bit further
  • I still have 5 minutes of no-stop time left so I want to stay a bit longer
  • I missed your signal and am giving an OK signal as a generic response
  • I missed your signal and I’m asking if you are OK

Scenario 4

You are diving on a wreck and reach a break in the wreckage. You decide that the best route is to turn left and signal the direction to your buddy and no surprise they respond with “OK”

What does the OK mean?

  • I agree, left seems to be the best way to go
  • I have no idea where to go but I’m happy to follow you
  • Yes, I can see the porthole you are pointing at over there
  • I missed your signal and am giving an OK signal as a generic response
  • I missed your signal and I’m asking if you are OK
Using signals for better communication

Scenario 5

You are doing a fantastic dive on a wreck a little bit deeper than you normally dive. It’s so good that you haven’t been very good at checking your air and after 35 minutes you feel increased breathing resistance when you inhale, the next few breaths are harder and when you look at your SPG you see that you are almost completely out of air. You give your buddy the “Out Of Air” signal and you are more than a little surprised when they respond with “OK”!

What does the “OK” mean?

  • It’s “OK” I see you are out of air and I’m going to donate air to you shortly
  • “OK” stop kidding around, now is not the time to be practicing OOA drills
  • I missed your signal and am giving an OK signal as a generic response
  • I missed your signal and I’m asking if you are OK

In the scenarios above the “OK” response wasn’t particularly helpful. In each case, the first option is that the “OK” response was given because the buddy did understand the original signal, agreed with it and was going to respond in the correct way. However, in each of the other options, the buddy had not seen, understood or agreed with the signal. These are the type of situations where divers get separated as one thought they had agreed to go up, turn around or go left while the other didn’t see the signal or thought they had agreed to carry on or stay a bit longer. In each case the divers both think that effective communication has taken place but that is not always the case.

Using signals for better communication

Clearer Communication

In order to avoid this type of miscommunication there are a set of principles that can be adopted.

  1. The “OK” signal only means “Are you OK” and “Yes I am OK”.
  2. Avoid using the OK signal as a generic “Yes” or “I agree” response.
  3. When a Command Signal, i.e. a signal to do a specific action, is given the response should be to return the same signal as an indication of agreement with the command.
  4. If you do not get the same signal back as an indication of agreement, repeat the signal.
  5. If your buddy tells you their air, reply with yours but also consider if they are implying that they may be low.

If we revisit the scenarios above and apply these principles, we can see that a clearer way for the buddy to respond would be;

Scenario 1

Diver “Thumb Up” – Buddy “Thumb Up”

Scenario 2

Diver “70 Bar / 1,000 PSI” – Buddy “80 Bar / 1,250 PSI”

Diver “Thumb Up” – Buddy “Thumb Up”

In this scenario the Buddy replied with their air but missed the fact that by signalling “70 Bar / 1,000 PSI” the diver was really trying to communicate that they had hit the point at which they should be ascending. If the buddy had better situational awareness the interaction may have gone like this;

Diver “70 Bar / 1,000 PSI” – Buddy “Thumb Up” – Diver “Thumb Up”

Using signals for better communication

Scenario 3

Diver “Turn Around” – Buddy “Turn Around”

Scenario 4

Diver “Go Left” – Buddy “Go Left”

Scenario 5

Diver “Out of Air” – Buddy “Donates Alternate Air Source”

In each case the initial diver is now completely certain that their signal was seen, understood and agreed with.

If your buddy does not agree with your signal, or did not see it, at least you now know that they did not see it or do not agree with it and can go from there. For example, if we revisit scenario 2 where you reached 70 bar and signalled “Thumbs Up” but your buddy signalled OK because they had plenty of air left the interaction would now look like

Diver “70 Bar / 1,000 PSI” – Buddy “OK”

Diver “Thumb Up” – Buddy “OK”

Diver “Thumb Up” – Buddy “Thumb Up”

On the second attempt the “OK” signal from the buddy is still ambiguous. It is only after the buddy has returned the “Thumb Up” signal that the diver really knows that they have understood and agree with the signal.

Similarly in Scenario 3 where the buddy responded to the turn around signal with “OK” because they missed your signal and was giving an OK signal as a generic response the interaction would now look like this;

Diver “Turn Around” – Buddy “OK”

Diver “Turn Around” – Buddy “Turn Around”

By adopting the simple principle of replying to a signal with confirmation of the same signal rather than a generic and ambiguous “OK” we can significantly reduce the chance of miscommunication. Communication is essential in every team but in diving it can literally make the difference between life and death.

“Nothing in life is more important than the ability to communicate effectively.”

1 reply
  1. Dan B
    Dan B says:

    Underwater communication suffers from the same drawbacks as written communication – it’s lacking all the complexities of verbal communication, like tone of voice and to a lesser extent, facial expressions. We must be clear in what we’re trying to express and leave no room for interpretation, otherwise we encounter problems. Great post!

    Reply

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