Scuba Communications Underwater

Scuba Communication Underwater

 Did you ever have a situation while diving, just how to gain your buddy’s or someone else’s attention while underwater?  As it used to be said on the radio show "The Lone Ranger", let me take you back to those thrilling days of yesteryear. 

During my early days, we were so busy learning the art of diving that underwater communication was not at the forefront of our minds.  The two gestures we used the most were up and down.  For down it was thumbs down and for up it was thumbs up.  Simple but efficient.  Of course, low on air was also a given by pointing to your regulator and bringing your thumb and forefinger together.       

        Down                                  Up                                 Low on Air

Most of the time a dive in the Great Lakes was preplanned to the extent that additional communication was not necessary.  We said all there was to say while on the surface, either before or after the dive. 

One thing we did learn was that we could actually talk to one another while underwater.  If you would get right up to the other diver’s ear and say the words, similar to what a ventriloquist would do, you could get your point across.  It usually consisted of one or two words but the other diver understood, in addition, the visibility was so poor you were never very far away from each other. 

Fast forward to the last twenty years of diving in the oceans and more visibility than 20 feet of distance.  Now, first of all, you shouldn’t be much more than 20 feet away from your buddy, even with good visibility, in order to give assistance if necessary. 

I find yelling into your mouthpiece is very effective in close quarters and it even travels quite a distance underwater.  The alternative means is rapping your tank with a knife or other metal object.  They do make what is known as a “Tank Banger” which is a rubber band with a small ball attached that goes around the tank and can be pulled out and let go to make a similar sound.  Unfortunately, these items have to be relocated to another tank for the next dive or the bands deteriorate and break after a while.       

                                                  Tank Banger

 The next item on the market is the air-assisted underwater buzzer that hooks into your BCD line between the hose and the hand controls.  If you are going to invest in one of these, I recommend spending a little additional money and getting the one that allows the diver to select between underwater and the surface.  This becomes very useful if you come to the surface and the boat is not positioned so they can see you. I assure you they will hear this horn.   

Over the years there have been a number of underwater hand signals developed for a diver's use.  These are only helpful if the person you are trying to communicate with has studied the same group of signals.  This is obvious when you take an out-of-country trip and buddy up with another diver that may or may not know what you are trying to say.  I frankly rely on the up, down, and low on-air signals and still talk no matter what the visibility.   

Someone came out with a small plastic megaphone that was supposed to be placed close to your buddies' ear so they could hear you.  As good of a conductor as water is, this item lent no additional volume or clarity to the spoken word. 

Finally, there is the writing slate.  This consists of a wrist-mounted piece of plastic or a writing slate attached to the BCD that can be written on with a wax pencil.  I don’t think you can get much more of a direct communicator but I have seen that sometimes the pencil doesn't work that well or gets broken in the process of carrying it.                       

Writing Slate

I can see the benefit during a scientific expedition where communication or just plain record keeping is a must and they have since developed more sophisticated devices for that purpose, but for every day recreational diving it’s just another accessory to be harnessed with. 

My experience with underwater communications is if you have a  buddy you dive with on a regular basis, communication almost becomes second nature to the point where you have a tendency to anticipate one another's moves even before they express them.  

Can you hear me now?

George