Kostenloses Nachschlagewerk · Mindful Diving Institute
Scuba diving hand signals
Die folgenden Zeichen werden beim Tauchen tatsächlich verwendet. Sie dienen als Referenz, nicht als Standard: Deine Verbandsausbildung und dein Briefing vor dem Tauchgang bestimmen, was du im Wasser verwendest. Stimme sie vor jedem Tauchgang mit deinem Buddy ab — auch die Zeichen, die dir selbstverständlich erscheinen.
Diese Seite ergänzt die Sicherheitsstandards und die Ausbildung von SSI, PADI, CMAS, RAID und anderen Verbänden und ersetzt sie niemals. Signale werden im Briefing vereinbart. Wende Achtsamkeitspraktiken niemals während aufgabenkritischer Phasen an und halte beim Gerätetauchen niemals den Atem an.
The essential five
Agreed before every dive, by every diver, in every language.
OK
Wie
Thumb and index finger joined in a circle, the other three fingers extended. With gloves or at distance, arm over the head in a circle.Mittel
Both a question and an answer. Asked, it must be answered — silence is not an OK.Not OK / problem
Wie
Flat hand, palm down, rocked side to side, then point at what is wrong.Mittel
Something is off. Say it early, at amber, not late at red.Up / end the dive
Wie
Closed fist, thumb up.Mittel
An instruction, not an opinion. Any diver may end any dive, at any time, without giving a reason.Down / descend
Wie
Closed fist, thumb down.Mittel
Begin or continue the descent, at the agreed rate.Stop / hold
Wie
Flat open palm facing the buddy.Mittel
Stop adding tasks and stabilise here. The most under-used signal in diving.
Gas and pressure
Numbers vary by agency and by region. Agree yours on the surface.
How much gas?
Wie
Flat hand tapped twice against the open palm of the other hand, or two fingers to the palm.Mittel
Answer with numbers, honestly and immediately.Half / turn pressure
Wie
Flat hand held horizontally at chest height, or the agreed number shown on fingers.Mittel
The turn point of the dive plan has arrived.Low on gas
Wie
Closed fist to the centre of the chest.Mittel
Reserve reached. Begin the ascent plan now, together.Out of gas
Wie
Flat hand drawn across the throat.Mittel
An emergency. Follow the out-of-gas procedure you trained with your agency and rehearsed with this buddy.Share gas
Wie
Fingers of a flat hand brought to the mouth, then reaching toward the buddy's alternate.Mittel
Give me your alternate air source. Practised on land, then in shallow water, before it is needed.
Direction, depth and pace
Most task-loading happens here. Keep signals slow and single.
Look / watch me
Wie
Two fingers pointed toward your own eyes, then toward the object.Mittel
Direct your attention here.Go that way
Wie
Flat hand held vertically, fingers pointing in the direction of travel.Mittel
The agreed heading.Slow down
Wie
Flat hand, palm down, pressed gently downward.Mittel
Reduce pace and workload. Almost always the right answer.Level off / stay at this depth
Wie
Flat hand, palm down, held steady and horizontal.Mittel
Hold this depth.Safety stop
Wie
Three fingers raised over a flat horizontal hand: three minutes, five metres.Mittel
Hold the stop as planned. A good moment for slow, continuous breathing — nothing else.Stay together
Wie
Two index fingers held side by side.Mittel
Close the distance and dive as a pair.
Problems and the body
Naming a small problem early is the whole skill.
Ear problem
Wie
Point to the ear.Mittel
Equalisation is not working. Stop the descent, ascend slightly, try again gently. Never force.Cold
Wie
Arms crossed over the chest, hands rubbing the upper arms.Mittel
Thermal reserve is going. Cold is a common quiet cause of anxiety and short dives.Cramp
Wie
Two fists brought together and pulled apart.Mittel
Stop, stretch, let the buddy help.Slow your breathing
Wie
Flat hand moved slowly up and down in front of the chest.Mittel
Return to slow, continuous breathing. Never breath-holding, skip-breathing or hypoventilation.Dizzy / disoriented
Wie
Index finger circled beside the head.Mittel
Hold on to something stable, hold depth, signal the buddy and end the dive if it persists.
Die Wassergalerie
Drei Ergänzungen, die wir an der Oberfläche vereinbaren
Die üblichen Tauchzeichen eignen sich hervorragend für Notfälle, sagen aber kaum etwas über den Zustand unmittelbar davor aus. Diese drei Zeichen werden vor dem Einstieg in der Buddy-Vereinbarung festgelegt, zusätzlich zu — niemals anstelle von — den Zeichen deiner Ausbildungsorganisation.
Amber
Flat hand tilted side to side, then the OK question. Agreed in the Buddy Agreement before entry.
I am not in trouble, and I am not fine. Slow down, stay close, check me again in a minute.
Settle
Open palm lowered slowly, held still for one full breath cycle.
Nothing is wrong. Take one breath here before the next task. The in-water form of STILL.
Notice this
Two fingers to the eyes, then held open toward the water rather than at an object.
Not a fish or a hazard — the whole scene. An invitation to look wide for a moment.
Lernkarten
Ein Zeichen nach dem anderen. Lies den Namen, stell dir die Hand vor. Drehe dann die Karte um und prüfe Handform und Bedeutung.
Kurzcheck
Acht Zeichen, jedes mit einer eigenen Handform. Zu jeder Antwort gehört eine Erklärung — die Bedeutung zählt mehr als die Punktzahl.
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Häufige Fragen
Are scuba hand signals the same in every agency and country?
The essential signals — OK, up, down, stop, out of gas — are effectively universal across SSI, PADI, CMAS, RAID and others. Beyond those, details differ by agency, region and dive site. That is why the briefing, not the internet, is the final authority: agree your signals with your buddy and guide before every dive.
What is the most important hand signal in diving?
The thumb up. It ends the dive, it is an instruction rather than a request, and any diver may give it at any time without providing a reason. A close second is the flat open palm — stop — because most incidents grow out of tasks added on top of a situation that was already full.
Why is thumb up 'ascend' rather than OK?
Because on land the thumb up means approval, and underwater it means end the dive. Confusing the two costs dives and occasionally more. Underwater, OK is always the finger-and-thumb circle, never the thumb alone.
How do I signal that I am anxious but not in danger?
Most standard signal sets have no word for this, which is why divers stay silent until the situation is red. Mindful Diving™ adds an agreed amber signal — not in trouble, not fine — so the pair can slow down and stay close early. It is agreed on the surface in the Buddy Agreement and never replaces an agency signal.
Can I practise hand signals before diving?
Yes, and it is the cheapest safety practice there is. Run through the whole set on land with your buddy, then again with masks on in shallow water. Signals you have rehearsed together arrive faster than signals you have only read.
Wo aus Signalen Präsenz wird.
MD-1 Mindful Diver™ übt die Absprache vor dem Tauchgang, das frühe Signal und die ruhige Reaktion. So lange, bis sie im entscheidenden Moment verfügbar sind — innerhalb der Grenzen deiner bestehenden Verbandszertifizierung.
Stille hat eine Sprache.