Free reference · Mindful Diving Institute
Scuba diving hand signals
The signals below are the ones divers actually use. They are a reference, not a standard: your agency training and your pre-dive briefing decide what you use in the water. Agree them with your buddy before every dive — including the ones you think are obvious.
This page is complementary to, and never a substitute for, the safety standards and training of SSI, PADI, CMAS, RAID and other agencies. Signals are agreed in the briefing. Never use mindfulness practices during task-critical phases, and never breath-hold on scuba.
The essential five
Agreed before every dive, by every diver, in every language.
OK
How
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.Means
Both a question and an answer. Asked, it must be answered — silence is not an OK.Not OK / problem
How
Flat hand, palm down, rocked side to side, then point at what is wrong.Means
Something is off. Say it early, at amber, not late at red.Up / end the dive
How
Closed fist, thumb up.Means
An instruction, not an opinion. Any diver may end any dive, at any time, without giving a reason.Down / descend
How
Closed fist, thumb down.Means
Begin or continue the descent, at the agreed rate.Stop / hold
How
Flat open palm facing the buddy.Means
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?
How
Flat hand tapped twice against the open palm of the other hand, or two fingers to the palm.Means
Answer with numbers, honestly and immediately.Half / turn pressure
How
Flat hand held horizontally at chest height, or the agreed number shown on fingers.Means
The turn point of the dive plan has arrived.Low on gas
How
Closed fist to the centre of the chest.Means
Reserve reached. Begin the ascent plan now, together.Out of gas
How
Flat hand drawn across the throat.Means
An emergency. Follow the out-of-gas procedure you trained with your agency and rehearsed with this buddy.Share gas
How
Fingers of a flat hand brought to the mouth, then reaching toward the buddy's alternate.Means
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
How
Two fingers pointed toward your own eyes, then toward the object.Means
Direct your attention here.Go that way
How
Flat hand held vertically, fingers pointing in the direction of travel.Means
The agreed heading.Slow down
How
Flat hand, palm down, pressed gently downward.Means
Reduce pace and workload. Almost always the right answer.Level off / stay at this depth
How
Flat hand, palm down, held steady and horizontal.Means
Hold this depth.Safety stop
How
Three fingers raised over a flat horizontal hand: three minutes, five metres.Means
Hold the stop as planned. A good moment for slow, continuous breathing — nothing else.Stay together
How
Two index fingers held side by side.Means
Close the distance and dive as a pair.
Problems and the body
Naming a small problem early is the whole skill.
Ear problem
How
Point to the ear.Means
Equalisation is not working. Stop the descent, ascend slightly, try again gently. Never force.Cold
How
Arms crossed over the chest, hands rubbing the upper arms.Means
Thermal reserve is going. Cold is a common quiet cause of anxiety and short dives.Cramp
How
Two fists brought together and pulled apart.Means
Stop, stretch, let the buddy help.Slow your breathing
How
Flat hand moved slowly up and down in front of the chest.Means
Return to slow, continuous breathing. Never breath-holding, skip-breathing or hypoventilation.Dizzy / disoriented
How
Index finger circled beside the head.Means
Hold on to something stable, hold depth, signal the buddy and end the dive if it persists.
The Water Gallery
Three additions we agree on the surface
Standard signal sets are excellent at emergencies and almost silent about the state just before one. These three are agreed in the Buddy Agreement before entry, in addition to — never instead of — your agency's signals.
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.
Flashcards
One signal at a time. Read the name, picture the hand, then turn the card to check the shape and the meaning.
Quick check
Eight signals, one shape each. Every answer comes with the reason — the meaning matters more than the score.
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Common questions
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.
Where signals become presence.
MD-1 Mindful Diver™ trains the pre-dive agreement, the early signal and the settled response until they are available when they are needed — inside the agency certification you already hold.
Silence has a language.