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Scuba diving hand signals
I segnali qui sotto sono quelli effettivamente usati dai subacquei. Sono un riferimento, non uno standard: la formazione della tua didattica e il briefing prima dell'immersione determinano quali usare in acqua. Concordali con il tuo compagno prima di ogni immersione — anche quelli che ti sembrano ovvi.
Questa pagina è complementare e non sostituisce mai gli standard di sicurezza e la formazione di SSI, PADI, CMAS, RAID e altre agenzie didattiche. I segnali vengono concordati durante il briefing. Non usare mai pratiche di consapevolezza durante le fasi operative critiche e non trattenere mai il respiro durante le immersioni con autorespiratore.
The essential five
Agreed before every dive, by every diver, in every language.
OK
Come
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.Mezzi
Both a question and an answer. Asked, it must be answered — silence is not an OK.Not OK / problem
Come
Flat hand, palm down, rocked side to side, then point at what is wrong.Mezzi
Something is off. Say it early, at amber, not late at red.Up / end the dive
Come
Closed fist, thumb up.Mezzi
An instruction, not an opinion. Any diver may end any dive, at any time, without giving a reason.Down / descend
Come
Closed fist, thumb down.Mezzi
Begin or continue the descent, at the agreed rate.Stop / hold
Come
Flat open palm facing the buddy.Mezzi
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?
Come
Flat hand tapped twice against the open palm of the other hand, or two fingers to the palm.Mezzi
Answer with numbers, honestly and immediately.Half / turn pressure
Come
Flat hand held horizontally at chest height, or the agreed number shown on fingers.Mezzi
The turn point of the dive plan has arrived.Low on gas
Come
Closed fist to the centre of the chest.Mezzi
Reserve reached. Begin the ascent plan now, together.Out of gas
Come
Flat hand drawn across the throat.Mezzi
An emergency. Follow the out-of-gas procedure you trained with your agency and rehearsed with this buddy.Share gas
Come
Fingers of a flat hand brought to the mouth, then reaching toward the buddy's alternate.Mezzi
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
Come
Two fingers pointed toward your own eyes, then toward the object.Mezzi
Direct your attention here.Go that way
Come
Flat hand held vertically, fingers pointing in the direction of travel.Mezzi
The agreed heading.Slow down
Come
Flat hand, palm down, pressed gently downward.Mezzi
Reduce pace and workload. Almost always the right answer.Level off / stay at this depth
Come
Flat hand, palm down, held steady and horizontal.Mezzi
Hold this depth.Safety stop
Come
Three fingers raised over a flat horizontal hand: three minutes, five metres.Mezzi
Hold the stop as planned. A good moment for slow, continuous breathing — nothing else.Stay together
Come
Two index fingers held side by side.Mezzi
Close the distance and dive as a pair.
Problems and the body
Naming a small problem early is the whole skill.
Ear problem
Come
Point to the ear.Mezzi
Equalisation is not working. Stop the descent, ascend slightly, try again gently. Never force.Cold
Come
Arms crossed over the chest, hands rubbing the upper arms.Mezzi
Thermal reserve is going. Cold is a common quiet cause of anxiety and short dives.Cramp
Come
Two fists brought together and pulled apart.Mezzi
Stop, stretch, let the buddy help.Slow your breathing
Come
Flat hand moved slowly up and down in front of the chest.Mezzi
Return to slow, continuous breathing. Never breath-holding, skip-breathing or hypoventilation.Dizzy / disoriented
Come
Index finger circled beside the head.Mezzi
Hold on to something stable, hold depth, signal the buddy and end the dive if it persists.
La galleria dell’acqua
Tre integrazioni da concordare in superficie
I segnali standard sono eccellenti nelle emergenze, ma dicono pochissimo sullo stato che le precede. Questi tre segnali vengono concordati nell’accordo tra compagni prima di entrare in acqua, in aggiunta — mai in sostituzione — ai segnali della tua agenzia didattica.
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.
Schede di ripasso
Un segnale alla volta. Leggi il nome, immagina la mano, poi gira la scheda per verificare la forma e il significato.
Controllo rapido
Otto segnali, ciascuno con una forma. Ogni risposta è accompagnata da una spiegazione: il significato conta più del punteggio.
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Domande frequenti
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.
Dove i segnali diventano presenza.
MD-1 Mindful Diver™ allena l'accordo prima dell'immersione, il segnale precoce e la risposta calma, finché diventano disponibili quando servono — entro i limiti del brevetto della didattica che già possiedi.
Il silenzio ha un linguaggio.