"I am OK" signal by rexel...Often times we see this hand signal from a diver.. indicating he is okay, or is asking his dive buddy if he is okay. Circle with thumb and index finger, while keeping middle finger straight. a variation of this is forming a large circle with both hands above the head while underwater or one hand forming a circle touching the head while floating as this can be difficult to see the hand ok sign from a distance. In a night dive or cave diving where visibility is difficult, flashlight signal is used by drawing a circle on the ground or to illuminate your hand signal. Another way of signaling, when one diver is connected with a rope with a dive buddy in a low visibility situation, is to pull the rope once to indicate you are okay or ask if he is okay.. two pulls indicates stay put or stationary. This rope signal is also used for the rope tendered to a boatman above.
In my first few dives I got confused with this ok signal with the thumb up sign we usually do in tierra firma.. .the thumb up sign, a gesture of closed fist held with the thumb extended upward, is generally an approval gesture. In china, it is a "you number one " sign or after a meal, it is an approval of a delicious dishes eaten. In basketball, a double thumbs up is a jump-ball!!! In SCUBA diving, thumb up sign is a signal to go up.. So now I know, I dont use the thumb up sign to mean I am ok anymore because the last time I did that, my dive buddy abruptly went up to surface.
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