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Dear Scuba Divers: I wanted to share something with you on American Sign Language (ASL). I was born profoundly deaf in both ears and American Sign language is my native language. I am a certified NAUI basic scuba diver and after I complete the rest of four more dives, I will become NAUI advanced scuba diver. Currently, I am enrolled at University of Florida and taking YMCA/CMAS open water II and SLAM courses with an interpreter. What I wanted to share with you is that I wrote a letter to Mr. Keith Silman, chairman of the NAUI board of director's to include American Sign Language in one of NAUI's specialty courses. I am praying that might happen soon. American Sign Language and fingerspelling is an asset to the international scuba signs. There are so many spieces of fishes, corals, mammals, and so forth. There is a sign for each spieces in American Sign Language. If you ask, "How could that work for me?" Simple, suppose you and me are diving buddies and diving in a ocean. Suddenly, we saw an interesting fish and was wondering what was that? First we point at that creature and fingerspell it then create a sign for that creature. Simple? Yes and not to mention, it's fun. American Sign language is not only for the deaf but it is a language of the deaf people and you can learn by doing. This is a cool language because you can communicate above and under the water. Let me give you an example how would this benefit you as a diver. Suppose, you and your diving buddy is diving 75 feet deep doing some wreck observation. Suddenly, you saw a simple minor problem that could be resolved in matter of seconds. Somehow, without knowing American Sign Language, you saw a bubble coming out from the back of the buddy's back but do not know what that was. Then your buddy gives you a thumbs up sign, to terminate the dive. 75 feet plus decompression time and finally reached the surface, and your buddy asked what was wrong? You had bubbles coming out from the back of your tank or something, and found out that the purge valve on your BC was slipping a little air. Then you simply moved the purge string in the lower back from the velrco which you moved the string away from the purge valve caused to let out a tiny air. You get pissed off because this can be resolved by moving the string away from the velrco. Communication is essential and little things can be assured by communicating instead of ringing an alarm down 75 feet along with the panic feeling of not knowing what excatly is going on. (I am trying to make an example, I am sure different situations as simple as that had arised somewhere), Another point, ASL will be extremly essential to the technical divers because times you need acurate information for some reason and along with various cave divers signs will maximize your communication ability. Talking under the water using ASL will make your diving a joy because you actually will be discussing things of great importance that you will always cherish your diving memories. Wish you a safe scuba diving. [\] Stephen Joseph Hardy, II ------------------------------------------------------- Stephen Joseph Hardy, II University of Florida 4 LAS Political Science Gainesville, Florida International Relations "Home of the Gators" -------------------------------------------------------
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