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From: "Stephen Joseph Hardy, II" <maple.circa.ufl.edu@te*.ne*>
Organization: University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 3261
To: techdiver@terra.net
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 09:18:32 -500
Subject: (Fwd) (Fwd) Please post this for me on SCUBA-L

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
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Stephen Joseph Hardy, II         University of Florida
4 LAS Political Science          Gainesville, Florida 
International Relations          "Home of the Gators"
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