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Hi Everyone,

Someone asked if there was a line signal to say you are being held too
tight.  There is, 4 bells.

I thought it might confuse the issue a bit if I posted the commercial
line signals, so Here they are;

This is taken from Commercial Diving Manual,
By Richard Larn and Rex Whistler.
1989 ed, ISBN 0-7153-9417-7
Published by David & Charles (publishers) Ltd
I think it has been updated since that edition

There is a bit in the front about not doing what I'm doing now, but I
think that this small section is covered under the bit about "for
academic discussion and review".  Anyway, it's a good read, so get one!

SINGLE LIFELINE CODE - ATTENDANT(the one on the surface) TO DIVER

General Signals
1 pull -------------------------To call attention
                                Are you well?
2 pulls ------------------------Am sending down a rope's end (or as pre-
                                arranged)
3 pulls ------------------------You have come up too far
                                Go down slowly till we stop you
4 pulls ------------------------Come up
4 pulls followed by 2 bells ----Come up, hurry up, or Come up, surface
                                decompression
4 pulls followed by 5 bells ----Come up to your safety float

Direction signals
1 pull -------------------------search where you are
2 bells ------------------------Go to the end of the distance line or jack-
                                stay
3 bells ------------------------Face shot then go right
4 bells ------------------------Face shot then go left
5 bells ------------------------Come into your shot, or turn back if on
                                a jackstay

SINGLE LIFELINE CODE - DIVER TO ATTENDANT

General Signals
1 pull -------------------------To call attention (You usually send this one
                                first to wake him up JR)
                                Made bottom
                                Left bottom
                                Reached the end of jackstay
                                I am well
2 pulls ------------------------Send me down a rope's end (or as pre-
                                arranged)
3 pulls ------------------------I am going down
4 pulls ------------------------May I come up?
4 pulls followed by 2 bells ----I want to come up
                                Assist me up
Succession of pulls
(must be more than four) -------EMERGENCY SIGNAL Pull me up IMMEDIATELY
Succession of 2 bells ----------Am foul and need the assistance of
                                another diver
Succession of 3 bells ----------Am foul but can clear myself if left
                                alone
4 pulls followed by 4 bells ----Attend telephone

Working signals
1 pull -------------------------Hold on or stop
2 bells ------------------------Pull up
3 bells ------------------------Lower
4 bells ------------------------Take up slack lifeline, or You are
                                holding me too tight
5 bells ------------------------Have found, started, or completed
                                work

There are actually heaps more for divers in heavy gear but I don't have
them handy ;(
There is lots more info on line signal proceedures, but for the very simple
needs of IWR I think I covered them in my first O2-IWR-LS post.   Anyway,
I think that's about all I can get away with under "review".  If you need
more, then buy the book!!

The only thing I forgot, was that one end should be tied around the diver
with a bowline and the other should be tied to the boat or whatever, so you
don't ever lose the lot!

Cheers Jason (God it's hot!!)

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