SCUBA Diving and
ASL:
Amar Abbott
August 21, 2007
SCUBA DIVING AND AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
SCUBA diving is a great sports where many people have enjoy the
ocean and the wildlife that is beneath the oceans surface. I had
been an active SCUBA diver for over 10 years and one of my greatest
frustrations is not being able to communicate well enough below the
ocean surface. Then I realized that American Sign Language (ASL)
would be able to fill that gap.
In my research, I found two distinct programs that have combined
ASL, and signs that are currently being use by the different
certifying dive organizations like Professional Association of
Diving Instructors (PADI) and National Association of Underwater
Instructors (NAUI). The first underwater communication programs that
I would like to talk about is called Communication for Diver (C4D)
which is currently sponsored and taught by PADI organization the
woman who designed, create it and currently the sole instructor of
the system is a translator and a certified PADI instructor and her
name is Fae J.Silverman she combined her favorite loves to create a
system to help divers communicate better in the water.
In an e-mail that I wrote to Fea July 31, 2007 and asked the
question what is your system most like ASL? She responded back to me
and said, "First, I feel I need to be really clear...the system of
communication I researched and devised for use by scuba divers is
not based on ASL. The hand signals are international gestures,
iconic representations of objects and ideas, and use hand shape
classifiers to define shapes. ASL is a language with a grammar and
syntax, derived over generations from LSF (French Sign Language) and
use in residential schools and Deaf communities around the United
States. It is also a land-based language. C4D has only a few
grammatical rules, and is entirely based on the underwater
experience. The system is designed to be used internationally, so
for example, I do not teach finger spelling because that would
presume one language dominating over another.." her response sent me
back a little bit; the way I understood her system to be was derived
from ASL.. As a diver, I see the value in her system.
The second system I would like to talk about is called Sea Signs
underwater communications. It is directly derived from two systems
ASL and Signed Exact English (SEE). The creator of this system
Susanna Kiffmann wanted to provide SCUBA divers of all skill levels
with an inexpensive, easy to learn and easy to use way to
communicate underwater which increases underwater fun and safety,
and I think she has done that with her system.
Since Susanna has created her system based off ASL and SEE, I
believe it would be easier and quicker to learn. If a person has
learned, ASL or SEE this system would fit nicely with their dive
skills. The learning curve would be minimal in order to learn the
system. On a website, it states one of the more difficult concepts
to learn is how to sign in full dive gear. Which they have addressed
by having their instructors and their students in full dive gear
while they are learning the system of underwater communication. I
believe that is also a great plus for this system, because the
system will be second nature to you, if you or your dive buddy find
yourself in a serious situation (life or death) and the training
will kick in and it will be second nature to you..
In conclusion, these are two great examples on how ASL has helped
the hearing world be better. Any SCUBA diver that would love to
communicate with their dive buddies better it would behoove them to
look into one of these two systems
References
Kiffimann, S. (2005). Sea Signs Underwarer Communication. Retrieved,
from http://www.seasingns.com/methods.php
Silverman, F. J. (2003). Communication for Divers. Retrieved, from
http://www.communicationforsivers.com/courseinfo.html
Smith, J. P., & Smith, L. A. (1994). Scuba Divers Sign Langusge Manual
(1st ed.). Flagstaff, AZ: Best Pub Co.
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