Surface Signaling (Hand Signals, SMBs, Whistles)

When you're on the surface, your ability to signal — both to your buddy and to the boat — can make the difference between a smooth pickup and a serious miscommunication. Whether you're trying to stay visible, call for help, or simply say "I'm OK," surface signaling should be deliberate, clear, and practiced.

Types of Surface Signals

Hand Signals

• “OK”: Form a large O over your head using both arms or one arm if the other is occupied
• “Help” or “Pick me up”: Wave one arm in a wide arc, straight overhead
• “Come here” / “Head this way”: Point in the desired direction or use a beckoning motion

These are easy to use but only work if you're already visible to the person you're signaling — especially in clear weather and calm seas.

Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) / Delayed SMB (DSMB)

• Brightly colored tube deployed at the surface or just before surfacing
• Crucial in low visibility, boat traffic, or current
• Makes your location visible before you surface — especially important in drift diving or live boat pickups
• Can also serve as a visual reference for other divers or a physical marker in current

Even if not required by the boat, carrying one is a smart default — it’s your only true visibility device in some open water environments.

Audible Signaling Devices (Use with Intention)

• Whistle: Compact and effective for short-to-medium range surface signaling. Keep it in a pocket, not clipped externally, to avoid snagging or creating noise during the dive
• Air horn (inflator-powered): Very loud and can work in rough seas, but generally overkill. Not popular with most divers and should be used sparingly
• Shakers or tank bangers: Intended for use underwater, but widely regarded as annoying and disruptive. Most divers avoid them entirely, and they serve no purpose at the surface

Best practice: Carry a whistle in your pocket. Skip the rest unless you’re in high boat traffic or extreme conditions.

When to Signal

• Upon surfacing: Always signal “OK” to the boat or shore team as soon as you're up and stable
• If you're waiting for pickup: Use an SMB and be ready to wave if needed
• If you're drifting: Deploy your SMB early and keep it upright
• If you’re in distress or need help: Wave one arm overhead and blow your whistle in repeated bursts

Practical Tips

• Use your BCD to stay upright and hands-free when signaling. Don't try to signal while treading water
• Practice deploying your SMB in calm water — don’t wait until you need it
• If you're using a whistle, point your head toward the boat when blowing — it helps direct the sound
• Keep signals slow and deliberate — frantic motion often just looks like splashing from a distance

The Mask-on-Forehead Myth

You’ve probably heard that putting your mask on your forehead signals distress — but that’s diver folklore, not an actual emergency signal. Boats don’t rescue divers based on mask placement, and no experienced team uses that as a formal sign of trouble.

(That said, some smartass diver might still try to “educate” you about it — just smile and nod. They're parroting bad info and missing the real issue.)

Still, you shouldn’t park your mask on your forehead — not because of signaling, but because it’s the least secure place to put it:

• It slips off easily, especially in chop, current, or when you’re adjusting other gear
• It’s easy to forget it’s there and lose it while boarding or taking off fins
• If it falls, it’s probably gone

Better alternatives:

• Keep it on your face until you’re out of the water
• Spin it around so the strap sits across your forehead and the skirt is at the back of your head — my preferred method. It keeps the mask secure, out of the way, and less likely to snag or slip
• Or hang it around your neck (if that feels comfortable and stable with your gear setup)

Bottom line: Don’t put your mask somewhere it can fall off — the superstition isn’t the problem. Losing your gear is.

Common Mistakes

• Forgetting to signal after surfacing — crews may assume something’s wrong if you’re silent
• Relying only on hand signals in low visibility or long distance — they won't be seen
• Poor SMB deployment — letting it lay flat on the surface or failing to inflate it fully makes it ineffective
• Not carrying a signaling device at all — don’t assume the boat will always spot you