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 — your 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