Taught by certified American Sign Language interpreters and using a text written by Dr. Jess Freeman King, this course is designed as a comprehensive course to be used by both sport and commercial divers as a guide to underwater communication.
The popularity of and interest in scuba diving and continued need for a consistent, "universal" language among commercial divers has ushered in the call for a viable form of communication that might be possible in the underwater environment. During the last decade the sport of scuba diving has mushroomed with participation including both men and women of all ages. There has also been a proliferation in the growth of technology and resulting need for a sophisticated mode of communication for commercial divers to eliminate barriers in a heretofore, for all practical purposes, sterile language environment.
The inadequate and limited gesture system of diving has through the years been rendered obsolete. The gesture system used by divers has typically focused on a limited number of what might be called "survival signs." The possiblities of a total underwater communicative system have not been explored adequately.
The purpose of this course is to provide both the scuba diver and the commercial diver with a reference source which will provide a means for meaningful underwater communication.
