Dive Signals

What it is

Dive Signals is a reference of the signals divers use to communicate underwater, where you cannot speak. Each entry pairs an illustration with the signal’s name and what it means, so you can learn the ones you do not know and refresh the ones you half-remember before you get wet.

It covers hand signals for both recreational and technical diving, plus light signals for night and cave diving, touch contact signals for zero visibility, and a Marine Life Signals group of hand shapes for pointing out fish and other creatures.

How to use it

1. From the Plan tab, open Dive Signals.
2. Scroll the list. Signals are grouped under category headers, which scroll with the content.
3. The search bar stays pinned at the top. Type in it to filter signals by name or description across every category at once.
4. If no signal matches what you typed, the app shows a “No signals match” message with a Clear search button to reset the list.
5. Tap a signal to open it as a bottom sheet showing the illustration, name, and full description. Dismiss the sheet by swiping it down, tapping outside it, or using its close button to return to the list.

How it is organised

Signals are split into categories so you can find the right group fast:

Category	What it covers
Essential Hand Signals	The core recreational signals every diver should know
Technical Diving Signals	Hand signals used in technical diving
Light Signals	Flashlight beam signals for night and cave diving
Touch Contact Signals	Physical contact signals for zero-visibility conditions
Marine Life Signals	Hand shapes that represent common fish and other marine life

Search runs across every category at once, so you do not need to know which group a signal lives in to find it.

Behaviour and limits

This is a learning and reference aid, not a rulebook. Signals vary by training agency, region, and dive team, and some have local or boat-specific meanings. The most important step happens before the dive, not in the app.

Open source

The signal illustrations and their index are open source. Every drawing in this tool, with its name and meaning, is published at open.divekit.app under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (CC BY 4.0). You can print them for briefing cards, use them in training material, or build on them in your own project, as long as you credit “Dive signals by Project Dive Kit” with a link to divekit.app.

Related

This page stands on its own. Use the pre-dive briefing to align signals with the people you are actually diving with.