When you first learned to open the valve on a scuba cylinder, there’s a good chance you overheard someone recite the mantra, “Righty tighty, lefty loosey.” Most people get that this refers to the direction the top of the knob moves. But not everyone.
There are many people who are genuinely confused by this. So, is there a better way? Yes, there is.
Let’s say you are telling someone how to open a pickle jar. You wouldn’t use the terms right or left. They’d be meaningless.
The better terms would be clockwise and counterclockwise. These are descriptions almost everyone can relate to. And they a a better way to descibe how to open and close a tank valve.
Bear in mind these terms only apply if you are looking at the end of the turnwheel (or the top of the pickle jar). Of course, it is hard to do otherwise.