Horizontal Obsession

[TSandM]

Well, I think a near-neutral ascent is useful for controlling ascent rate, and is certainly useful for stops. If you are ascending close to neutral (as opposed to the vertical, negative, swimming ascent DD described) it's actually easier if you're horizontal, because then any inadvertent fin movement doesn't change your depth -- but, if it's needed, it's easy to change your trim to swim yourself up or down if it's needed. (It's hard to flip head down to deal with any unwanted buoyancy, if you are vertical.) In addition, it's easy to move forward and back to keep team formation, and the whole team can be at the same depth, which is important on deco.

Being horizontal on ascent DOES limit your scope of view above you, which is another reason to stay in formation with your team, as they can see where you cannot. And I go vertical during the last ten feet, if I am diving off a boat or where there may be boat traffic.

 

[ae3753]

One of the pleasures of scuba diving is that it's a 3D environment. You should feel free to enjoy it.

The chief benefit of being horizontal during a dive is that it's the most streamlined position. Less drag = less work = more time underwater.

However, if you want to genie on a drift dive, go ahead:

Why is horizontal trim pushed so aggressively in technical diving? Yes, horizontal trim that enables a variety of non-silting kicks. However, the most important aspect is that horizontal trim provides the most stable platform to perform any skill or resolve any issue. As discussed by Gombessa and Thalassamania, the horizontal position aids buoyancy control.

Everyone agrees that with good buoyancy control, you can hold your stops horizontal, vertical, upside down, etc. But if you're dealing with any issue, which position would you rather be in? Which is going to enable you to handle the situation most effectively while maintaining your position in the water column?

Let's take everyone's favorite emergency - the OOA. When is this most likely to occur? At the beginning (descent) or at the end of the dive (ascent). So what position should you be in if you want to handle this issue?

For those interested, I offer more on why on horizontal ascents and descents on my site.

 

[kanonfodr]

However, if you want to genie on a drift dive, go ahead:

I love that picture! And I agree, with good bouyancy control you can dive in any position you choose but in dealing with problems being horizontal helps the most.

I feel kinda bad to rip of Freddie Nietzche, but it's a good idea to think in terms of "As you train, so shall you dive." If you consistently train in dealing with problems while holding good trim and being neutrally bouyant then when a situation arises it will be automatic and that's what you want.

Peace,
Greg

 

[Scott L]

The error I see with this comment is that you are assuming that the counsel is clipped off or even has a clip in the first place. Many new or poor divers I see do either:

Always have the counsel in their hand and are so paranoid about gas, depth, and time that all they see on the dive is the counsel. Watching a diver swim right into a rock is funny the first few times you see it.

Or

They are so oblivious to gas, time, and depth, having never looked at their gauges, which are dangling someplace below them, that they get into trouble and end up on a DM’s or someone else’s octo/pony/stage.

I totaly agree. I had not assumed that at all but did not mention for brevity reasons. Coral reefs the world over are scarred due to dangling consoles & octos...

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Well, I think a near-neutral ascent is useful for controlling ascent rate, and is certainly useful for stops. If you are ascending close to neutral (as opposed to the vertical, negative, swimming ascent DD described) ......

If you re-read my post, i think you will see that I attempted to make it very clear that I taught my students to do a "near neutral" ascent. The swimming, vertical ascent IS in a near neutral condition, the only distinction I made from a neutral ascent is that I wanted then to stay on the negative side of the neutral boyant knife edge as opposed to staying on the positive side of the neutral point which is REQUIRED if one were to attempt to ascend in a horizontal position.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I love that picture! And I agree, with good bouyancy control you can dive in any position you choose but in dealing with problems being horizontal helps the most.

I feel kinda bad to rip of Freddie Nietzche, but it's a good idea to think in terms of "As you train, so shall you dive." If you consistently train in dealing with problems while holding good trim and being neutrally bouyant then when a situation arises it will be automatic and that's what you want.

Peace,
Greg

That picture doesn't look to be a good example of neutral bouyancy, Look at the diver's hair, he looks to be sinking pretty hard to me.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

''''it's actually easier if you're horizontal, because then any inadvertent fin movement doesn't change your depth -- but, if it's needed, it's easy to change your trim to swim yourself up or down if it's needed. (It's hard to flip head down to deal with any unwanted buoyancy, if you are vertical.) .

If you are horizontal and sinking too fast it is easier for a diver to flip around from a horizontal to a vertical position so that they can use their fins to swim up, and you would argue that this re-orientation of the body is easier than having the bosy in the vertical position already to allow a kick or two upward???? That makes no sense to me.

Also, you dis the vertical ascent position, because if the diver becomes too bouyant it is hard to flip around and swim verticlaly down?? That is a silly criticism because the remedy for being to bouyant is to dump air (and exhale) not flip the body around and exert yourself and swim down.... You have enough expereince to know this to be true?

As for "inadvertant fin motion".. we are choosing a body position based on someone's inability to control their fins? The ONLY time inadvertant fin motion is an issue is when students are taught the feet first descent. I quickly teach people to swim down if they want to go down. It sounds like you are offering solutions for things that are not a problem. Shall we worry that inadvertant fin motion will cause horizontal divers to crash head first into each other??

 

[boulderjohn]

Shall we worry that inadvertant fin motion will cause horizontal divers to crash head first into each other??

Hmmm. Were you watching my early tech classes?

 

[ae3753]

That picture doesn't look to be a good example of neutral bouyancy, Look at the diver's hair, he looks to be sinking pretty hard to me.

She's neutrally buoyant. That's current causing her hair to flow.

Closer to the reef, the current was like this:

 

[Thalassamania]

If you want near perfect control of ascent learn to use an air siphon^*(which happens to work best in the vertical).


^*The "air siphon," is something I have discussed before. Each BC is a little different so you will need to experiment and practice if you want this in your bag of tricks. It will result in a highly controllable ascent. Start up, by kicking or very slight filling of the BC. When your BC has expanded enough to keep you moving, relax and let it carry you upward, but hold the oral inflator hose as far down (deep) as you are able and keep the oral inflation button OPEN.

Continue to keep the oral inflator button open and move the hose up until air starts to trickle out of the oral inflation mouthpiece, then lower it till it just stops. You now have an air siphon from your BC or BP/W that you can use to control your ascent or descent rate with amazing precision. Just remember to keep the oral inflator OPEN ALL THE TIME. THIS TECHNIQUE REQUIRES PRACTICE!

It is a little contra-intuitive, moving the open inflator downward will increase the size of the bubble in your BC and will speed you up, moving the open inflator up will decrease the size of the bubble in your BC and will slow you down or even (in the extreme) cause you to sink.