Horizontal Obsession

[vindizzle]

I love how somehow vegetarianism comes into play in this.......?

 

[David_57]

I'm a horizontal kind of dude as I spend most of my time inside of wrecks so have a silt issue to deal with, also makes life easier when diving in a dry suit up here in Canada, so for me its a natural way to dive even in a wetsuit diving in nice warm waters in the Caribbean. But I hear you there are some people that have the idea horizontal is the only way which is a load of c..p.

 

[Paladin]

People are confusing the intent of my post. I don't know how to swim horizontal to the bottom unless I am horizontal, that is a no brainer. And if silting up the place is an issue I use a frog kick, but generally only in those conditions not all the time. I don't do elevator diving. If I need to descend from the surface to the bottom then I swim at some downward angle from horizontal and the opposite to ascend.
As Thal said just as the seals and dolphins do

Same here. I just dive and do what ever comes naturally to me for whatever I'm doing at the moment. But I think I'm getting a handle on a few things now. Recreational SCUBA diving is such a simple activity, some people must feel they have to do SOMETHING to make it complicated so they'll think they're actually doing something difficult.

 

[Gilldiver]

As I'm stitching my split sides back together, I thought the beauty was in the journey and the journey should take as long as possible, as probably stated by Gentile and Chatterton when they were setting anchors on the Doria.

Gentile and Chatterton never dove together, wreck diving boat wars and all. Garry Gentile and Gary Gilligan set the anchor of the Wahoo.

Now, back to the debate.

 

[Scott L]

I didn't use to pay a whole lot of attention to being horizontal in the water, but after reading how important it is (so often), I've been paying more attention to it. However, I often find it somewhat uncomfortable.

I am often hunting for fish which requires me to be constantly scanning the periphery of the visibility range and mostly looking ahead. Trying to remain perfectly horizontal and also looking forward requires that the head be cranked way back which is not comfortable for me. I'm not exactly sure about what angle my body is at, but I would guess maybe 15-20 degrees. In any case, NOT staying perfectly horizontal seems to be better for me.

Also, where I often dive sharks can be a serious issue and it is much, much easier to scan for sharks in a vertical than a horizontal position during the ascent.

Yep. If you are not in the need of propelling forwards or backwards and have control over bouyancy what's the downside of getting out of horizonal trim? Certainly does not increase gas requirements...

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Same here. I just dive and do what ever comes naturally to me for whatever I'm doing at the moment. But I think I'm getting a handle on a few things now. Recreational SCUBA diving is such a simple activity, some people must feel they have to do SOMETHING to make it complicated so they'll think they're actually doing something difficult.

Recreational scuba diving can be simple or difficult, depending on the ability of the diver and the conditions in which they're diving.

All that "recreational scuba diving" defines ... in the context that most people use the term ... is that the dive is within certain depth limits and does not require mandatory decompression. It says nothing about water temperature, visibility, currents, surge, entry and exit conditions, and a plethora of other things that will determine how simple or complicated the dive may be.

I find that most folks base how they dive on the prevalent conditions in which they dive ... and on how comfortable their experience level allows them to be in those conditions ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[elan]

All that "recreational scuba diving" defines ... in the context that most people use the term ... is that the dive is within certain depth limits and does not require mandatory decompression. It says nothing about water temperature, visibility, currents, surge, entry and exit conditions, and a plethora of other things that will determine how simple or complicated the dive may be.

I find that most folks base how they dive on the prevalent conditions in which they dive ... and on how comfortable their experience level allows them to be in those conditions .

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Right on the spot,

if someone treats diving in a river like St. Lawrence in 36-37F water with below 32F on the surface like a walk on a beach that's the good invitation for a trouble


I did not have many ocean dives yet so if I approach it with an ease with little thinking and preparation that would be dumb and inviting the misfortune

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Right on the spot,

if someone treats diving in a river like St. Lawrence in 36-37F water with below 32F on the surface like a walk on a beach that's the good invitation for a trouble


I did not have many ocean dives yet so if I approach it with an ease with little thinking and preparation that would be dumb and inviting the misfortune

Yup ... I've got over 2,000 dives in Puget Sound. Cold water, bad vis, current ... those things don't phase me. But put me in a surf zone like they get in Hawaii or SoCal and I'm a relative newb ... I wouldn't even know how to approach some of the entries the locals do in those places. For the most part, the closest thing to surf we get here is when the ferry goes by ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[knowone]

wait,
7 pages of replays and none says "Hey man what are you talking about?"

If I am descending I swim mostly vertical head down.
beeeeep.
wrong 1. in that position your bood flow go to increase pressure in your head, so' it's bad for ears equalization and dangerous.
wrong 2. why you swim? you consume more air. deflate the jaket and be horizontal, don't move.

If I am ascending I swim mostly vertical head up.
beeep
wrong 1. why the **** you swim vertical? deflate the jaket and just some kiks in diagonal. use your breathing to correct your bojancy.
wrong 2 if you are vertical you have a difference of pressure on your body, about 0.2 bar from your head to your feet, no good in hard diving

If I am swimming horizontal to the bottom I swim horizontally.
OK, 1 right

If I need to look up I assume a position that allows me to do it comfortably.
yes horizontal with your neck torwards back.

Always horizontal is for dead people.
Talking without knowing is for idiots.

"The horizontal position is often called prone, superman, or skydiver position. For a scuba diver, the horizontal trim is the most efficient way to move through the water. In addition, the horizontal trim provides vertical drag, helping divers maintain a constant depth."

Right. He does it how he does it.

 

[knowone]

Gentile and Chatterton never dove together, wreck diving boat wars and all. Garry Gentile and Gary Gilligan set the anchor of the Wahoo.

Now, back to the debate.

Not the point. Misinterpretation, ambiguous post, doesn't say together, and they probably didn't say that other stuff either.