How do you teach new divers to stay horizontal?
- Thread starter paulwall
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Hey, I was just "giving a little" on that. I'm pretty much vertical only during a giant stride at the beginning of a dive and climbing up the ladder at the end.
PS - In Hawaii I once overheard an instructor tell an OW class to "be careful on descent so you don't crash feet-first onto the reef." To which one of the students responded naively "...then how SHOULD we crash onto the reef?"
I didn't stick around to find out the answer!
If you are just hovering, and not actually going anywhere, there are still a couple decent reasons to stay horizontal.
First off, it gives you a little better control, and better options for propulsion. You can go forward or back, and turn left or right with your feet. Using your lungs, you can influence up and down motion. So basically, you have three axes of movement when you are horizontal. This lets you finesse your position a lot more easily. If you are getting a little too close to something you can give a little back kick very easily with minimal effort. If you are horizontal, it takes a bit more effort, and probably involves going horizontal if not using your arms.
Second, when you're vertical, you have much less resistance to vertical movement, so it is easier for your body to rise or fall in the water column. This is usually accompanied by a slow sculling kick to maintain depth. I don't like to see this because it means bad things for either the visibility, or the coral.
Lastly, all the air from your drysuit goes up into your chest, and often burps out your neck seal, giving you a nice trickle of cold water down your neck. The air in the legs is gone, and your feet are vacuum packed. You can also get cold faster since the suit might not be holding enough air to loft your undergarment.
The downside to being horizontal is that you just can't see above your head.
Tom
First off, it gives you a little better control, and better options for propulsion. You can go forward or back, and turn left or right with your feet. Using your lungs, you can influence up and down motion. So basically, you have three axes of movement when you are horizontal. This lets you finesse your position a lot more easily. If you are getting a little too close to something you can give a little back kick very easily with minimal effort. If you are horizontal, it takes a bit more effort, and probably involves going horizontal if not using your arms.
Second, when you're vertical, you have much less resistance to vertical movement, so it is easier for your body to rise or fall in the water column. This is usually accompanied by a slow sculling kick to maintain depth. I don't like to see this because it means bad things for either the visibility, or the coral.
Lastly, all the air from your drysuit goes up into your chest, and often burps out your neck seal, giving you a nice trickle of cold water down your neck. The air in the legs is gone, and your feet are vacuum packed. You can also get cold faster since the suit might not be holding enough air to loft your undergarment.
The downside to being horizontal is that you just can't see above your head.
Tom
One of the big reasons for us humans to like being vertical is it is one of our biological advantages. It is a huge advantage to be vertical on land. Having said that it is a disadvantage to be vertical underwater and travelling horizontal.
I certainly am not a very experienced diver, but I have coached new players to rugby in schools here in Canada and I am certified to coach the sport. My goal was to introduce the sport to the new ones and do my best to make sure they wanted to play the sport next year.
Having said that, the few that had some good fun ways to show the benefits of proper trim during training that is really good stuff. Keep it up.
I certainly am not a very experienced diver, but I have coached new players to rugby in schools here in Canada and I am certified to coach the sport. My goal was to introduce the sport to the new ones and do my best to make sure they wanted to play the sport next year.
Having said that, the few that had some good fun ways to show the benefits of proper trim during training that is really good stuff. Keep it up.
DOkie
Guest
I understand that the original question was being vertical while not swimming and I believe it was referring to new divers. Just in my opinion, and I'm prepared to get bashed... When a new diver is in a vertical position, they have a tendency to continue to kick (even slowly) to maintain their position. If you are diving in silty conditions, this can make for bad conditions very quickly especially in a deep dive that is already low viz. It can add a stress that doesn't need to be there.
If I'm working with a newer diver, I make it a point to explain this before the dive and how at depth we are going to stop on the line and get our bouyancy under control (to be horizontal) before we proceed. I've been on a few dives where a vertical diver can turn 15 ft. viz into 3" viz with just a couple of misplaced kicks.
If I'm working with a newer diver, I make it a point to explain this before the dive and how at depth we are going to stop on the line and get our bouyancy under control (to be horizontal) before we proceed. I've been on a few dives where a vertical diver can turn 15 ft. viz into 3" viz with just a couple of misplaced kicks.
Not a lot has to be done to accomplish this...
1. Teach proper descents... Have them practice descending as if they are jumping out of an airplane... they should practice the look of parachutists all the way to the bottom and then to help with pinpoint buoyancy control... have them try stopping just shy of the bottom (6-12 Inches.) This puts and keeps them in a horizontal position and helps them to learn pinpoint buoyancy control. If any part of their body (including fins) touches... they fail and must try again until they have mastered it. Once they can stop on a dime... they must swim the length of the pool staying within 1 ft of the bottom in the horizontal position
I have never had a student swim in an upright position after teaching descents and buoyancy control in this manner. Best of luck!
1. Teach proper descents... Have them practice descending as if they are jumping out of an airplane... they should practice the look of parachutists all the way to the bottom and then to help with pinpoint buoyancy control... have them try stopping just shy of the bottom (6-12 Inches.) This puts and keeps them in a horizontal position and helps them to learn pinpoint buoyancy control. If any part of their body (including fins) touches... they fail and must try again until they have mastered it. Once they can stop on a dime... they must swim the length of the pool staying within 1 ft of the bottom in the horizontal position
I have never had a student swim in an upright position after teaching descents and buoyancy control in this manner. Best of luck!
Soakedlontra
Contributor
Good pints...ups!...points B1gcountry and Puffer Fish.
In my limited experience as a novice diver (just 6 dives after certification) I don't find difficult to be horizontal but to keep that position without sinking onto the bottom like a block of concrete especially in shallow waters at the beginning of the dive. Then in deeper water it seems easier to stay away from the bottom.
I have read recently somewhere that in order to adjust your buoyancy properly you are supposed to add little burst of air into the BC and then wait to see if it is enough to keep you neutrally buoyant.
I wish somebody told me about it when I was taking my scuba diving classes...
I am also realizing that once underwater I have the tendency to do things in haste as if I had just 5 minutes worth of air supply!
I have to learn to slow down and take the time to check my buoyancy more accurately, I guess.
In my limited experience as a novice diver (just 6 dives after certification) I don't find difficult to be horizontal but to keep that position without sinking onto the bottom like a block of concrete especially in shallow waters at the beginning of the dive. Then in deeper water it seems easier to stay away from the bottom.
I have read recently somewhere that in order to adjust your buoyancy properly you are supposed to add little burst of air into the BC and then wait to see if it is enough to keep you neutrally buoyant.
I wish somebody told me about it when I was taking my scuba diving classes...
I am also realizing that once underwater I have the tendency to do things in haste as if I had just 5 minutes worth of air supply!
I have to learn to slow down and take the time to check my buoyancy more accurately, I guess.
Last edited:
AnyaPetrova
Guest
*Raising Hand*
I fully admit to going vertical during dives.
...
I also use my hands a lot. But I am working on that too
I am SO with you on the hand use *grin*. After my first dive, my instructor looked at me and laughed, and said "you can keep using your hands if you want...but they won't do anything...they're not webbed..."
LOL.
floridanewbe
Contributor
I have overactive hands still trying to fix it
Similar threads
