Musing about trim

[Diver0001]

Just yesterday, I saw a photo posted of a diver from Monterey with 25 dives, who had just passed Fundies:

A diver who must extend their arms this far out in front in order to remain horizontal is not in trim.

R..

 

[AfterDark]

Unless I'm using my hands to read gauges, take pictures, hold a light, catch a lobster, inflate / deflate BC..........they are by my side like I was walking except motionless.

 

[DaleC]

What's wrong with trying to look awesome?

Well, it's very annoying to those of us who are

I try to keep my hands in when I'm diving because I don't want a shark to bite them off.

 

[Lost down under]

I've been required to wear armoured vests of various description for work, I always found my thumbs tucked into the armour around the chest was a fairly comfortable position (I've never been armed) I find my thumbs as a result tuck themselves between the harness and my body.Not the best position in terms of reacting to anything in a hurry but comfortable all the same.

 

[radtype]

I have a confession to make. When diving in a good current I like to stretch my arms out to the side in addition to stretching them out front.

 

[bluemed]

I will be honest ; I get the comment quiet often, the super man "thingie", now...I just laugh about it.
Back in the days I was maybe... to worried about people judging and evaluating me on being able to dive this way.
Nowadays, I brake trim if necessary and some times also just to fool around ;-) and I cant be bothered about what a GUE or UTD instructor thinks about it when he or she might see that.
However swimming with the arms in that position, the shoulders a bit forward, do give a diver that stable platform in order to effectively kick and control buoyancy..It becomes second nature and even comfortable.
For example , when I teach a standard OW course..the "budha" is "oooout" the window (who the hell came up with that anyways?)..I just hang and show the "hovering signal"...the arms, shoulders forward make that possible.
Students are a bit confused due to the video with the course they just watched before, but they usually get the message.
I have made a video fooling around a bit and the video contains a high level of " superman stuff" ;-) ...I think this video shows the importance of trim in order to be able to master foundational skills.
I also tried to get away from the "Trim dogma" and old school DIR diver idea and introduced some elements I "stole" from modern sidemount divers.

Please don't take it to serious ;-), I was just having fun and was experimenting..and just anticipating on the comments again of some of these serious agency instructors that take that things way to serious...fun, is also important in order to learn (Law of effect) and trying to do different stuff will make you better, more comfortable..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNHtK4n1iUk&list=PLtAmDW5Fin1lYFMfCuvzUEY_42wq7Xb2R

 

[Griffo]

I'm somewhere in the middle. Arms definitely far more in front than the second picture, but bent, not a superman position. I find this perfectly comfortable for long periods of time.

 

[Michael Guerrero]

I'm wondering, for those of you who worry about trim, do you resemble the first photo more, or the second? And, aside from a small increase in streamlining, what is the benefit of diving in that rather artificial position all the time? (I acknowledge the benefit when moving through small spaces, or swimming into high flow or current.)

I dive so my arms are comfortable. This means they break at the elbows about 90 degrees. I'm not superman, and diving like that is no fun.

I guess the benefit of the arms strait out is that you look like a Fundies diver (a.k.a. cool)

 

[rivers]

i dive with my arms out to the like Ozgriffo. so bent at the elbow 90* and sort of out to the front. sometimes, i clasp my hands, but very rarely.

 

[wKkaY]

I'm wondering, for those of you who worry about trim, do you resemble the first photo more, or the second? And, aside from a small increase in streamlining, what is the benefit of diving in that rather artificial position all the time? (I acknowledge the benefit when moving through small spaces, or swimming into high flow or current.)

During my Fundies video review, I asked if it's ok for my arms to dangle like in the 2nd photo. My instructor said it's fine and to continue diving that way if I find it more comfortable. He didn't think it's beneficial to me as a wetsuit diver where there's no air travel in the suit. He added that if I do want to straighten out my arms, I should be mindful of possible changes to harness slack caused by a shift in shoulder position.