Posture, neck discomfort while diving

[scrane]

While getting into horizontal trim is a valuable basic skill, I think it's a shame to waste weightlessness pointing your belly towards the sand all the time. As far as the question of what's to see by looking up, you'll never know without trying.

 

[johndiver999]

I gave up on having perfect trim years ago for the same reason.
I tried twisting, rolling on my side and all kinds of gear and set up changes.
Spent some unnecessary dollars and got cramps or disoriented.
Ended up just going through the water tail lower than head.

EXACTLY! If you got neck problems the miniscule benefit of perfect trim is NOT worth it!

 

[Lorenzoid]

Are you actually looking up while swimming? If so, why? What's there to see? Maybe your trim is such that your feet are higher than your torso so you compensate by "looking up" to wind up seeing straight ahead?
I usually am looking down searching for shells, and seeing straight ahead with peripheral vision so I don't clunk into a big rock.

I think it's best to look forward/up as much as practical. In other words, when it's useful or fun to look down or to get out of horizontal trim (e.g., on a wall drift dive), then by all means do what makes sense, but the default position should be horizontal and looking ahead. There is so much up ahead of us that we need to keep an eye on, and not just with peripheral vision. Our buddy, and if diving in a group, other divers, for example. If the bottom is highly contoured, we're also looking ahead to follow the contours. In some places, there could be hazards such as lines or kelp. And of course when diving along a wreck you don't want to be looking down all the time or you'll run into something. The downside is that it indeed can cause neck discomfort. It sounds like the OP has found a way to mitigate it by turning sideways. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[TMHeimer]

I think it's best to look forward/up as much as practical. In other words, when it's useful or fun to look down or to get out of horizontal trim (e.g., on a wall drift dive), then by all means do what makes sense, but the default position should be horizontal and looking ahead. There is so much up ahead of us that we need to keep an eye on, and not just with peripheral vision. Our buddy, and if diving in a group, other divers, for example. If the bottom is highly contoured, we're also looking ahead to follow the contours. In some places, there could be hazards such as lines or kelp. And of course when diving along a wreck you don't want to be looking down all the time or you'll run into something. The downside is that it indeed can cause neck discomfort. It sounds like the OP has found a way to mitigate it by turning sideways. Nothing wrong with that.

Excellent points. I does depend on where you're diving and how well you know the site, of course. I tend to usually look down & slightly ahead, but do look into the distance every maybe 10 seconds or so-- like "point-to-point" navigation. Whatever works so you don't slam into that rock. No fishing lines here on any shore dive.

 

[Annie Shaw]

Thank you for your responses. I do try and normally look down and not up but I am new and perhaps I need to trust my peripheral vision a little better. I was in very murky quarry water and visibility was much less than 10 feet. I was trying to keep an eye on my buddy and objects would just suddenly appear at me. You never know if its just you or if other people ever have these issues too so I appreciate the responses.

 

[TMHeimer]

Yeah, stuff suddenly appearing when in very low visibility can be a bit jarring..... I go very slowly when 1-3 foot viz, especially if any surge is present. If I can't see my hand like 3" from my mask, time to call it quits.

 

[The Chairman]

To compensate I actually just kind of turn my whole body sideways to what I want look at and that seems to work pretty well.

You know, if you turn your head slightly to one side or the other, you can lift it a bit higher without bonking your regulator.

 

[MichaelMc]

In the future when steel prices come back down and they are being made again, you might consider a Freedom plate. They provide more shoulder and upper body mobility than a standard BC, which may help you stay more relaxed in the water. SOLD!!! - Official Freedom Plate List: Please respond here. (Though it look as if you have hydros BCs which apparently are fairly good.)

A bigger change is to check out sidemount. Your spine and neck have complete flexibility in the water and there is no tank behind your head. If you want to look sideways, you leave your hips and the bottoms of your tanks in place and just twist your shoulders and neck to look, just like you would sitting on a non-swiveling stool. To look up, leave your hips in place and gently arch your back and neck up, instead of just your neck strongly up.

None of this having to turn your full body or only being able to turn, arch, or cant the neck. It is a much less stiff body movement in the water, Plus they provide redundancy if you dive two tanks, which can also be smaller.

 

[Damselfish]

Are you actually looking up while swimming? If so, why? What's there to see?

I’m seeing whatever is above me.
If in a place with good vis, the view of the surface from underneath can be quite nice. Especially when dolphins swim over or a turtle pops up there to breath. The view of a canyoned wall from depth with the sun overhead is one of my favorite things.

 

[Scraps]

Within a certain range, the height of your tank on your back is a matter of personal choice. The higher the tank is on your body, the more the weight of the tank helps you get horizontal. The price of this trim advantage is the potential for impinging your neck/head on the tank valve and regulator. It sounds like you would be happier with a lower tank. There's nothing wrong with making that choice.

Regarding the great trim controversy. It's important to remember that you're engaged in recreational diving. You're under no constraints regarding other people's idea of how you should be oriented in the water. If you're more comfortable with a slight tilt and aren't covering a lot of ground, it's nobody's business if you enjoy a leisurely dive at a slightly less efficient angle. As long as it's safe, you're staying off the bottom, and not inconveniencing anyone else, your definition of "recreational" should prevail.

One suggestion: you mentioned that you had to look ahead to see your buddy. Especially in low visibility, it's best for buddies to be side-by-side. When buddies swim with one in front of the other in low visibility, there's a good chance of getting separated the first time the trailing buddy stops to look at something interesting.

Best wishes,