THE "PERFECT ( being horizontal ) TRIM" HOAX

[David Novo]

I was just practicing for becoming a DIR zealot.

Equating "GUE fundies" to DIR zealots is not an anti-GUE zealot behaviour?

 

[Blackcrusader]

Equating "GUE fundies" to DIR zealots is not an anti-GUE zealot behaviour?

Not at all They are both good at what they do.

 

[Storker]

that unnatural DIR-style position

What's unnatural about it? I love hanging weightless above the abyss, and horizontal with my knees bent roughly 90 degrees (for good frog kicks) is a very appropriate position for that.

And when I'm close to the bottom trying to nail that shot, I really appreciate being able to fin back and forth without stirring up silt. That's a lot easier if I'm in horizontal trim, but I'll easily go vertical, heads-down if that is what's needed to nail the shot or see what I want to see.

 

[Angelo Farina]

The diver in your video with all the rapid hand movements who got task overloaded and ran into you is pretty funny.

Some divers switch to hand propulsion when panicking or when loosing control. Some others use hand propulsion properly, for avoiding to mess up things using the fins...
During my first course, in 1975, hand propulsion was a very important topic and we had to do a number of exercises for mastering the hand propulsion techniques properly.
In many cases the thrust had to be obtained with the so called "hand opposition" movement, although in a couple of exercises the "drag the cup" movement had to be employed.
In one of these exercises one had to ascent keeping the legs against the wall of the pool, and the torso angled 90° from the legs. Here a vintage photo of this exercise:

Here the "drag the cup" movement was prescribed. The second part of the exercise was another ascent, this time with the back against the vertical wall, head up, the legs angled 90° from the torso, and this time the "opposition" hand movement was prescribed.
After these "free diving" exercises, we were training using the ARO (a pure-oxygen CC rebreather). Here again there were several exercises based on hands propulsion, the more difficult one was called "traslazione in quota", which could be translated to "horizontal translations" in English. Here a picture, taken from our diving manual, showing the exercise:

The diver had first to get perfect neutral buoyancy, injecting the proper amount of oxygen in the counter-lung, thereafter it was forbidden to add more oxygen. So during the exercise the buoyancy was slowly becoming negative, as the oxygen was being consumed. Still the diver, without kicking, had to maintain a constant depth, while translating forth and back, and then left and right, by 2 meters in each direction.
The "opposition" hand movement is marked with the undulated line, the "drag the cup" movement is shown in its two phases, active ("passata") and passive ("recupero")
After months of these exercises about moving in any directions with hand propulsion, we were all very capable of controlling the body position and propulsion relying only on our hands.
I reported this history as also hand propulsion is something which can be very useful, if done properly, and instead today is considered a bad practice, and I often get criticised when I move gently using it, for example doing a side translation (which you cannot do using just fins).
What should be criticised is uncontrolled movement, raising silt, or damaging the coral reef.
If, for avoiding this, I use proper "hands opposition" for slow, precision movements, why should it be criticised?

 

[Angelo Farina]

What's unnatural about it?

We are not all "built the same", what is comfortable for you can be very stretchy and uncomfortable for me...
My problem is with the neck, my back is curved, and my face tendentially looks down. It is very difficult for me to look forward if my torso is horizontal...
Also regarding fins, I use long freediving fins, and when entering a cave I never frog-kick, I use the horizontal scissor kick, keeping the legs perfectly straight for avoiding to hit the coral growing down from the ceiling of the cave (or the bottom below me).
Again, what is good for you in a certain environment does not necessarily fits my needs in a completely different environment.
I understand that in some caves you must avoid touching the floor, for the risk of raising dust and reducing visibility. But in caves in Sardinia, the delicate surface is not the floor, it is the ceiling, which is covered of red coral. If the diver flexes the knees and raises the fins above the body, there is severe risk of damaging the red coral...
So I am with @The Chairman : dive and let dive...

 

[Steelyeyes]

The vertical position is certainly more comfortable, and is preferred by guides who can easily rotate to watch other divers. They often add weights to their tank straps.

However when you are using a camera, you have to get close to the reef, and know that your fins won't bash into anything. On flat areas of endless coral, inverted is even better. I usually hang a couple pounds of weight on my upper accessory D-rings just to get my head down when necessary.

I did the same and then switched to a 1 lb. ankle weight around my tank valve.

 

[The Chairman]

I was just practicing for becoming a DIR zealot.

You're doing it wrong.

At the birth of DIR, there were a lot of rototillers in the ocean. Like you, THEY had a good time, and thought everyone else should be as happy as them. But, the people following them didn't have a good time because they couldn't see a thing through the fog of silt. After seeing this happen over and over in places it really shouldn't happen, DIR was invented by GI3 and the shaming started. While the shaming was lamentable, unlike you, it had a real purpose other than aggravating people. In fact, In my opinion, whatever that's worth, they helped a lot of divers discover trim and neutral buoyancy. They affected my diving for the better and I am grateful for that. Even JJ thought I was a DIR diver when we crossed paths on the Speigel Grove one dive. That's one of the nicest compliments I've ever had. Somehow, I've never endured neck pain, but then my kit is set up to be naturally horizontal and neutral. I've never been a DIR diver. My kit is a modified Hogarthian and my mindset is Zen.

Yes, we still have plenty of rototillers out there, not paying attention, wasting all sorts of energy, gas, and then ruining the dive for everyone but themselves. They often feign umbrage when people are aggravated with them. After all, they are diving gods in their own eyes, so they couldn't do anything wrong, right? They latch onto the mantra "dive and let dive" only when it suits them. Is the OP one of 'those'? I certainly have no idea and will die content without ever knowing. The people I dive with have a modicum of empathy and introspection and I won't be embarrassed by them going out of their way to aggravate others.

Part of "dive and let dive" is to consider those around you. Personally, I go way out of my way to not annoy or disturb other divers. You won't catch me commenting on how you dive unless you ask. Even then, you better ask me before we dive, because I don't dive to evaluate other divers. I've got better things to scout out. Prima Donna or rototiller, you'll find I choose the reef less traveled so hopefully we never meet down there. I've been practicing underwater social distancing for over 50 years now. I'm damned hard to find.

 

[The Chairman]

The vertical position is certainly more comfortable, and is preferred by guides who can easily rotate to watch other divers.

Actually, having guided many dives, I find it easier to dip my head look between my fins. Quite easy to do.

 

[Storker]

We are not all "built the same", what is comfortable for you can be very stretchy and uncomfortable for me...

Sure. I don't disagree at all.

But that doesn't mean that what you think doesn't fit for you is "unnatural". For others who have explored that venue, it might be very "natural".

 

[Raphus]

Actually, having guided many dives, I find it easier to dip my head look between my fins. Quite easy to do.

True, for me its way easier to watch all divers arround me in horizontal position.