OP
THE "PERFECT ( being horizontal ) TRIM" HOAX
- Thread starter Blackcrusader
- 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
True. If I am teaching, this could mean to have a more vertical position to help students, but diving for fun is almost always horizontal.
If I dive in ocean, or lake wall dive it's fine to get a bit loose on the trim. As long as I don't touch anything, or the water I move with my fins. I am really strict about this.
The right tool for the given job.
ginti
Contributor
OP
Blackcrusader
Contributor
ginti
Contributor
OT: is it always in the Philippines that you find so many whale sharks?
Hickdive
Contributor
I haven't read the entire thread but what I have seems to have a pattern i.e. criticisms of DIR/GUE are largely written by people who have not undertaken a GUE course.
Yes there is a heavy emphasis on neutral buoyancy and horizontal trim, particularly at Fundamentals level, because being able to be horizontal and neutral is the default standard that must be achieved to pass the course. Horizontal, neutral trim assists enormously in carrying out shut downs and other drills too. Not being able to achieve that means you will have trouble passing any of the next or further level courses. So you must have that skill sorted before you can pass the basic level course.
However, there is no hard and fast rule about being absolutely horizontal absolutely all the time. You may adopt any trim necessary for the goal of the dive. How on earth would you ascend or descend through a narrow vertical chimney in a cave, for example?
The other emphasis on GUE courses is practice. So a lot of GUE-trained divers will routinely use horizontal trim on routine dives to maintain good practice but it doesn't mean that other body positions in the water are absolutely prohibited.
As far as I have experienced, the idea that GUE absolutely insists on being horizontal throughout the dive, no matter what, IS a "hoax" once you are outside the realms of the Fundamentals course.
Yes there is a heavy emphasis on neutral buoyancy and horizontal trim, particularly at Fundamentals level, because being able to be horizontal and neutral is the default standard that must be achieved to pass the course. Horizontal, neutral trim assists enormously in carrying out shut downs and other drills too. Not being able to achieve that means you will have trouble passing any of the next or further level courses. So you must have that skill sorted before you can pass the basic level course.
However, there is no hard and fast rule about being absolutely horizontal absolutely all the time. You may adopt any trim necessary for the goal of the dive. How on earth would you ascend or descend through a narrow vertical chimney in a cave, for example?
The other emphasis on GUE courses is practice. So a lot of GUE-trained divers will routinely use horizontal trim on routine dives to maintain good practice but it doesn't mean that other body positions in the water are absolutely prohibited.
As far as I have experienced, the idea that GUE absolutely insists on being horizontal throughout the dive, no matter what, IS a "hoax" once you are outside the realms of the Fundamentals course.
Dan
Contributor
When it comes to Whalesharks, any trim works, as long as you are having fun doing it and not disturbing anything around you.
Bob DBF
Contributor
Trim - make (something) neat or of the required size or form by cutting away irregular or unwanted parts. Think streamlining.
Attitude - a position of the body proper ( normally used to or implying an action or mental state)
Thus the reason for using horizontal, vertical, or whatever angle is actually used to meet your objective. I personally take my lessons on how to dive from seals and sea lions, which seem to have a better handle on it than I.
Personally, I don't pay some newly converted DIR acolyte or poser, lecture about how what they learned in class is the only way to dive much mind. Don't get me started on the rec agencies and their misinformation due to the training by catchphrase that is so popular today.
Attitude - a position of the body proper ( normally used to or implying an action or mental state)
Thus the reason for using horizontal, vertical, or whatever angle is actually used to meet your objective. I personally take my lessons on how to dive from seals and sea lions, which seem to have a better handle on it than I.
Personally, I don't pay some newly converted DIR acolyte or poser, lecture about how what they learned in class is the only way to dive much mind. Don't get me started on the rec agencies and their misinformation due to the training by catchphrase that is so popular today.
Ayisha
Contributor
GUE was so amused with the trim question that was asked for their Q & A session, that they addressed it on their Facebook and Instagram pages as well:
Their choice of photo is interesting, but note "intentional": ex, not losing control of your position or accidentally being in some position.
Once you have shown that you can control your position in the water column, no one cares whether you're always horizontal. The issue lies when the basic ability doesn't appear to be there.
Their choice of photo is interesting, but note "intentional": ex, not losing control of your position or accidentally being in some position.
Once you have shown that you can control your position in the water column, no one cares whether you're always horizontal. The issue lies when the basic ability doesn't appear to be there.
Ayisha
Contributor
Similar threads
