Use of hands when diving.

[AfterDark]

Let's step a minute to basics- and by that I mean buoyancy. If you are a "good" diver, that means among other things that you have excellent buoyancy control. You shouldn't need to kick or fin to maintain you position in the water, your should be neutral. I appreciate that it take practice and experience to achieve that status, but that is the essence of diving for me- to be part of the environment, not an intruder.
DivemasterDennis

Please refer to post 78 and advise me how not to use a hand in that senerio.

" Because most of my diving is done in less than 10' vis often at night I may be hovering less than a foot off the bottom sometimes with knees bent sitting on my fins. How the heck do I turn to follow that little critter except to use a hand?"

 

[TSandM]

AfterDark, in the situation you describe (which is very common for us) I would be neutrally buoyant and horizontal. In that position, I can move forward and backward and pivot on my axis without using my hands. The only situations in which I would need to use them would be if I needed to move PURELY sideways (there's no fin motion for that), or if I needed to stabilize myself in current, for the purposes of a photograph, in a position I couldn't maintain without a finger touch (did that a LOT yesterday, on a wall where finding some bare rock to put a finger on wasn't easy at all!)

I really suspect that, for all of us who aren't using hands for buoyancy adjustments, what it comes down to is the inability to back up. The back kick may well be the single most useful thing I've learned from all my advanced training, and it's hard to imagine being a photographer without one. (Or a divemaster!)

 

[AfterDark]

TS&M Hoovering a foot off the bottom what else am I but neutrally buoyant? That's why a slight movement of a hand is all I need to turn. Of course if I am able to be horizontal with use of my fins I would use them to turn or back up. I can't imagine doing the diving I do without those skills. Skills by the way I learned decades ago on my own by diving.
I use my lungs and wing for buoyancy adjustments.

 

[Quero]

Please refer to post 78 and advise me how not to use a hand in that senerio.

" Because most of my diving is done in less than 10' vis often at night I may be hovering less than a foot off the bottom sometimes with knees bent sitting on my fins. How the heck do I turn to follow that little critter except to use a hand?"

I don't know how else you (specifically) would do it, but I can tell you how I do it. I simply don't rest with my fin tips on the bottom--I hover; my fins are always up and ready for propulsion. I don't need my hands for the kind of movement you describe. Here is a shot of me hovering mere centimeters from a very silty volcanic ash bottom without stirring up any sediment with either my fins or with hand movements. It can be done, but it takes a lot of practice. (Image captured by my photo-pro friend and dive buddy, Alex.)

 

[AfterDark]

I don't know how else you (specifically) would do it, but I can tell you how I do it. I simply don't rest with my fin tips on the bottom--I hover; my fins are always up and ready for propulsion. I don't need my hands for the kind of movement you describe. Here is a shot of me hovering mere centimeters from a very silty volcanic ash bottom without stirring up any sediment with either my fins or with hand movements. It can be done, but it takes a lot of practice. (Photo by my photo-pro friend and dive buddy, Alex.

View attachment 94827.)

Nothing is touching the bottom. I'm hovering. There is no other answer. TS&M and you tried to change the Scenario to fit your answer nice try but no dice. Nice pic notice your right out in the open there no need to be sitting on your fins to get in a tight spot. Do you pass up those shots you don't need to use your hands?

 

[Teamcasa]

There's a big difference between using your hands to maneuver, swim, grab, disturb and generally cause grief and effectively using a finger push or slightly flicking a hand to move an inch or two. We all started out flailing and flopping about so, unless you are causing a problem for me by wrecking the vis or disturbing/killing the marine life, I really don't care. You will improve as time goes on and after all, it's your air you are blowing through.

 

[Quero]

with knees bent sitting on my fins

What does this mean, then? To my mind, this describes fins in contact with the bottom, presumably for stability.

 

[AfterDark]

What does this mean, then? To my mind, this describes fins in contact with the bottom, presumably for stability.

Well the complete sentence is "I may be hovering less than a foot off the bottom sometimes with knees bent sitting on my fins". So what does hovering mean to you? What part of your equipment touches the bottom when you hover?

 

[fisheater]

It's the "sitting on my fins" part that confuses us. Can you explain?


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[AfterDark]

It's the "sitting on my fins" part that confuses us. Can you explain?


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I can't show you a picture. What is there to explain? I'm close to the bottom hovering. My knees bent my heels tucked under my a$$. Nothing is touching the bottom. I don't understand what is so hard to understand? I'm usually in a tight spot when I do that, I've often lowered myself into the spot by temporarly going negative. When I'm where I want to be I regain neutral buoyancy and hover while I take pics or vids of some critter. If I need to turn I cup one of my hands and gently pull some water towards me which causes me to turn while I keep the camera on my subject. That's the best I can do, come out to RI I'lll show you.