Drills and exercises to stop knees dropping

[undrwater]

Sounds to me like she's already got the idea, but the problem is generalizing to other environments. Why not make an ocean dive a "skills" dive (use the same language and behavior you'd use in the pool).

If this doesn't work, you may need to either drill in the pool for a longer period of time, or find out where the difference lures. Good luck!

 

[Imla]

It's passable but still needs work. There are occasions where she uses a finger to prevent touching the bottom (slow/late adjustment of BCD) and not very consistent with holding stops.

---------- Post added December 23rd, 2013 at 12:05 PM ----------



Thanks, will try it out.

I believe she is feet heavy, as she has a problem getting in proper trim, and tends to "seahorse".

We had to move weights to the upper camband, and use neutrally buoyant fins to help. I think the weight balance is ok now, just need to work on the posture. She can swim in good trim in the pool when we're practicing, but in the sea, the bad habits come back and the knees drop again when she's not concentrating.

The reason why I suggest top heavy is beacuse it causes exactly this way of compensating. My own experience was on my fundy class. I was always at an angle, head up, and thought I needed more weight in front. We tried that... my knees fell to compensate. Still, this felt completely right for me. Then we tried my instructors way. Weights as FAR down as I could get them... What happened was that I could actually trim out without a feeling of tipping over (I didnt know that was what was happening) and hence I didn't have to compensate with dropping my knees.

I don't know how she is built. (i.e., where natural and exposure buoyancy is placed) but for me, the weight of tankvalves and regs were just enough to make me top heavy.

 

[WhiteSands]

The reason why I suggest top heavy is beacuse it causes exactly this way of compensating. My own experience was on my fundy class. I was always at an angle, head up, and thought I needed more weight in front. We tried that... my knees fell to compensate. Still, this felt completely right for me. Then we tried my instructors way. Weights as FAR down as I could get them... What happened was that I could actually trim out without a feeling of tipping over (I didnt know that was what was happening) and hence I didn't have to compensate with dropping my knees.

I don't know how she is built. (i.e., where natural and exposure buoyancy is placed) but for me, the weight of tankvalves and regs were just enough to make me top heavy.

Hmm, I guess it's worth giving it a shot. I'll try it out with her in the pool next chance I get. Thanks.

 

[sports55]

Head and shoulder position. She's lifting up her head, the shoulders follow, butt sinks, followed by knees, then fee hence the sea horse. Have her keep her ears in line with her shoulders and look forward/down rather than forward up

 

[Dhboner]

The reason why I suggest top heavy is beacuse it causes exactly this way of compensating. My own experience was on my fundy class. I was always at an angle, head up, and thought I needed more weight in front. We tried that... my knees fell to compensate. Still, this felt completely right for me. Then we tried my instructors way. Weights as FAR down as I could get them... What happened was that I could actually trim out without a feeling of tipping over (I didnt know that was what was happening) and hence I didn't have to compensate with dropping my knees.

This was my experience as well. I would have bet anything I was "head floaty" but some good friends who had moved through the ranks of GUE had me stretch out under water and only then did I realize that I was actually head heavy and was using my legs and fins to compensate. I moved weight back (and dropped some weight) and my trim improved.