"Correct Weighting" Identified as #1 Needed Improvement in SCUBA Diving

[The Chairman]

you've just confirmed it -you are a troll

You say troll, I say FIGJAM. He's done more to silt out buoyancy control than anything else.

 

[REVAN]

I always find it funny that that if you mention any physical training associated with diving you get branded as an elitist. Yet, DAN tells us to exercise and runs articles about fitness in just about every issue of Alert Diver. If you ask your average family physician about an exercise program you can almost bet they'll suggest swimming. The PDIC OW training I had was so much fun and looked the same as a US Navy training video.

Diving started out as a sport. To do it, you needed to be a swimmer first, a real waterman. However, over time it has evolved into more of a pastime than a sport. Scuba divers don't swim anymore. The boat takes the divers out and drops them in the water. They sit there moving little, waiting to something to show up that's worth bragging about later. Half the time, there is a cart at the marina, so people aren't even getting the exercise of carrying their equipment to the dive boat. Like tailgating, this pastime can attract a lot of couch potatoes that don't want to hear anything about physical training.

The athletic divers tend to gravitate to freediving and spear hunting, though a few of us scuba dive as well. Freediving is a different demographic. They want to hear about new ways to physically train, techniques to get a more efficient swimming form, etc.... I've noticed that the rates of substance abuse among freedivers seem low in comparison to scuba demographics, and the people in freediving tend to be more friendly. SB doesn't attract many freedivers or speros. Those divers tend to use DeeperBlue's forums. What's left for SB are the techies and then the predominantly non-athletic recreational side of scuba. If you talk about physical training and swimming techniques for speed and efficiency on SB, you can expect some here will chastise you for it and branded you an elitist.

No doubt, I'll take some heat for pointing this out.

 

[The Chairman]

If you talk about physical training and swimming techniques for speed and efficiency on SB, you can expect some here will chastise you for it and branded you an elitist.

Oh the drama! This is utter BS. I wish you would train as hard at reading comprehension as you claim to train physically. We don't think of you as an elitest at all. You see, your incessant mischarecterization of what others are saying is why you're being labled a troll and a FIGJAM. It's tiresome as all hell and we wish you'd stop it. You can have a different opinion all you want, but don't expect us to always agree with you. That's not "chastising" you, that's simply calling a spade an effin shovel.

There's a lot of good to be had from training and no one is going to chastise someone like Trace for being in the shape he's in. There's no jealousy either. There might be a bit of intimidation, but that's human nature as he's a remarkable specimen. Yes, a number of us disagree with the premise that you can't learn to Scuba unless you're in some kind of remarkable shape. You can learn to scuba no matter what shape you're in, and I can guarantee that diving will help you get in shape. That doesn't mean that anyone can dive in any situation. A diver's got to know their limitations. We can easily see time, depth and gas, but there's also physical, weather, training, skills, equipment, buddy and more. Don't let your ego over inflate your limits, honor them and you should be fine: no matter what shape you're in. In your best Dirty Harry scowl: A diver's got to know (and honor) their limitations.

 

[tilikum]

I had to look up the term figjam. I also like to use IKE.

 

[buiszie]

Being over-weighted with weights is one of the most common problems when you see divers. when you look at them in the water their legs are pointing in an angle to the bottom and their head is pointing in an angle to the surface. This results in swimming most likely up, and getting a shark teeth dive patron. Another negative part is when they swim, dive like this the divers are less streamlined and will use more air during the dives.

It has to start in the courses how to dive, how to position yourself during the dive. Its not only about weight, its about buoyancy. This should be checked during every dive. And for an instructor it is easy to help the students with good advice.
But a lot of people who are certified and diving not on regular base are saying when they will do a dive, i always dived with this amount of weight. Not knowing that the wetsuit has changed, the salt concentration has changed, the metal of the tanks has changed etc.... I think it should be good if all dive operators will tell this in the briefings before the divers go into the water.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

There's a lot of good to be had from training and no one is going to chastise someone like Trace for being in the shape he's in. There's no jealousy either. There might be a bit of intimidation, but that's human nature as he's a remarkable specimen ...

... Don't let your ego over inflate your limits, honor them and you should be fine: no matter what shape you're in. In your best Dirty Harry scowl: A diver's got to know (and honor) their limitations.

Thanks, Pete. I told my girlfriend you paid me a nice compliment and she said, "That's nice, honey. See. You're getting there ... I mean ... well, you were out of action for months with the eye surgery. If you changed your diet ... I mean ... I mean I've seen you when you eat better and you get in shape fast ..."

Apparently, I'm not the "correct weight" yet!

Nothing like a woman to check your ego.

 

[Bob DBF]

Being over-weighted with weights is one of the most common problems when you see divers. when you look at them in the water their legs are pointing in an angle to the bottom and their head is pointing in an angle to the surface. This results in swimming most likely up, and getting a shark teeth dive patron. Another negative part is when they swim, dive like this the divers are less streamlined and will use more air during the dives

Bad trim, head is pointing at an angle to the surface, may have nothing to do with being overweighted.

Trim, buoyancy, and weight are interrelated, but one can be off with one but fine with the others. My examples would be my raising an anchor by hand with good trim and buoyancy, or my tendency to have my head higher than my feet although I can hover that way and am properly weighted.

And yes, poor trim wastes energy and air.

I don't try to fix a problem until I understand what is actually happening.


Bob

 

[REVAN]

Oh the drama! This is utter BS. I wish you would train as hard at reading comprehension as you claim to train physically. We don't think of you as an elitest at all. You see, your incessant mischarecterization of what others are saying is why you're being labled a troll and a FIGJAM. It's tiresome as all hell and we wish you'd stop it. You can have a different opinion all you want, but don't expect us to always agree with you. That's not "chastising" you, that's simply calling a spade an effin shovel.

There's a lot of good to be had from training and no one is going to chastise someone like Trace for being in the shape he's in. There's no jealousy either. There might be a bit of intimidation, but that's human nature as he's a remarkable specimen. Yes, a number of us disagree with the premise that you can't learn to Scuba unless you're in some kind of remarkable shape. You can learn to scuba no matter what shape you're in, and I can guarantee that diving will help you get in shape. That doesn't mean that anyone can dive in any situation. A diver's got to know their limitations. We can easily see time, depth and gas, but there's also physical, weather, training, skills, equipment, buddy and more. Don't let your ego over inflate your limits, honor them and you should be fine: no matter what shape you're in. In your best Dirty Harry scowl: A diver's got to know (and honor) their limitations.

Wow! This I get for agreeing with Trace when he said, "I always find it funny that that if you mention any physical training associated with diving you get branded as an elitist." Clearly, I'm not the only one who feels this way. Yet, you praise Trace, while I get the negative bashing.

From my perspective, It's' not that I mischaracterize what you say. I use your words and quotes to show the inconsistencies in what you say. It backs you into a corner, and you don't like that. I'm starting to think that, over time, you have just learned to hate me and will go to any lengths to try to drive me away from Scuba Board.

 

[The Chairman]

From my perspective,

It's my humble opinion that the rest of what you write is to justify your trolling. Nothing less.

 

[Doby45]

I'm starting to think that, over time, you have just learned to hate me and will go to any lengths to try to drive me away from Scuba Board.

I don't know you from Adam's house cat and I think most of your posts come off just as @The Chairman was saying. Stop being so thin skinned when people simply disagree with you. No one is trying to "run you off".