Reasons to take a propulsion/trim/buoyancy class...

[The Chairman]

I would call that mistaken if you think anything like any current open water is anything like what I mean.

Nope. My entire class stays off of the bottom, just like we were diving out on our environmentally sensitive reefs. Every skill is taught and mastered while midwater. It's just not that difficult to teach this attitude from the beginning.

 

[muteki]

In my OW pool sessions we went over neutral buoyancy for about 2 seconds, but after the open water dives we got better one-on-one with the instructor. Or rather, I went up and asked questions. We were trained well on tucking things away, and I've been amazed to see people diving with octos and gauges dangling all over the place, especially at cenotes and other overheads! Most of what I've learned, though, has been by practice, reading SB, and talking with other divemasters and instructors and then practicing. Still perfecting the frog-kick...

 

[TSandM]

I always love seeing people say they learned thus-and-such on ScubaBoard, or got exposed to a skill or otherwise changed their diving. It makes me feel like all the time I put in here is worthwhile!

 

[MrChen]

In my OW pool sessions we went over neutral buoyancy for about 2 seconds, but after the open water dives we got better one-on-one with the instructor. Or rather, I went up and asked questions. We were trained well on tucking things away, and I've been amazed to see people diving with octos and gauges dangling all over the place, especially at cenotes and other overheads! Most of what I've learned, though, has been by practice, reading SB, and talking with other divemasters and instructors and then practicing. Still perfecting the frog-kick...

I too think I'm a much better diver because of SB. I spent HOURS and HOURS reading old posts, near misses, gear reviews, vendor responses, opinions, etc. I like the DIR and tek concepts and have implemented a few (long hose, gauge placements, etc), they solved more than a few of my frustrations while diving. I think I ditched my console by dive 15 (I hated that thing), went long hose by 20, jet fins by 25, etc.

 

[LowDrag]

I too think I'm a much better diver because of SB. I spent HOURS and HOURS reading old posts, near misses, gear reviews, vendor responses, opinions, etc. I like the DIR and tek concepts and have implemented a few (long hose, gauge placements, etc), they solved more than a few of my frustrations while diving. I think I ditched my console by dive 15 (I hated that thing), went long hose by 20, jet fins by 25, etc.

Same here...console gone and straps used for my gauges, F1's bought, long hose installed and I even went to YouTube and watched a video on how to make my own bungee necklace because I bought a rubber one and hated it...LOL!!! Now my gear looks more tech than rec but that's okay. I like the way tech gear is put together, it just makes sense to me.

 

[tracydr]

Thank you for the critique. I will move more weight forward by adding a couple of ankle weights to the neck of my tank to experiment then adjust from there. Either by moving my tank forward or by some other means. I will definitely work on the sculling, I know I need some more practice there. As for wanting to be be better, yes, I will keep practicing to get my trim much better because I want to and because it will help me be a better diver around things I should not run into.

Thanks again for the honest answers.

---------- Post added December 8th, 2013 at 01:53 PM ----------



I definitely tried staying off the bottom. Like I said in the video, it felt weird being off the bottom like that and seeing the bottom without touching it. Geoducks? Nope, those are Giant White and Orange Plumose Anemones. Those guys are all over the place around here. Did you like the whale snot floating around me??? LOL!!!






This is a picture of a Geoduck taken by Don Rothaus that I found online to show you what a Geoduck looks like. Nasty looking things aren't they???



---------- Post added December 8th, 2013 at 02:10 PM ----------



I definitely need to tighten up the ab's...hehehe. As for the F1's, considering what they cost me, my better half would kill me if I wanted to put out another $100 plus on another set of fins...LOL!!!

May just try a little more air in your feet and legs.

 

[LowDrag]

May just try a little more air in your feet and legs.

Seeing as I am diving a White's Fusion I will probably have to invert head down to get the air in the foot area...LOL!!!

 

[boulderjohn]

Seeing as I am diving a White's Fusion I will probably have to invert head down to get the air in the foot area...LOL!!!

Nah. It doesn't take much air to do the job. After a while you won't even realize you are doing it. (I dive a Fusion as well, and I do it with very heavy fins.)

 

[Foxfish]

Interested to hear what adjustments you make to correct trim for a diver with a weight belt and jacket style BCD without changing the equipment they're using. A common problem with this arrangement is for the feet to drop when motionless. When we talk about trim I take it we're referring to your inclination in the water.

 

[boulderjohn]

Interested to hear what adjustments you make to correct trim for a diver with a weight belt and jacket style BCD without changing the equipment they're using. A common problem with this arrangement is for the feet to drop when motionless. When we talk about trim I take it we're referring to your inclination in the water.

Yes. The diver should be horizontal while moving through the water, and that posture should be the product of buoyancy and weight distribution, not physical effort. If the feet drop when you stop kicking, then something needs to be adjusted. By "something," I mean a variety of possibilities.