The Most Difficult Skill to Master

[crazyTomato]

That is the most difficult skill to master. I would love to get there someday.

I remember once in my trip last December on my 8th dive, when I was going forward, and decided just to try to stay motionless for few seconds even though I usually end up falling down. But for once I was actually somewhat still and swayed along with the current. I remember being really surprised that there was a current, something that I hadn’t realized till I hung motionless during those few seconds. It was really nice.

Whenever I think of it, I remember the feeling of it, and really wish I could experience that again…….but sighs, I still have a long way to go...

 

[cwick]

I to have been in search of this illusive skill and while I am getting better I am still far from home . About a month ago we were diving at the Blue Grotto and when we came out of the cave there was a DIR class doing some skills training and as I began watching them it was obvious who the instrutors were in this group becouse the two them had complete control of this skill and I was in awe of there abillity to be able to remain motionless for so long. The search continues.

 

[opalobsidian]

I love hovering motionless (as well as I can do it) in heavy surge. There I hover while the water sweeps me 15 feet back and forth along the bottom. I get to view a good size area without doing any motion at all. Back and forth. Back and forth. It gets to be quite soothing.

Oh MY GAWD!

:11doh:

When I did this on my dive in Montserrat, I came as close as I ever have to HURLING! Mightily! I was not quite ready to put the chunks thru the regulator theory to the test so I called the dive and sat on the boat, gazing at the horizon, for a good long while.

Of course the fact that the visibility was only about 5 feet probably added to the crisis. That and the surge.....oooops! here I go again!

:11doh:

 

[highdesert]

I've experienced two divemasters who are very good at this ...

While the rest of us were rooting around looking at the fishies, they would back off 20-30 feet, ascend maybe 10' above us, assume the lotus position, and just watch. No moving, just watching. Their immobility was more interesting to me than anything else around. Would love to get to that place ...

 

[djanni]

I'm asking the question below because posters are talking about being UTTERLY motionless, not moving up or down while breathing, not by holding your breath and etc, etc. How is this possible?

I've never consciously tried the hoover (utterly) motionless. I stop to snap a picture and have to hoover but I'm not really thinking about it. Yet, I know it's never utterly motionless.

How much weight does a breath of air displace? At 50' if you need a reference point.

If your perfectly trimmed out, weighted correctly and etc. how is it possible to hoover utterly motionless while breathing? It seems there has to be some ascent and decent with the breathing.

How do you compensate for becomming more/less bouyant when you take a breath or exhale??? Contorting ones body would not affect that... how could it???

 

[Azza]

Well I got big lungs so I move up and down with each breath, but I think they were meaning more or less staionary. Not going forward, backward, to the side, sculling, little fin sculls etc...

 

[Ben_ca]

It's more the no sculling or unnecessary movements... you will move up and down a tiny bit (less in doubles)

 

[jbd]

It seems there has to be some ascent and decent with the breathing.

How do you compensate for becomming more/less bouyant when you take a breath or exhale??? Contorting ones body would not affect that... how could it???

You are correct, there is some ascent and descent with the respiratory cycle. However when one is truly completely relaxed the slight ascent created by an inhalation is cancelled out by the slight descent created by the exhalation. So you end up moving up and down within a very small range of only a few inches.

What Rick is talking about is not moving any other part of you body; being very relaxed at at complete ease with your environment. It is very calming and serene. It also allows marine creatures to come very close to you. I've actually had a bass swim into the palm of my hand and rest there briefly. I've also come close to dozing off while doing this. It is very relaxing.

 

[djanni]

You are correct, there is some ascent and descent with the respiratory cycle. However when one is truly completely relaxed the slight ascent created by an inhalation is cancelled out by the slight descent created by the exhalation. So you end up moving up and down within a very small range of only a few inches.

What Rick is talking about is not moving any other part of you body; being very relaxed at at complete ease with your environment. It is very calming and serene. It also allows marine creatures to come very close to you. I've actually had a bass swim into the palm of my hand and rest there briefly. I've also come close to dozing off while doing this. It is very relaxing.

No doubt the less motion while hovering the better. I just couldn't see how being motion"less" (no movement) was possible. Current or no current.

 

[JeffG]

No doubt the less motion while hovering the better. I just couldn't see how being motion"less" (no movement) was possible. Current or no current.

Thats because you aren't using a BP/W.