THE "PERFECT ( being horizontal ) TRIM" HOAX

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I believe you are not. I believe you could be one of the "adapt the trim to the environment" guys. In lakes, it is almost always horizontal, but not really always.

You mean adapt your trim like a whale shark?

WHALE SHARK TRIM.jpg
 
I believe you are not. I believe you could be one of the "adapt the trim to the environment" guys. In lakes, it is almost always horizontal, but not really always.
True. If I am teaching, this could mean to have a more vertical position to help students, but diving for fun is almost always horizontal.

If I dive in ocean, or lake wall dive it's fine to get a bit loose on the trim. As long as I don't touch anything, or the water I move with my fins. I am really strict about this.

The right tool for the given job.
 
I haven't read the entire thread but what I have seems to have a pattern i.e. criticisms of DIR/GUE are largely written by people who have not undertaken a GUE course.

Yes there is a heavy emphasis on neutral buoyancy and horizontal trim, particularly at Fundamentals level, because being able to be horizontal and neutral is the default standard that must be achieved to pass the course. Horizontal, neutral trim assists enormously in carrying out shut downs and other drills too. Not being able to achieve that means you will have trouble passing any of the next or further level courses. So you must have that skill sorted before you can pass the basic level course.

However, there is no hard and fast rule about being absolutely horizontal absolutely all the time. You may adopt any trim necessary for the goal of the dive. How on earth would you ascend or descend through a narrow vertical chimney in a cave, for example?

The other emphasis on GUE courses is practice. So a lot of GUE-trained divers will routinely use horizontal trim on routine dives to maintain good practice but it doesn't mean that other body positions in the water are absolutely prohibited.

As far as I have experienced, the idea that GUE absolutely insists on being horizontal throughout the dive, no matter what, IS a "hoax" once you are outside the realms of the Fundamentals course.
 
When it comes to Whalesharks, any trim works, as long as you are having fun doing it and not disturbing anything around you.

nM0029329.JPG
 
Trim - make (something) neat or of the required size or form by cutting away irregular or unwanted parts. Think streamlining.

Attitude - a position of the body proper ( normally used to or implying an action or mental state)

Thus the reason for using horizontal, vertical, or whatever angle is actually used to meet your objective. I personally take my lessons on how to dive from seals and sea lions, which seem to have a better handle on it than I.

Personally, I don't pay some newly converted DIR acolyte or poser, lecture about how what they learned in class is the only way to dive much mind. Don't get me started on the rec agencies and their misinformation due to the training by catchphrase that is so popular today.
 
GUE was so amused with the trim question that was asked for their Q & A session, that they addressed it on their Facebook and Instagram pages as well:

20210601_124442.jpg


Their choice of photo is interesting, but note "intentional": ex, not losing control of your position or accidentally being in some position.

Once you have shown that you can control your position in the water column, no one cares whether you're always horizontal. The issue lies when the basic ability doesn't appear to be there.
 
I haven't read the entire thread but what I have seems to have a pattern i.e. criticisms of DIR/GUE are largely written by people who have not undertaken a GUE course...

Nailed it.
 

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