Tipping over while on the bottom

[MXGratefulDiver]

But back to absolutes, much of the horizontal requirements seem to come out of a cave mentality, but many of the very experienced cavers will also tell you that they will take whatever position in the water that is needed to move forward or back.

My initial exposure to the emphasis on horizontal positioning came about because of the silty environment I usually dive in ... Puget Sound. Diving in a vertical or angled position here will almost always result in a siltout. Of course, in open water it's not the concern it is in a cave ... you always have the option of not coming back that way. No problem for you ... but it sux to be the next person swimming through that area ...

In caves, you take the position that's going to get you through that next passage ... and they're not all straight or horizontal.

But body position won't much matter if you don't use your fins properly anyway ... even a horizontal diver can silt things up with the wrong finning technique ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Crush]

Welcome dogglebe!

I agree with all those who suggested that you just keep practicing. I am still working on the proper placement of my weights for different dive gear - every new change helps with balance in the water. Like NWGratefulDiver said - try swimming horizontally - you may need to move some weight to your top tank strap. After that, swim slowly horizontally. After that, hover horizontally.

Gilldiver might be right that horizontal diving might have come out of cave, but re-weightng my rig so that horizontal hovering was easy really helped me in the water, and I am an OW diver.

FWIW, if you want to swim in any orientation in open water, go for it.

Have fun!

 

[Walter]

Why not?

Seems unfair

You got me. I screwed up my post. I meant to say, "I'm not holding a new diver to the same standards as an experienced diver." Sorry for the confusion.

Sorry, it was in post #3 which I wrongly atributed to you.

No problem. We all make mistakes. Mine was pretty glaring.

 

[boulderjohn]

Gilldiver, I just don't get this obsession with being horizontal. .

A long time ago one of the early wreck divers named Lee Prettyman made this comment to me "Do you ever look up in a wreck? Half of it is above you." Ever since then I have tried to keep that in mind, to stop and have a real look up is hard in the horizontal, and rolling inside is asking for a silt out.

My initial exposure to the emphasis on horizontal positioning came about because of the silty environment I usually dive in ...

But body position won't much matter if you don't use your fins properly anyway ...

This would make a very interesting thread all by itself.

 

[ding dang]

i'll usually just sit on my butt, instead of tipping all around on my knees. i find it to be a lot more stable. plus, i just like to sit on the bottom and look around anyways.

 

[idocsteve]

i'll usually just sit on my butt, instead of tipping all around on my knees. i find it to be a lot more stable. plus, i just like to sit on the bottom and look around anyways.

Things live in the sand. When they are sat on they can die.

It's not about what you "like to do" it's about respect for the environment and the creatures that inhabit this world along with us.