The Art of Shutdowns - A Garf Rant.

[Mal Bridgeman]

Great description Garf....

Can I add a little of my own experience around the trim/tension issue?

It was explained to me that anyone can achieve good trim and it's about how you hold your body. At them moment I am diving a rig which has a tendency to make me head heavy and feet light. I can overcome the trim issue to a degree by holding myself in a particular way but on a dive earlier in the year, with YD's own Davey Willo, I had particularly empty tanks and made a complete *rse of my shutdowns....trying too hard to be stationary and hold good trim, my body was so tense, I could not effectively reach back to shut my valves. When not performing the shutdown, but just swimming along I could easily reach the valves. So when I stopped to try again the same issue returned and I could not do it.

The addition of a keel weight has helped enormously and I was stationary enough and flat enough for my trimix course. It's not as good as I have seen others, nor as I would like to be, so am digging into the bank to help fix some of the other related issues.

Mal

[Mal Bridgeman]

Consciously tilting your head backwards helps a great deal.

Indeed and helps you maintain eye conact with your team/buddy which has many positive benefits .... e.g. situational awareness and buoyancy cues...

Rgrds
Mal

[Morag]

Great post, a lot of good stuff in there.

When i was first having problems with shutdowns, after elimitating all the other stuff, I discovered it was my trim. If there was any air trapped in the top of the wing it would push the twins slightly away from my back. By doing it in a slightly head down position, the air went to the bottom, and voila! the twins were now in the right place.

[NotDeadYet]

Great point......the spine curves as you bend backwards shortening the distance between hips and shoulders and bringing the shoulders closer to the backplate

Exhaling also gives you a bit more bend as well though in a real situation it's probably counter intuitive to be exhaling whilst your next breath is bubbling away.

[wilbo]

Great post, a lot of good stuff in there.

When i was first having problems with shutdowns, after elimitating all the other stuff, I discovered it was my trim. If there was any air trapped in the top of the wing it would push the twins slightly away from my back. By doing it in a slightly head down position, the air went to the bottom, and voila! the twins were now in the right place.

I would offer that your harness is too loose then.. its the adjustment in trim - irrespective of gas - that has sorted you out..

The amount of gas in the wing should never change the distance between you and your valves..

just my 2c..

[Madfish]

Thanks Garf - I shall laminate those distructions.........

I have been known to leave the water in a really dark mood and P*ssed myself

Is that really neccessary young man? Or does it help the trim?

Dianne

[wilbo]

Thanks Garf - I shall laminate those distructions.........



Is that really neccessary young man? Or does it help the trim?

Dianne

it does help his trim as he is completely flat while leaving the water.. he crawls out..

[Bogwoppit]

Thanks Garf - I shall laminate those distructions.........



Is that really neccessary young man? Or does it help the trim?

Dianne

Hehehe first off heheh at the young bit and I think I missed the "at" bit..

[daz]

Not been around much lately due to work commitments, good post Garf.

Unbiased, informative and constructive.

I'd green you but I can't so I'll have to go and find some more worthy causes and get back to you.

Daz

[Bogwoppit]

Hey Daz... How you doing m8ty? grown any??