For those who missed the 2008 DAN Technical Conference (like yours truly), DAN has compiled the conference and made it available in PDF : 2008 DAN Tech Diving Conference Very interesting reading.
One of the most important skills for new scuba diver to master is a controlled ascent. It is not uncommon for newer divers to feel okay at depth (>30′) but then feel unstable on ascents and in shallow waters – “I can hold my 20′ safety stop, but when I move shallower, I quickly find [...]
It is not uncommon that new scuba divers consume gas at a faster rate than more experienced divers. There are many factors for this and TSandM has a great write-up: How fast you use your gas is determined by two things: How much CO2 you are generating per minute, and how efficiently you use the [...]
In many basic Open Water scuba courses, divers are taught vertical body position for ascents and descents. While there are some benefits to this technique, a horizontal body position is safer, more effective, and much easier to execute. Body Position The prone body position, preferred while diving, is also the preferred body position for ascents [...]
The Hogarthian/DIR/UTD equipment philosophy has the SPG attached to the left hip D-ring. This promotes streamlined gear configuration and doesn’t clutter up the chest (workspace area). For new divers, this set-up requires work since the clipping and unclipping of the SPG has yet to become automatic. Instead of practicing, some divers choose to solve this [...]
Before we put the basic levers for trim in use, it’s very important to review the horizontal trim position. For the majority of scuba divers, the horizontal trim position is not natural. Horizontal Position Consider the body in the horizontal plane. Now consider where the head needs to be for the body to be in [...]
The horizontal trim video below is part of the UTD Essentials DVD: Overview The horizontal position is often called prone, superman, or skydiver position. For a scuba diver, the horizontal trim is the most efficient way to move through the water. In addition, the horizontal trim provides vertical drag, helping divers maintain a constant depth. [...]