Posted by seaunt on May 13, 2002 at 16:17:14:
In Reply to: Re: Backplate and wing report posted by tecdiver on May 13, 2002 at 11:31:28:
Oops. It sounds like I might have gotten a little defensive there.
Certain parties have been pushing swimming with trim a so hard, that perhaps I get a little bit reactive about it.
As a very experienced free diver, I think I have a pretty good feel for moving through the water.
It's a little bit like buoyancy. To me, most discussion about buoyancy is a little bit basic. My BC is going to be inflated correctly at any particular time. After that, buoyancy is a matter of how much air I have in my lungs. That is buoyancy control for me.
Trim a sort of the same way. Too most people, trim as an issue of swimming. I guess I spent too much time in big waves and in surge. I'm either ducking a surge or riding on it. To me, trim is how I shape my body to ride the water as it moves by me. A circle allows one to absorb the energy of the moving water. That is its shape. If you're straight, you do not absorb the energy. It's almost uncommon for me to be swimming in a straight line.
When I'm really going to find out how this backplate performs as far as drag is concerned, is when I get on a rocky reef where I want to move really fast and I'm both swimming and plulling my way along. Then I will get to feel how much drag this backplate has. I'm looking forward to it.
Enjoy the diving, seahunt