The Inverted Line

The foundation maneuver in Scubatics is the horizontal line. All maneuver begin and end with a horizontal line segment of at least half the length of the diver's body. The upright horizontal line is easy, it's something we do all the time when using a scooter underwater.

But inverted, that's a different story.

A few things happen inverted in the water while being pulled at two knots breathing from an upside down regulator. The first thing you notice is that it's hard to breathe...the regulator is not friendly upside down. But for Scubatics, this is a good thing, because it means you are not looking in the correct place.

The tendency when scootering inverted is to look straight up at the surface. Until you plow into the wall of the pool or your best friend/dive buddy. Just as in upright scootering, you must watch where you are going. So when inverted, keep your head back, forcing you to look where you are going, and making the regulator much easier to breathe. You still make get a little bit of water in the regulator, but it will be easy to breathe through and will clear with each breath.

Start to be comfortable with inverted scootering the same way you became comfortble in the water, by perfecting your buoyancy. Nothing changes on your weighting with position in the water, so get inverted and start to look around, get oriented, absorb the different picture. Understand that to turn left, you now seem to need to go right. Pay attention to your depth, and use the visual clues in the pool to follow a straight line and make gentle turns. Get used to it, it's fun.

As you spend more time inverted, you will become more comfortable, and soon it will seem just as natural as being upright.

And remember the most important aspect of Scuba, particularly in Scubatics: never hold your breath. It is very easy to get so wrapped up in the maneuvers and your position in the water that you forget to breathe. Part of the judging criteria for looping maneuvers that ascend is to show the judges a stream of bubbles so they know you are exhaling on ascent. Always give the air that expands with reduced pressure a place to go. Keep breathing!

See you (upside down) in the water.

Jeff