At 05:11 AM 2/7/2003 -0500, Lee wrote:
>Christian Gerzner wrote:
>
> > True, providing (as I qualified) you have a point in the distance to
> > guide you. Otherwise, no matter how well you might think you
> > compensate for the "twist", there is nothing there to advise you as to
> > whether you are over - or under - compensating.
>
>The same is true for any swimming underwater.  Unless you have a reference,
>you don't know if you're swimming in a straight line or not.  A stronger
>leg, a slightly asymetrical set of fins, a fin that's on your foot just a
>bit differently on one side than the other, are all things that happen all
>the time, all things that will result in something other than balanced
>thrust and all things that we all adjust for on every dive.

Here's a trick for keeping your boat going in a straight line when in
limited visibility and without a compass.  Drag a lengthy rope off the
stern and you'll be able to tell if you're going straight by the lay of the
rope.  Comes in handy on fog covered lakes, especially at night, when your
objective is to find the shore (any shore).  Can't imagine any circumstance
when such a trick would be of use under water though, sorry.

-Mark B.