Valve Drill Positioning
A quick note on correct head/shoulders/arm positioning when doing valve drills.
Incorrect Position: Head Down, Shoulders Forward, Elbows to the Side
If you stand up and try to reach back to something behind your head like you are trying to reach for your isolator, chances are that this is the position that you will find yourself in naturally. This is also the position which makes it the most difficult to reach your isolator. Dropping your head and your shoulders makes it easier to reach something attached to the back of your head, but your manifold is attached to your back, not your head. This position pulls your head away from the vertical line of your back and that makes it harder for your arm to reach backwards and feel where the isolator would be.
Correct Position: Head Up, Shoulders Back, Elbows in Front
By getting your head up and shoulders back, you should be able to nearly hit your head on your isolator valve. If you can’t, then I’d suggest practicing shoulder and head positioning until you can touch your isolator valve with your head, or nearly so.
Once you have this head position, you should be able to easily reach back to the back of your head and your isolator valve will be right there. This is make easier by pulling the elbow in front of you and having your arm closer to your ear. This arm positioning makes it easier to rotate your shoulder back to reach valves.
For folks with mobility issues this may be more difficult, but fixing these issues will make everyone have an easier time at doing valve drills. It may also be possible to isolate and focus on the individual mobility issues that divers have with valve drills.
Body Position
Body position also needs to be correct. The diver should be in trim position and nearly flat, back arched somewhat and butt tight. Knees need to not be dropped, and fins should be flat or slightly pointed up (not pointing straight up, and not dropped into the muck). All of this will help balance the diver and produce a stable platform for the valve drill. More on this later.
