Film wet with plain water, is not as slippery as film wet with alkaline developer. So that couldn't be the built in wetting agent talking. Plus its more likely that the slippery feel is indeed alkalinity because acid neutralisation gets rid of it.
Another mind game, if you will:
Developer is always retained by film which has just come from it. A single short water rinse will not take all of it away. Some development still happens in the water rinse because the developer agent remains active in alkaline state. And will continue to act even in the fixer, if the fixer isn't acting quick enough to eat away the undeveloped halides. In a weakened fixer (the activity can't be fully monitored, nor is it a feasible option FOR EVERYONE to dump the fixer after each use or two), combined with not too active agitation, streaking can result.
With an acid stop bath, the development is quickly arrested. Retained developer is not as active anymore and won't likely cause further reaction once its alkaline nature is nuetralised. The possibility of getting extra silver densities whilst the film is already out of the developer, and in the fixer for that matter, is practically eliminated.
I've used plain water rinses between developer and fixer at times, but find using an acid stop better. I've seen the effects I mentioned. Fastidious technique is not always enough. In fact, using hardening acid stop baths (just like F-5 fixer, but without the thiosulphate) is very advantageous in the tropics. Ambient and wash water temperatures average at 30C. Hardening and tempering the emulsion, as well as minimising alkaline exposure to prevent swelling and reticulation, make for better negatives in the end.
There is really no point in shunning acid stop baths, unless one is avoiding it just for principle.
Another mind game, if you will:
Developer is always retained by film which has just come from it. A single short water rinse will not take all of it away. Some development still happens in the water rinse because the developer agent remains active in alkaline state. And will continue to act even in the fixer, if the fixer isn't acting quick enough to eat away the undeveloped halides. In a weakened fixer (the activity can't be fully monitored, nor is it a feasible option FOR EVERYONE to dump the fixer after each use or two), combined with not too active agitation, streaking can result.
With an acid stop bath, the development is quickly arrested. Retained developer is not as active anymore and won't likely cause further reaction once its alkaline nature is nuetralised. The possibility of getting extra silver densities whilst the film is already out of the developer, and in the fixer for that matter, is practically eliminated.
I've used plain water rinses between developer and fixer at times, but find using an acid stop better. I've seen the effects I mentioned. Fastidious technique is not always enough. In fact, using hardening acid stop baths (just like F-5 fixer, but without the thiosulphate) is very advantageous in the tropics. Ambient and wash water temperatures average at 30C. Hardening and tempering the emulsion, as well as minimising alkaline exposure to prevent swelling and reticulation, make for better negatives in the end.
There is really no point in shunning acid stop baths, unless one is avoiding it just for principle.