Need help with fin strokes

[CaseyJr]

Newly certified, and have been practicing since then in a pool (sometimes scuba, & sometimes snorkeling). Still not getting it right. Whenever I relax & try not to pay attention to my strokes, I find I've reverted to bent knee kicks (cycling).

Also, I've noticed that when I "downstroke" with my left leg it seems effortless. But when I "downstroke" with my right leg it takes a conscious effort to complete the "down" part. And when I kick right, it seems like I'm having to use my entire body to help stabilize me.

Will the flutter kick come to me eventually -- I hear it's a hard thing for new divers to master well.

And is this other thing just a leg strength issue? Hopefully that will get better with time and practice? It's quite distracting (or should I stop focusing on it and just enjoy my dives?).

 

[Chris Hipp]

After doing around 100 dives with dozens of different people I can safely say that I have never seen anyone actually dive using a perfectly formed flutter kick, even the instructors. It is also not always the most efficient kick. You may be better off spending your time focusing on other more important skills. But to answer your other question, building up the muscles in your legs with definitely help your kicks, prevent cramping and conserve air because you won't have to exert yourself as much.

 

[TSandM]

I think the flutter kick is difficult to do well. If you think about the physics of it, that makes sense. It's a kick that comes primarily from the hip, and the power generated has to come from moving the joint through a very small range of motion, very close to not flexed at all. The muscles don't have a lot of mechanical advantage in that range, so it's quite fatiguing to begin with, and most people will try to kick with the knee joint, because you can move it through a larger range of motion, and you're more accustomed to generating power with those muscles.

If you really want to learn a good flutter kick, one way to work on it is in a pool with a kickboard. Really concentrate on keeping your legs straight out behind you, and just moving from the hip. This is much easier without the resistance of fins.

The other option is to learn an easier kick. The modified flutter, which is a small motion done with the knees and ankles, was much easier for me (and has the advantage that it doesn't kick up the silt on the bottom). It doesn't propel you very fast, but if you're diving to look at animals, moving fast is often counterproductive, as many marine creatures are camouflaged. You see a lot more when you go slowly!

If you want a more powerful kick, you can learn the frog kick. It's easier from a mechanical standpoint but a bit more difficult to master, but it has the advantage that it's using muscles you are more accustomed to utilizing.

Images of these kicks are available HERE, or on THIS DVD.

Hope this is helpful!

 

[pir8]

Go for the FROG

 

[cavediver08]

Learn the frog kick, its wonderful =)

 

[pasley]

Flutter kick, well first of all it depends on what kind of fin you have. Most position the fins above their body as illustrated above. Split fins use a very small rapid flutter kick, where solid fins use a longer stroke. Many divers use a frog kick or sculling motion. On most dives, very little kicking is done anyway. Most of my fin strokes are really just me flipping the tips of the fins a little by moving my ankle as I move very slowly.

 

[Fotoz4FX]

How did we go to flutter kicking? Sure it's a much less 'impacting' kick on the environment below you and the modified frog kick (a cave diver's preferance) is a simple (and more propelling) alternative but I think CaseyJr is primarily questioning whether or not he should concentrate on his technique.

As for the Flutter kick... it is preferred by photographers and does require practice but it's not going to be a propelling style of kick either compared to your standard kick. No Divemaster or Rescue Diver is going to use a Flutter Kick to catch a runaway student/diver.

CaseyJr, let me say that with practice, all things become second nature.

Think about your technique, practice it and be aware of mistakes you are making... in time you will think less about your technique because you will find your skill level improves and you will move onto other more enjoyable aspects of your dives.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I'v been reading all the different threads on kicks and quite honestly can't figure out what all these different kicks are! I do what is comfortable for me underwater. I've found that since I am a very active swimmer that most people I dive with think I put too much effort into my kicking, but at this point I'm still learning and don't care what others think. I am not tiring myself or using my air too quickly so what's the big deal? No disrespect, but as long as I am careful and safe I think I'm ok. I enjoy the movement since on land I don't have such freedom (I have fibromyalgia and most movement on land causes me pain from mild to horrible!).

I think to learn the kicks, at least for me, I would need an instructor right beside me in a controlled place like a pool.