trimming for long surface swims?

xroirat · Jul 25, 2008

After a long lay-off, and with my boat under repair, I've been doing shore dives lately. We usually swim out on the surface for quite a bit before submerging. Common practice for the folks I dive with is to swim on our back, BCD inflated to keep head out of water, mask in place, and not using a snorkel.

Tech divers discuss trimming their gear for most efficient underwater propulsion, but I've not seen anything about how best to configure gear for the surface. If anyone has some tips on how to improve efficiency on the surface I'd like to hear them. Also, while a flutter kick is great underwater, I find myself doing more of a bicycle stroke on the surface, especially when it has turned out to be a long swim.

Years ago, when diving the Northern California coast, I knew guys that would use their weight integrated BCDs as floats (with tank attached) - which made it easier to get through the rocky surf zones. They would don the BCD/tank when out into calmer water. I don't have that type of BCD but wonder if anyone has tried that approach?

Jim

Mr.X · Jul 25, 2008

xroirat:
After a long lay-off, and with my boat under repair, I've been doing shore dives lately. We usually swim out on the surface for quite a bit before submerging. Common practice for the folks I dive with is to swim on our back, BCD inflated to keep head out of water, mask in place, and not using a snorkel.

Tech divers discuss trimming their gear for most efficient underwater propulsion, but I've not seen anything about how best to configure gear for the surface. If anyone has some tips on how to improve efficiency on the surface I'd like to hear them. Also, while a flutter kick is great underwater, I find myself doing more of a bicycle stroke on the surface, especially when it has turned out to be a long swim.

Years ago, when diving the Northern California coast, I knew guys that would use their weight integrated BCDs as floats (with tank attached) - which made it easier to get through the rocky surf zones. They would don the BCD/tank when out into calmer water. I don't have that type of BCD but wonder if anyone has tried that approach?

Jim

Long swims are just that - long and kinda hard. The drag imposed by the gear makes swimming long distances somewhat exhausting over long distances. I did the California thing with both jackets and wings. This helped a lot in kelp forests where I could take a break and not get swept out or back. I did use a snorkel at points.

These days I would:

* Get a kayak and comparably equipped partner
* Get someone to tow me and my gear out on a kayak (x2)
* Use a scooter - I do this a lot in Rockport, Ma. since I don't want to swim out to the submerge point and don't have a kayak.

However, rocky beach landings with a PVC Gavin scooter is never fun.

X

Rick Murchison · Jul 25, 2008

Aside from eliminating danglies and other obvious drag inducers, I've never paid any mind to surface "trim," that being (to me) an underwater issue mostly...
As for the kick, a wide, slow flutter is the one I find most efficient while surface swimming on my back, which is the method I use when "covering the distance" is the main concern.
There are a couple of variances, though:
If there's interesting stuff to see on the way, and if time allows, we'll snorkel out and enjoy the show; if there's enough gas we'll submerge early and cover some of the distance underwater as that's a little more efficient.
Rick

parrothead725 · Jul 25, 2008

^yea, i always save some of the juice for the return trip. if i know im doing a fairly shallow dive, often times ill forego the surface currents and just bubble down a few feet to get to the dive site.

kayak is a great idea too

trimming for long surface swims?

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