Helicopter Turn Tips

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FireInMyBones

FireInMyBones

Contributor
Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
Messages
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Location
Greenville, SC
# of dives
100 - 199
When I took my Decompresion Procedures class over a year ago with TDI, I was taught to do half of a frog kick to turn. I was taught that this is a "helicopter turn."

After picking up the 5thD-X Essentials of Tech DVD, It shows both feet moving, one doing a back kick and the other doing the frog...more or less.

I hope to make it to Fundies in the near future, and as I have heard it best not to practice before the class, I want to try to wrap my head around this concept.

Does anyone have any advice?
 
LiteHedded:
buoyancy buoyancy buoyancy
I sent you a pm that'll give you a little heads up
Click to expand...

Thank you.
 
FireInMyBones:
When I took my Decompresion Procedures class over a year ago with TDI, I was taught to do half of a frog kick to turn. I was taught that this is a "helicopter turn."

After picking up the 5thD-X Essentials of Tech DVD, It shows both feet moving, one doing a back kick and the other doing the frog...more or less.

I hope to make it to Fundies in the near future, and as I have heard it best not to practice before the class, I want to try to wrap my head around this concept.

Does anyone have any advice?
Click to expand...

1/2 of a frog kick will send you in a wide arc
1/2 of a back kick will turn you in a modest arc

1/2 of a frog + 1/2 of a back kick will turn you tightest.

You've got the "forward" side, trying working on the backwards side (by itself) before putting the 2 peices together. Assuming your TDI course taught you to back kick.

What is "near future"? Some thing are best just left to hands on instruction.
 
rjack321:
Assuming your TDI course taught you to back kick.
Click to expand...

No, but after an hour in the pool without fins this past summer and watching the DVD, I can back kick pretty well. I just need to arch my back more to level out...at least that is my prognosis.


What is "near future"? Some thing are best just left to hands on instruction.
Click to expand...

I lost my job about a month ago. It would have been in the spring. No money for a trip to FL or for the class no. Reserves are going to bills. Near future will be defined by whatever job I get next. Most likely I will just go back to school and get a part time job. That would put the class a year or a year and a half out. It just depends on life.
 
My Fundies instructor told me to think about scooping the water up with one fin, "passing" it to the other, and then kicking it away. (The frog kick half scoops up, the back kick half kicks it away.) That image worked well for me.
 
Sorry about the job situation...

The biggest problem new people have backkicking is going "up" I would work on that with mentors first. Assuming you are not going up because you're backing effectively a one legged back kick will be good enough for open water diving. If you're actually penetrating some of those wrecks down your way you'll find that weakly backkicking with one foot is about the only way you can (slowly) turn around inside without making a mess. A strong helicopter is counterproductive in most wrecks.
 
rjack321:
Sorry about the job situation...

The biggest problem new people have backkicking is going "up" I would work on that with mentors first. Assuming you are not going up because you're backing effectively a one legged back kick will be good enough for open water diving. If you're actually penetrating some of those wrecks down your way you'll find that weakly backkicking with one foot is about the only way you can (slowly) turn around inside without making a mess. A strong helicopter is counterproductive in most wrecks.
Click to expand...

I have not tried the one legged backkick yet, so next time I am in the pool or at the lake, I'll give it a try.
 
rjack321:
You've got the "forward" side, trying working on the backwards side (by itself) before putting the 2 peices together. Assuming your TDI course taught you to back kick.
Click to expand...

+1.

I'd add that if you practice the half-back-kick it can help improve your back kick as well.
 
lamont:
+1.

I'd add that if you practice the half-back-kick it can help improve your back kick as well.
Click to expand...

Excellent.
 
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