Backward kick hard to you?

[fisherdvm]

I have been trying it, and improving with some success. But it is very hard. I find myself going upward more than backward.

 

[shurite7]

I had the same issue. If at all possible find a video that demonstrates it. 5th Dimension has a dvd on Amazon that demonstrates and explains how to do it. What I learned from the video was to use the edge of the fin rather than trying to twist my foot in order to use the whole blade.

Also, I've found the less I try the easier it is.

C

 

[BabyDuck]

lynne calls that the 'baby shrimp dance'! it's part of the learning process.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Ditto that. I've found that some fins as well lend themselves more easily to it. My rockets and blades work well with about the same technique. I had to modify it for the set of new fins I'm testing now because they are very soft. Maybe it's me but I've also tried it in splits with less than acceptable results. And some of the mid range paddle fins like the Oceanic Vectors my son has are ok but not as good as the rockets or jets. But as shurite7 said the easier it is when I don't try as hard and just relax. I still have issues with wanting to go up at times but again that happens when I try to really dig in.

 

[cool_hardware52]

I have been trying it, and improving with some success. But it is very hard. I find myself going upward more than backward.

There have been many previous threads on this subject with lots of good information.

Here's a few quick tips that helped me.

You must be stable, with your back arched to start with. If your body is moving around you are going to have trouble.

Do the "load" portion of the stroke very very slowly and deliberately.

I use the mental image of trying to drag my fin tips in the sand, meaning I try to flex my ankles to point my fin tips down, not up. You really cannot point your fins down, but that's the picture I keep in mind to get the proper position of the fins during the "load"

Try it in the pool with our fins. It's actually easier without fins. Most of the power comes from the side of your calf, not the fin blades anyway. Improper position of the fin blades during the "Load" is what pushed you forward, no fins, no push.

Good luck,

Tobin

 

[creamofwheat]

Yes, I had trouble learning this kick. A lot of trouble actually. I practice and practice, and kept on going up (shrimp dance).

What worked well for me was to hop in a pool simply with mask, snorkel, and pool noodle, without fins. Balance yourself on the noodle (have it on your waits or hips, depending on your balance point) then start to practice the back kick. I got to the point where I could back kick in a pool like this for a couple of lengths...then I tried it with full gear on and I did it first time.

good luck!

 

[meesier42]

there is another way to go backward...sculling
as far as I have seen no one teaches it this way. you basically turn your ankle to 90degrees (ie straight down, assuming you are horizontal) and then scull in and out. its take practice but you can figure out how to position the blades to angle you forward or backward. once you learn it, its far easier and faster than the "reverse frog kick" that most people try to teach.

 

[SparticleBrane]

there is another way to go backward...sculling
as far as I have seen no one teaches it this way. you basically turn your ankle to 90degrees (ie straight down, assuming you are horizontal) and then scull in and out. its take practice but you can figure out how to position the blades to angle you forward or backward. once you learn it, its far easier and faster than the "reverse frog kick" that most people try to teach.

No one teaches it that way because it sounds like a great way to kick up silt...

I found the back kick to be easy to learn and perform. Here's how I learned it:

• Saw video of people back kicking -- "Hey this looks easy."
• Watched the 5thd-X video showing exactly how to do it.
• Got in the pool and did the back with with no fins on (you can actually go faster without fins than you can with fins). This is a great way to build up muscle memory.
• Put fins on, went backwards first try (skin diving).
• Next time I was on scuba I went backwards first try, although I was going slightly upwards as well. This was fixed by keeping my head up -- easy fix.

Since then I've had a few refinements. Namely, when I first saw myself on video I found that my fins weren't as streamlined during the 'loading' portion of the stroke -- fixed that easily.

Like any kick, you can vary it based on how you need to use it. I can use the side of my fins if I don't want to move quickly, or I can rotate my ankles and use the entire blade of the fin if I really want some torque to move backwards. You can do big huge kicks or small kicks to hold position (or slowly kick backwards in delicate environments).

This isn't a difficult kick, especially if you have someone proficient work with you on it for 10 minutes. We have OW students at school learn this kick with decent levels of success (not perfect form but they're moving backwards) within 3-4 sessions of first getting on scuba.

 

[TSandM]

My husband used the "in the pool without fins" way of learning the back kick, and he got it MUCH faster than I did. He did laps backwards without any gear, then with fins, and finally in scuba gear, and he avoided the shrimp dance phase altogether.

I think the shrimp dance is caused by having the fin tips up too high when you start the pull phase of the kick. Being in proper trim is also critical for back-kicking -- if I'm out of trim, I sometimes can't do it at all.

It's worth the effort to master. I spent a lot of yesterday's dive (on a wall) drifting and just gently back-kicking to keep my distance to the wall steady. It was a lovely way to do the dive, almost effortless, and I had a constant great view.

 

[Blackwood]

I have been trying it, and improving with some success. But it is very hard. I find myself going upward more than backward.

Four things:

T
R
I
and
M

If you're moving up, you at least are creating the thrust. Now just work on eliminating that head-down tendency.