Are you helpless without fins?
- Thread starter Mike Boswell
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DaleC
Contributor
Yea I knowIt's weird, I get a similar thing when I had been driving around the office on the office Segway for ages, and try to walk again
?
How big is your office Sas.
Sas
Contributor
I would hate to be in the water in strong current without fins -- I'd lose the boat very quickly. But drown? No.
I remember a couple of years ago, I had to do a drysuit orientation for a diver prior to them doing a drysuit course later in the week.
Typically, student turns up with the rental drysuit form the LDS and their fins didn't fit the boots. I ended up doing the entire session with no fins, as I lent them my fins to use.
After introducing the skills, my student was just swimming deep-shallow-deep to get used to controlling the air in the suit - I used that time to practice some of my own skills. I was quite happily back-kicking across the pool with no fins at the same speed some OW students were swimming forwards in the pool - that certainly drew a comment or two.
Don't confuse "unfamiliar" and "out of control". You expect a certain feedback when you are in dive gear because you are used to having fins on - the more time you spend with them off, the more used to that feeling you get and the more apparent control you have. Go jump in the pool for a few hours with no fins and see how quickly you get comfortable with it.
Typically, student turns up with the rental drysuit form the LDS and their fins didn't fit the boots. I ended up doing the entire session with no fins, as I lent them my fins to use.
After introducing the skills, my student was just swimming deep-shallow-deep to get used to controlling the air in the suit - I used that time to practice some of my own skills. I was quite happily back-kicking across the pool with no fins at the same speed some OW students were swimming forwards in the pool - that certainly drew a comment or two.
Don't confuse "unfamiliar" and "out of control". You expect a certain feedback when you are in dive gear because you are used to having fins on - the more time you spend with them off, the more used to that feeling you get and the more apparent control you have. Go jump in the pool for a few hours with no fins and see how quickly you get comfortable with it.
Not exactly helpless but swimming back to the boat with arms n legs can be a pain.
A lot of the dive boats I been on often have the largest number of accidents happen during diver return from smashing into the ladder, slipping with/or without fins on the ladder so it is understandable that divers usually hand over the fins but that does leave the issue of propulsion.
However, handling over stuff also leads to loosing fins, cameras, forgetting bout having a weight belt on after handling over the tank & bcd etc, etc.
Just be careful when ending the dive n hang onto the important stuff with your life!
SangP
A lot of the dive boats I been on often have the largest number of accidents happen during diver return from smashing into the ladder, slipping with/or without fins on the ladder so it is understandable that divers usually hand over the fins but that does leave the issue of propulsion.
However, handling over stuff also leads to loosing fins, cameras, forgetting bout having a weight belt on after handling over the tank & bcd etc, etc.
Just be careful when ending the dive n hang onto the important stuff with your life!
SangP
In calmer weather I usually take my fins off about a foot below the surface. It's easier to remove them there. It does feel odd for the first few kicks though. Once at the surface I just get positive and wait my turn at the ladder.
If the seas are a bit rougher then I will wait until I have a good grasp of the ladder.
If the seas are a bit rougher then I will wait until I have a good grasp of the ladder.
liuk3
Contributor
All the propulsion techniques can be done without fins includying back kick and helicopter turns. However, if you are able to back kick with no fins faster than someone can swim forward, I would say that this someone should take some very remedial swim lessons or rethink whether they should be participating in water sports...
Belmont:
What will you do if you fall off the ladder? No one is perfect. Anyone can fall.
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