I swim like a U. Why?

[M DeM]

I know it sounds weird, but it's the closest analogy I can think of.

I have my head up, (if I'm not looking down, of course), my core area is straight-- but then my legs decide they'd like to curl upwards.

So basically I look like...

/
\_____0

I doubt my fins are extra buoyant, so what the hell am I doing wrong? When I'm kicking, I'm fairly flat, but when I try to just hover.....vooooop, up go the legs.

I mean, I if I had really, really disproportionally fat feet I'd understand, but I'm guessing that's not the case. Is this just a matter of core strength or something?

Incidentally, I noticed this recently and I was diving with a steel tank (and no weights). Does that exacerbate things?

 

[outofofficebrb]

If you look like below...it’s actually what you want. You’re trim and that’s good!

 

[АлександрД]

Before I starts to be diver, I was a snorkler/freediver, and I like to have camera with me.
I used that way to stay near the bottom:
....../
___\______O__ш
So, one fin horisontaly, for movement, another fin - verticaly! to keep me near the bottom.
Reason was small weight. It was too difficult to cary lead weights over airplane

Then when I was a diver - one of my instructors teach me some days, just to put my body to correct position! (like you). I was in such position:
___......_____o_
......\_/

And just swiming in 5-10 cm from the bottom of the pool, and short diving suit teach me to correct swimming position.
My knee starts to knock on dalle, and was best reminder to correct position. (oh, forget - swiming stile for that position was frogkick)
___
......\______O__ - that position was trained. (so-called cavediving frogkick)

So - be happy! may be you are already has correct position.
eg look this, normal frogkick

and shure, check you weights. just take some more next time. in relax and normal breath you should stay in one depth.

 

[outofofficebrb]

I am very impressed with both of your abilities to create diver silhouettes with the keyboard.

 

[M DeM]

Thank you!

I'll check my weights too, because I wasn't using *any* weights -- just a steel tank. I'd like to say that I looked like the perfect diver above, but actually my knees weren't in line with my torso like that -- they were higher than my head!

Before I starts to be diver, I was a snorkler/freediver, and I like to have camera with me.
I used that way to stay near the bottom:
....../
___\______O__ш
So, one fin horisontaly, for movement, another fin - verticaly! to keep me near the bottom.
Reason was small weight. It was too difficult to cary lead weights over airplane

Then when I was a diver - one of my instructors teach me some days, just to put my body to correct position! (like you). I was in such position:
___......_____o_
......\_/

And just swiming in 5-10 cm from the bottom of the pool, and short diving suit teach me to correct swimming position.
My knee starts to knock on dalle, and was best reminder to correct position. (oh, forget - swiming stile for that position was frogkick)
___
......\______O__ - that position was trained. (so-called cavediving frogkick)

So - be happy! may be you are already has correct position.
eg look this, normal frogkick

and shure, check you weights. just take some more next time. in relax and normal breath you should stay in one depth.

 

[M DeM]

I'm really digging everyone's ASCII divers. Especially the above poster's photo with camera!

I am very impressed with both of your abilities to create diver silhouettes with the keyboard.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Thank you!

I'll check my weights too, because I wasn't using *any* weights -- just a steel tank. I'd like to say that I looked like the perfect diver above, but actually my knees weren't in line with my torso like that -- they were higher than my head!

Try some weights on or near your waist. If that fails, maybe some ankle weights?

 

[M DeM]

I was considering ankle weights... especially since 9 pounds seems to be a good weight for me, which of course I can't evenly distribute since it's an odd number. But if I fill the ankle weights with 1/2 pound each, BINGO!

Try some weights on or near your waist. If that fails, maybe some ankle weights?

 

[Doc]

.. .... ....__[:]@

Best I got.

 

[claymore]

You may have floaty feet. If you can try some heavier fins and they help that is a better solution than ankle weights.