If you could change one thing about dive training...

[lowwall]

A scissor kick is the kick you use with sidestroke. I used as a lifeguard when hauling people out of the water.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Toh-may-to toh-mah-to...

Puh-tay-toh, puh-tah-to...

Wait! Who the h3ll says puh-tah-to?

 

[TMHeimer]

The scissor kick is inefficient as it directs ‘thrust' downwards — especially when not in horizontal trim — thus disturbing the bottom, kicking up silt and possibly damaging the environment. Anyone who follows a bunch of newbies with their DiveMaster will be well aware of the destruction of visibility behind them.

Everybody needs good cores skills (buoyancy, trim and finning).

BTW 'flutter' kick is not the same as the ‘scissor' kick. Flutter is when you knees are bent and the thrust is aimed backwards — as learned in Fundies.

What is a flutter kick called when your knees aren't bent? Think I was told in OW course that the fastest way to go is with knees bent as little as possible (making best use of the thigh muscles), and I found that to be true.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

When I took fundies there were four kicks taught:
1. Flutter kick (straight leg forward and back)
2. Modified flutter (bent leg using ankles to move fins up and down)
3. Frog kick where upper thighs move.
4. Modified frog kick (from the ankles)

But it has been years and my memory may be inaccurate

 

[Wibble]

When I took fundies there were four kicks taught:
1. Flutter kick (straight leg forward and back)
2. Modified flutter (bent leg using ankles to move fins up and down)
3. Frog kick where upper thighs move.
4. Modified frog kick (from the ankles)

But it has been years and my memory may be inaccurate

But they didn't teach you the "scissor kick" beloved of recreational divers. Legs as straight as possible, flapping up and down, kicking the crap out of the bottom, etc.

What is a flutter kick called when your knees aren't bent? Think I was told in OW course that the fastest way to go is with knees bent as little as possible (making best use of the thigh muscles), and I found that to be true.

The flutter kick is a knee bent at 90 degrees(ish). Straighten the leg and the thrust is pushed backwards. It's incredibly efficient and good for fast finning where the frog kick (the standard fin stroke) is a little slower.

Toh-may-to toh-mah-to...

Puh-tay-toh, puh-tah-to...

Wait! Who the h3ll says puh-tah-to?

Different strokes for different folks.

The scissor kick needs all that ultra-bendy soft fin things to attempt to set the fin oblique to the stroke to push at least some of the thrust backwards.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

@Wibble

Swimming predates diving. You can't redefine a term that 99.99999999% of the swimming and diving members use.

Number of swimmers >>>>>>> number of divers.
Number of divers >>>>>>>>>> number of DIR divers.

 

[Wibble]

The potato kick?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

The potato kick?

No!

Silt kicking or coral kicking.

Which one you use depends on the composition of the bottom.

 

[boulderjohn]

But they didn't teach you the "scissor kick" beloved of recreational divers. Legs as straight as possible, flapping up and down, kicking the crap out of the bottom, etc.




The flutter kick is a knee bent at 90 degrees(ish). Straighten the leg and the thrust is pushed backwards. It's incredibly efficient and good for fast finning where the frog kick (the standard fin stroke) is a little slower.



Different strokes for different folks.

The scissor kick needs all that ultra-bendy soft fin things to attempt to set the fin oblique to the stroke to push at least some of the thrust backwards.

As l long as we are making up new definitions for terms, I have decided that the definition for a scissors kick is When the swimmer/diver kicks paper and rips it in half. If that doesn't happen, then it is not a scissor kick.

See! I can change definitions, too! Just because somebody invented a new definition does not mean that the rest of the world has to use it.

 

[Wibble]

Is the Flutter kick a-la PADI (legs straight, wagging up and down) the same as the Flutter kick a-la GUE (thighs straight, legs bent at the knee, thrust from lower half of the leg) the same thing?