Maybe hanging the fins up

[The Chairman]

Fins allow you to add resistance to your joints without over-burdening them. At least, that's my theory.

 

[aquacat8]

I refuse to be in the pool without fins! I use my splits for laps. I also prefer using my kickboard, so it’s all legs.

As I found out last Sunday, I’m not going to go fast like I used to with way left leg is. I did 20 lengths/500 yards when I used to do 70 lengths/1 mile. I am not happy with the difference.

At least you went swimming. I bet your leg will get stronger and stronger if you keep swimming!

 

[The Chairman]

I swim with fins in the pool and when I rarely try it without I feel it a fish with it's tail cut off.

There's a Gold medalist at the Founder's Park pool who explained to me that kicking wasn't to propel you, but to keep you horizontal in the water thereby reducing drag. He went on in great detail about the physics I teach in my trim, buoyancy and propulsion class. He was rather startled when I kept finishing his sentences for him. "If you understand all this, then why aren't you swimming that way???" It's all about the application. That certainly changed the way I approached swimming after that. ;D

 

[aquacat8]

There's a Gold medalist at the Founder's Park pool who explained to me that kicking wasn't to propel you, but to keep you horizontal in the water thereby reducing drag. He went on in great detail about the physics I teach in my trim, buoyancy and propulsion class. He was rather startled when I kept finishing his sentences for him. "If you understand all this, then why aren't you swimming that way???" It's all about the application. That certainly changed the way I approached swimming after that. ;D

Well maybe his kicks don't propel him much, but mine certainly propel me... I bet he doesn't swim with fins. And he's a surface swimmer I imagine, whereas I swim underwater. Also "he" has male upper body strength, whereas this mermaid has all kinds of big strong muscles on the south end of things. And I like those muscles to stay tight! Right now my pool fins are jet fins; let him strap those babys on and then tell us kicks don't propel. I have to be careful not to slam into the wall at the end of the lane LOL. Often I don't even use my arms when swimming. It's like dive and let dive; swim and let swim!

 

[aquacat8]

@Marie13 you could start with little fins like zoomers, or Aqua-Sphere makes a mini split fin for the pool, or my favorite pool fin, Trident, the longer ones, and then as you get stronger maybe try your scuba fins. I'm not a doctor but I bet it would be excellent physical therapy for your leg.

 

[Marie13]

@Marie13 you could start with little fins like zoomers, or Aqua-Sphere makes a mini split fin for the pool, or my favorite pool fin, Trident, the longer ones, and then as you get stronger maybe try your scuba fins. I'm not a doctor but I bet it would be excellent physical therapy for your leg.

I’m not spending any more money on gear. My Atomic splits will suffice.

 

[KenGordon]

@Marie13 When I first saw this thread I thought ‘that is a shame’, but then, in the week, a bloke at work walked past me at work wearing shorts. This is pretty much not in the dress code and it is still cold outside. It turned out he’d lost his legs. Last weekend I was handing out water at the London Marathon, supporting the marketing of evil mega corporations. The first people to set off are in wheelchairs, later there was at least one guy with no legs actually running and a load of blind runners. The last runners, I could walk faster than they were running, but fair play, there they were, having a go at it. Blair and Bush have provided a near endless supply of people that a couple of charities teach to dive as they are missing limbs. One of the most enthusiastic divers I have met was in a wheelchair and had dived all over the world while needing it.

Those of us who have all our bits more or less intact ought to realise how lucky we are. Diving is remarkably accessible. Stick with it, you will be finding it easier than many people.

 

[The Chairman]

I bet he doesn't swim with fins.

Nope, I never saw him with fins. He moved through the water like he had fins on, though. It was beautiful to watch. I tried to swim like him, but my right rotator cuff would freak out after two or three days in the pool. Great exercise until the pain set it. That's the balance that's hard to achieve: ageing joints, muscles and organs get in the way of getting in shape. I love to get all sweaty, but it's hard to work through the pain. I could have done a lot more on my homestead if I woke up feeling no pain every day. Growing old ain't for wimps. I'm meeting with friends this morning to go kayaking on the Santa Fe. The impetus will be for me to push it. I used to race canoes in my youth and I can make those tiny boats move. Again, pushing it too far will cause me to regress so I need to hold back a bit and, sigh, take it easy. I'm not as young as I used to be, but then I'm not as stupid either.

 

[DavidFL]

@Marie13 I had shingles along my jaw come on very rapidly while I was on a business trip. You should have seen the people on the airplane coming home move away from me. When it happened and especially before I could get some serious medical attention, it wasn't diving I was afraid I was going to hang up; I had serious mental thoughts that I wouldn't even make it home, ever! But that was several years ago, and among the list of chronic conditions that bother me every day, that isn't even on the top 10 any more. And Gabapentin side effects are pretty well documented. My hope is the shingles will recede and you'll be back getting ready to face the next challenge.

 

[Diving Dubai]

@Marie13

It's easy to get down in the dumps when you get a major setback. I know. I spend 6 months in a wheelchair, having to watch my wife occasionally go away diving while I had to crawl up teh stairs on my hands and knees.

I was scare of the op that eventually put me right, because there was the possibility that it go the other way and the wheelchair would be my permanent home.

Sometimes I couldn't' have cared less about diving again, I just wanted to be without pain.

I got through it. I took time out to convelese and then slowly took my time getting better.

I think one of the hardest things when I got back into it, was to watch girls unload my truck and carry my gear because I wasn't' allowed too - I became the master of donning and doffing gear in the water though.

Take baby steps but don't set unobtainable targets. If you don't get to dive this year don't stress as long as you're getting better.