Single fin swimming

[Steve_Dives]

There's a bunch of threads about the training (or lack of) required for the OW card. I also know that many have gone beyond those very basic skills and still others continue to practice their OW skills. I want to pick a skill less likely to be life or death.

My question is have you practiced swimming with a single fin? If so, more than one type of kick?

 

[DaleHall]

During my Rescue class, we had to do a diver tow while giving rescue breaths. I had just moved to spring straps on my fins and the particular set of boots I had on that day didn't have the rubber nub on them. About halfway down the pool, I kicked one of my fins off by mistake. I finished my exercise while only having one fin. And, of course, since I kicked the first one off, I was kicking very gingerly with the other so I didn't lose it. It took me forever to finish the length of the pool, but I did it.. Do I practice that one fin thing? Nope. I just bought a new pair of boots with the rubber nub on the heel.

 

[pwl]

i kick with a single fin sometimes out of laziness

flutter or scull both seem to work fine - you just don't go very fast (which is usually the reason why i'm only using one fin)

(this is with split fins, btw)

 

[Prostar]

Every once in a while I kick a fin off and find myself a little ways away from where it landed. Simplest way to get around is to put the bare foot and the finned foot in a single pile and kick together. It works well enough.

 

[trtldvr]

Last fall I broke my ankle, this kept me out of the water for a while ( 3 days). I did stop teaching my OW and AOW classes, but I continued working with my DM candidates. I figured this would give them an opportunity to work with someone who needed assistance entering and exiting the water. I was able to move thru the water but it was challenging, I could not "hook" my bad foot around my good one as I would do in a lost or broken fin situation.

Much to my DM students dismay I was still able to beat 9 out of 10 of them in the 500 yd swim.

trtldvr
Dive A.L.I.V.E.

 

[gcbryan]

I broke a fin strap once before a shore dive and did the dive anyway and experimented with the best way (for me) to dive using only one fin. I tried wrapping one foot around the other leg but the best way for me was to frog kick as I usually do even though one leg had no fin on it.

It was tiring and I couldn't go as far or as fast but in a pinch it worked the best for me.