Water Aeribics?

[Dea]

How useful is it for diver fitness?

It seemed to be popular for a while, but now it is not mentioned that often.
Has anyone here tried it?

Since my health club does not offer these classes, I don’t know much about it. But I’ve seen some foam barbells and belts on sale and got curious.
Is that a good way to maintain fitness?

Could it be a good alternative for someone who loves water and finds exercise machines very boring?

 

[art.chick]

I did some of this when I first got my arm injury. Water aerobics are for people who are either very heavy or injured who cannot take the impact or dry-land aerobics. IMHO it has nothing to do with diver fitness which requires strong legs & efficient breathing. A fitness expert may have another angle on this. It did help me move my arm, which was in such pain that I couldn't fasten my swimsuit by myself. If you want to improve your diving fitness, I think you really have to kick laps with your fins on.

 

[ladycute1]

Done properly, water aerobics can provide a decent cardio workout -- and in that way helps to support diver fitness.

 

[MissAmberDiva]

I used to lifeguard for water aerobics and I coached swim team. With swimming you get a much better workout. The majority of the people in the water aerobics classes were either really really old OR they were really big and couldn't do much of anything else. Also people in physical therapy came to the pool and did exercises in the water. If I were going to the pool, I would just swim some laps. Swimmers are usually in awesome shape and are very fit.

 

[Dea]

I would do it for a cardio workout. (hey, no one wants to have a coronary underwater )

As far as doing laps with my fins on, that might be problematic.
First of all, I don't see anyone doing that at my pool. So I wonder how it will be taken.
Secondly, I have an open heel fins, and 7mm booties. so in a swim suit I'll have some bouyancy issues as you might imagine.
And in 25ft pool fins seem a little like an overkill
Besides, I am not sure how do I turn in them in a pool. Kicking the wall with my feet in the fins?
And finnig on the surface is not done the same way as underwater.

MissAmberDiva, as a former lifeguard, can you tell me why you guys have such issues with anybody diving in the pool? Even if it is in the bloody 6 ft of water? Is it not better to learn to dive in the pool before doing it in the ocean? But it seems that people are not left with any other choise.

 

[MissAmberDiva]

Originally posted by Dea

MissAmberDiva, as a former lifeguard, can you tell me why you guys have such issues with anybody diving in the pool? Even if it is in the bloody 6 ft of water? Is it not better to learn to dive in the pool before doing it in the ocean? But it seems that people are not left with any other choise.

Ummm...Issues? Not I! I volunteered the pool where I was lifeguarding at the time I did my dive certification. We used my pool like 6 or 7 times. You'll have to give me more info.....What was the situation?
Amber

 

[art.chick]

Dea,
(Sorry to interrupt the dialogue), but I am a "fool for the Pool." Here's what I do: show up at the public pool with the mask, fins & snorkel & just put on the booties on the edge of the pool (for some reason, every time I have asked for permission, I get some odd arbitrary directions like, "OK on the snorkel, but no mask; just goggles." They leave me alone once I am already in the water.) I choose a lane that is fast but not busy & fin on the surface (which benefits you on those long surface swims).

Periodically I do a surface dive (this will help you learn to use les air on the descent) and swim on one breath for as far as I can. I do this every day at a variety of local pools, & I am the only one who does it. After a while, the other swimmers get it that I am not going to kick them with those big webbed feet. You don't have to do a flip turn, just stop & turn or dive under & summersault.

My feet don't feel too floaty with the booties, but you can wear your ankle weights if you need to (I have). A 25' pool is fine for laps.If the staff freaks out, try another pool or just swim.

 

[Dea]

No, Amber, I mean regular diving, not scuba. In my gym's pool there is "no diving" rule. Even though it is 6' deep! do they think that allowing someone to put their head in the water would mean that lifeguards would be overloaded with rescues?

The pool where we did our certification is great. 50 ft long and 18 feet deep. That's the only pool I know of where they allow diving. But it is far away from my house so getting a membership there is not so practical.

Artchick, are you a pool inspector or something? how do you get to dive in a "variety of local pools"?
I'll try bringing a mask and fins and hope for the best.
I also saw zip fins in the catalog and am thinking that perhaps it is an interesting solution for a pool...

 

[art.chick]

N-ooo,
I just frequent the lovely county & city Park District pools, where, for a mere $1.25 per session, I can swim in indoor or outdoor or indoor-outdoor pools. Most cities (even small ones) have at least a couple of these. They tend to be deeper & cleaner than the pools I see at health clubs (my club does not have one.) Each has a different schedule, so where I go depends on when I go. There is even one I can attend with my husband from 7-9pm.

 

[chepar]

an alternative to using your scuba fins while swimming laps could be to use fins made specifically for swimming laps. Lap swim fins are much shorter than dive fins, but still give your legs a good workout.

I use Speedo fins that are specifically made to swim laps, and they are cheap - about $30. Another set of fins that I have heard raves about and plan to get a pair soon are Zoomers - those are about $38.

I would imagine that most pools that have pool time set aside specifically for laps allow fins to be used. I have seen everything used from freediving fins (I'm not joking) to the real short and stubby Zoomers.