Here's some advice in an article from DAN's Alert Diver magazine: Alert Diver | Swim Training for Scuba Divers
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
I recommend checking out swimsmooth.com for great advice on stroke technique.
Here's some advice in an article from DAN's Alert Diver magazine: Alert Diver | Swim Training for Scuba Divers
Not me. Swimming requires a lot of technique to get the most out of it, technique which most people don't have. As a former swimmer (in the loosest of senses since I consider myself a former water polo player ) I would run and lift free weights over swimming--which is what I do now.
However, if I was being dragged to the pool for familial obligations, I'd probably don the 'ole speedo and do some laps.
---------- Post added February 25th, 2014 at 10:32 PM ----------
Yup.
Not true.
A couple of lengths with no kicking? Did 2,500m this AM (100 lengths) holding a "pull bouy" between my legs.
Keeps you from using your legs and increases drag as well, while preventing your legs from dropping below you. Really allows you to focus on upper body technique... and muscles. Absolutely nothing to it... with proper technique!
I strongly suggest the OP (and anyone who wants to swim for exercise) focus first and formost on proper swim technique. The reality is that, unless you were taught/coached to be a competitive swimmer, there's a 99% chance you're doing it wrong.
The "swim lessons" most people had as kids were designed to teach you how to get to the other end of the pool without drowning, so the technique taught (and then ingrained over a lifetime) is more focused on keeping you ABOVE the water than moving you THROUGH the water. If you look at the average casual swimmer, you'll see that the vast majority of movement is spent pushing water DOWN and FORWARD. Neither of these things will propel you through the water efficienty.
Competitive swim technique is about efficiently propelling yourself THROUGH the water. Every motion is focused on pushing water BEHIND you, and therefore, moving your body forward. Any motion spent doing anything but that is wasted. (Of course a pleasant by-product of moving forward through the water is that you just happen to avoid sinking as well.) With simple, incremental, improvements in technique ANYONE can swim for extended distances comfortably. At that point, you can add SPEED to the equation.
www.swimsmooth.com
[video=youtube;IyR7JYllk9U]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyR7JYllk9U[/video]