A technique tip from Fred Devos

[lamont]

Lamont, that was what Fred was pushing for -- One kick gives you SO much more propulsion. But he said it's a balance challenge, because you will glide for so long, it's easy to get wobbly, and because you don't have your fins up and out, it's hard to correct the wobble. But I'll bet that, once I get good at this, I'll see my SAC rate fall again.

The balance was okay for me, it was just the rhythm that i had a tough time with because its so slow...

I'm not convinced that doing this when you're going slow produces a lower SAC rate or not since you've got so much more of a square-wave pattern of exertion rather than a more consistent lower level of exertion. And while you're not using your leg muscles as consistently, but you're loading up the big leg muscles more and those are expensive to use in terms of O2. I can definitely see it when you're trying to make the fastest, most efficient time out of cave, balancing how much you are exerting vs. the time it takes to get out, but you're going to want to have a faster rhythm then.

If you get a bit of current on an upline, its also a very effective kick to use in order to stay off the line, which is good practice.

 

[rjack321]

Lamont, that was what Fred was pushing for -- One kick gives you SO much more propulsion. But he said it's a balance challenge, because you will glide for so long, it's easy to get wobbly, and because you don't have your fins up and out, it's hard to correct the wobble. But I'll bet that, once I get good at this, I'll see my SAC rate fall again.

Its like ice skating when you get one push off and then just slow to just barely over a stop before pushing off again.

If you're trim isn't fairly wired already its definately not so hot tho. Cause you end up doing a CG drill - fins dipping and head rearing - with every kick. That's why I suspect its not part of Fundies, most aren't ready to properly execute this long glide kick in or immediately after that class.

 

[rjack321]

The balance was okay for me, it was just the rhythm that i had a tough time with because its so slow...

Someday you'll be old and slow like the rest of us

 

[lamont]

Someday you'll be old and slow like the rest of us

must be all the piss and vinegar...

 

[TSandM]

I'm not convinced that doing this when you're going slow produces a lower SAC rate or not since you've got so much more of a square-wave pattern of exertion rather than a more consistent lower level of exertion. And while you're not using your leg muscles as consistently, but you're loading up the big leg muscles more and those are expensive to use in terms of O2. I can definitely see it when you're trying to make the fastest, most efficient time out of cave, balancing how much you are exerting vs. the time it takes to get out, but you're going to want to have a faster rhythm then

I don't know; I have this feeling that those guys who are pushing Ox Bel Ha have learned, over the years, what the absolutely most effective "bang for the buck" is in kicking. Even a 10% decrease in gas consumption is going to be noticeable in terms of distance covered, on those very long exploration dives.

It's funny; I love the slow rhythm. My favorite thing in diving is doing nothing, so the long glides, to me, were FUN. I just have to build this kick into my nervous system -- I noticed if I got at all stressed or distracted, I went back to the bent leg, rapid tempo kicking again.

 

[TSandM]

Just wanted to say that I worked with this kick on my OW dive this afternoon, and I was amazed at the amount of power it gave me. I WAS a bit wobbly (first dive back in cold water in my steel doubles, with all my drysuit undies and an Argon bottle) but I think a little time will fix that, and I'll be able to swim much faster with less effort. Thank you, Fred!

 

[SparticleBrane]

Any chance we could get a video of this?

 

[micklock]

Thanks for this thread TSandM,

I've been working on the frog kick this year from watching some vids on youtube and I found it was easier and I could go faster extending my legs but I thought I was doing it wrong.

 

[TSandM]

I went looking around . . . THIS video shows it pretty well.

 

[LiteHedded]

I think as long as you keep your fin tips up you should be golden...for the most part