"Sports drinks"

[dmaziuk]

I think the cycling motion is ideal for fin swimming.

It's probably perfect for frog kick. I think you're still pushing the wrong way for flutter kick though.

However, I swim so I had my muscles already in shape for fin kicks before I started diving so what do I know.

 

[Key Lime Diver]

Are they ok to drink before and after diving ? Are they better than water ?

I use Powerade or Gatorade to help with keeping my energy up and prevent cramping. Personally, I find that water alone doesn't help me with the cramping issue. I'll drink some Powerade before my first dive and then in between dives as well. I'll munch on a protein bar too sometimes. Kind of depends on how strenuous the dive is.

I hate getting leg cramps, especially if I have a long swim back to the boat.

 

[danvolker]

It's probably perfect for frog kick. I think you're still pushing the wrong way for flutter kick though.

However, I swim so I had my muscles already in shape for fin kicks before I started diving so what do I know.

Actually, swimming is poor for developing the power needed for optimum fin swimming...your foot is too small to create any significant torque to put on your quads or leg biceps...you can kick very fast, but still not develop any strength....more like spinning a granny gear on a mountain bike where spinning as fast as you can only makes you go about 3 mph

You may well have been/are athletic, and find it easy to kick fins...but this discussion was about optimal methods of getting more fit for fin swimming.

With the right cycling type training....it gets easy to swim 2 to 3 times faster than the "average" diver could swim in emergency mode for 2 minutes or more.
Swimming won't create the power--though it will create aerobic fitness--just not the right muscles....Running is similar in that it works the wrong muscles, but develops aerobic fitness.


Flutter kick and Dolphin kick are the most ideally trained fin swimming kicks, for the type of training a competitive cyclist uses....If this does not make sense, then you have probably never trained on a race bike, and never learned what a proper pedal stroke looks or feels like....hint--you do NOT push down on the pedals. You push forward, and pull backward--the muscles used for this are the same ones used for flutter kick.

This is so much easier to show someone, than to talk about.

 

[TMHeimer]

danvolker, I actually understand all you say. Good explanation of my old mantra "swimming and diving and at best distant cousins".

 

[dmaziuk]

Actually, swimming is poor for developing the power needed for optimum fin swimming...your foot is too small to create any significant torque to put on your quads or leg biceps...you can kick very fast, but still not develop any strength....more like spinning a granny gear on a mountain bike where spinning as fast as you can only makes you go about 3 mph

Which is why you do some of your laps in zoomers. The flip side is swimming without them feels like kicking air, you need to alternate fins & no-fins sets to work the muscles and tempo resp. It's also why swim fins are so small -- plus, turning in large fins sucks and when you push off the wall in open-heel ones they try to come off and then bounce back with a boinc.

If this does not make sense, then you have probably never trained on a race bike, and never learned what a proper pedal stroke looks or feels like....

Nope. I bike to work weather permitting on a big cheap mtb. Standing up to go over curbs, cracks, and occasional step of ten. No proper racing pedal stroke there.

Still, unless your pedal clips to your shoelaces and you're pushing it forward parallel to the ground, I really don't see how it's working the same muscles the same way. That is not to say riding a bike won't condition your legs for using fins while diving and anyway what's any of this got to do with gatorage?

---------- Post added May 24th, 2015 at 01:43 PM ----------

danvolker, I actually understand all you say. Good explanation of my old mantra "swimming and diving and at best distant cousins".

If you swim as in sports, they're more like the opposites. As in when you dive you wanna swim as little as possible.

 

[TMHeimer]

You can use arms diving-- in a breast stroke motion so as to produce little drag. I imagine that's what handicapped people do. I find it a good way to rest legs for a bit and lessen the possibility of leg cramps.

I've never heard of swim fins. What is their purpose?

 

[danvolker]

Which is why you do some of your laps in zoomers. The flip side is swimming without them feels like kicking air, you need to alternate fins & no-fins sets to work the muscles and tempo resp. It's also why swim fins are so small -- plus, turning in large fins sucks and when you push off the wall in open-heel ones they try to come off and then bounce back with a boinc.



Nope. I bike to work weather permitting on a big cheap mtb. Standing up to go over curbs, cracks, and occasional step of ten. No proper racing pedal stroke there.

Still, unless your pedal clips to your shoelaces and you're pushing it forward parallel to the ground, I really don't see how it's working the same muscles the same way. That is not to say riding a bike won't condition your legs for using fins while diving and anyway what's any of this got to do with gatorage?

---------- Post added May 24th, 2015 at 01:43 PM ----------

While these are mountain bike clip in pedals....the function is the same--if you don't use clip on pedals, you are not really a cyclist....you would not be working the right muscles, and you would be so slow that you could not even ride with real cyclists.
In terms a swimmer might enjoy.. ..."Not using clip on pedals on a bike....is like a swimmer that can do no better than doggy paddle"....Maybe even more like swimming only with water wings on....speed, technique, endurance will NEVER be relevant terms to such a swimmer.
With clip on pedals, whether on a mountain bike or road bike, entirely DIFFERENT muscles are used to pedal the bike--than what is used by a commuter type person on a junker bike with no clip on pedals. such a commuter type, only pushes down on the pedals, as trying to push forward and backward on the pedals would mean their feet sliding off the pedals before any real power could be applied. To be clear--this is NOT cycling...this is commuting on a junk bike. Better for fitness than sitting, but useless for any kind of muscle training for cycling or for diving.

There are people that will get in the ocean, with water wings on--they dont swim and cant be bothered by learning to swim, or to do it properly....Those of these that have a bike, do NOT use clip on pedals --they just push down and commute along at the pace of snails

Visit a bike Shop !

 

[Diving Dubai]

For all you Gatoraid and power aid freaks you may want to read this article THE BEST AND WORST ELECTROLYTE DRINKS Gator and Power aid are at teh bottom of the table, fascinating read.

For a one day dive, just water - lots of it especially in the summer when its both hot and humid. If it's a multi day trip then powdered electrolytes in a cup first thing in the morning - mine tastes vile, but I guess the worse it tastes the better it is for you then lots and lots of water

 

[danvolker]

 

[danvolker]