Started PADI OW - Need Advice On Kick

[Ronniemu]

I have enrolled in a Padi Open Water Course. I have never used a snorkle or fins before. I am having problems with my kick. I am developing only a small amount of thrust. I noticed from a video that the legs seem to bend at the knees and form about a 90 degree bend towards the butt. Is this correct?
I kick with my arms resting at my sides, when my kick seems as it's getting better, I tried to fold my arms together in the front (as I see divers do) and I lose all control and my kick comes to a halt. In addition to this I believe the fins the dive shop sold me when I sign up for the course are heavy. Any help would be greatly appreciate.

 

[Cap335]

I noticed from a video that the legs seem to bend at the knees and form about a 90 degree bend towards the butt. Is this correct?
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Your legs should stay staight behind you while you are learning. One thing you can try to improve your kick is to get next to the side in the deep end of a pool, hold the side with 1 hand for balance and try to see how far out of the water you can raise yourself.
The straighter you keep your legs the higher you will go.

Randy

 

[mossym]

make sure you're kicking up and down, and not bicycling, wher your legs are moving in circles, which usually means lots of movement, little thrust..

 

[Rick Inman]

Sounds like this is just surface kicking. As well as the advice above, remember that your fins don't need to splash like feet do swimming. Keep your fins submerged. Try swimming around on your back with your fins fully submerged for a while to get the feel of it.
.02

 

[Diver0001]

I have enrolled in a Padi Open Water Course. I have never used a snorkle or fins before. I am having problems with my kick. I am developing only a small amount of thrust. I noticed from a video that the legs seem to bend at the knees and form about a 90 degree bend towards the butt. Is this correct?
I kick with my arms resting at my sides, when my kick seems as it's getting better, I tried to fold my arms together in the front (as I see divers do) and I lose all control and my kick comes to a halt. In addition to this I believe the fins the dive shop sold me when I sign up for the course are heavy. Any help would be greatly appreciate.

It sounds like you're making a cycling movement with your legs. Try pretending that you are Pinocchio and move your legs up and down from the hip like you think a wooden puppet would do it. After a couple of dives your muscles will dail in to the motion and you'll be sorted. Don't wait to get it sorted, though. It's harder to unlearn a bad habit than to learn a good one.

R..

 

[Walter]

I noticed from a video that the legs seem to bend at the knees and form about a 90 degree bend towards the butt. Is this correct?

No. That's extremely poor technique. Your knees will bend very slightly when your technique is good. If you try to keep then absolutely straight, they'll probably have the correct amount of bend. Of course, that's for the flutter kick. There are other, more useful kicks yet to learn.

 

[UltimateAg]

No. That's extremely poor technique. Your knees will bend very slightly when your technique is good. If you try to keep then absolutely straight, they'll probably have the correct amount of bend. Of course, that's for the flutter kick. There are other, more useful kicks yet to learn.

It must of been a video for the frog kick.

 

[tx.lakerats]

practice, practice, practice.... it can take a bit to get use to the basic kick...