Swimming to stay in shape for diving-- best types of strokes?

[sealionesse]

I love swimming and now that it's pool season again where I live, I am back in the water swimming laps.

I was wondering if anyone knows of any particular stroke that's best for also staying in shape for diving? I tend to do the side stroke the most because I am able to do it for up to an hour non-stop. I figure I build strength and endurance that way (like long distance running vs. sprinting). But really, that's just a guess on my part. I try to do the side stroke quick enough to keep my heart-rate above 140. As an added bonus, I can keep an eye out for water polo balls that sometimes accidentally fly into the lap lane or small kids who don't know to stay out of the lanes or get run into, lol.

I know front crawl, back crawl, elementary back stroke, breast stroke, and the side stroke (as I mentioned above). I suppose I can dog paddle too, but I don't think that's going to be the one to do. I can't butterfly at all--I stink at that one.

This would be for plain swimming (no fins, just laps in a pool).

I am going to find out tonight if they will let me use my fins in the pool (not sure why they wouldn't, but doesn't hurt to ask). If so, that might change things too.

Thanks!

 

[BVickery]

I think freestyle since it also can help keep your breathing up underwater (forced to breathe through mouth). I usually do breast or side because of medical issues (one being with screwed up arm length I quickly swim into the wall/lane lines).

 

[lostcajun]

My wife and I have been swimming laps daily since January 2013. We do a mile a day now. We are looking forward to a lot of diving in July so we want to be fit. We believe it will decrease the possibility of foot cramps, it will increase comfort and confidence in the water, and it will help with our breathing. For the most part we do freestyle. It will be interesting to see how July goes, and how it feels to be Diving with all the preparation. I know that it's not the same with all the gear, but we want to be fit when we dive...

 

[sealionesse]

That's interesting that you say that (about breathing though the mouth). I tend to breath though both my mouth and nose when I swim... but I only breathe though my nose doing the side stroke because my mouth is always half underwater. Gives me something to think about. Thanks!

I've never really measured how far I go... I time myself. I just lose count of laps after a while. On a quiet day (when I am not distracted by kids asking me to throw their ball back, etc) I will have to really focus on counting the laps I do in the time I swim. It would be interesting to know how far I can go.

 

[maniago]

I swim twice a week, but really, I don't think arm stroke formats matter much wrt to scuba. Realize that when youre scuba-ing, its all legs, and pretty much leisurely at that. But what will help you is that any stroke format will help in your upper body strength for lugging the tanks and wearing all the gear out of water, not to mention the aerobic benefits. And I find that any crawl (not Australian) helps with my mouth breathing rhythm on scuba.

So what I'm getting at is, don't worry about it, and just swim to enjoy swimming and all its health benefits therein...it beats running!

Oh I will add though that two-beat kick is much closer to the speed of scuba kicking, but again thats still faster than I usually fin anyway....

 

[lostcajun]

I think the key for swimming is general fitness. It's not really about technique in regard to scuba. Swimming laps does a lot for the upper body and arms, whereas Scuba (in the water) requires very little of the arms. We will be much stronger when it comes to hauling the gear around, but we have been pretty fit to begin with. I do think that breathing is a BIG benefit. A person, over time, becomes more efficient at breathing when doing laps, and that can't but helping in breathing technique with a reg.

 

[ScubaMarc]

no?

 

[Lorenzoid]

I would think doing laps with a kickboard would be ideal. No real need for a diver to exercise upper body muscles, and I believe the main benefit of swimming laps to divers is just overall aerobic fitness. Stroke is probably not that important.

 

[lostcajun]

View attachment 156392no?

yes, we use a version of these for laps.... helps keep up a good pace that make buoyancy in the lap pool more easy...

 

[mark01]

I swim during the colder months using the same strokes you described. I always swim with fins since I don't get much leg loading without them. I seem to have a better, more balanced (upper and lower body) workout that way.