the "Eco Kick" ...

[MXGratefulDiver]

Read an article in last month's Sources Magazine ... NAUI's journal for scuba educators ... about a program at University of North Carolina-Wilmington where they started teaching the "Eco Kick" in their basic Scuba Diver program. Most of us know this particular kick as a frog kick. They're marketing it as a "technique to reduce damage to the underwater environment" ... and bundling it with an emphasis on buoyancy skills, hand and arm motion control, and securing consoles and alternate air sources in an effort to reduce reef damage from scuba divers.

It's interesting how old stuff keeps getting "reinvented" with new names. When I was in my YMCA Open Water class in 2001 I learned that the frog kick is used as an alternative kick purely to help relax muscles used during flutter kicking, but that it otherwise had no real practical value for recreational scuba diving. We were taught that 99% of the time the flutter kick is the best kick for scuba diving.

The article goes on to say "Surprisingly, UNC-W students on their own have quickly adopted the Eco-Kick as their primary method of propulsion."

I wonder why? I know that in my own case I learned this kick from other divers ... not in a class ... and once learned, realized it was a lot easier to move around in a relaxed manner ... with the additional advantage of watching my air consumption lowered because I wasn't working as hard.

I think it's great that they're finally catching on ... wonder how long it'll take for other agencies to decide this is a good idea ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Diver0001]

I think it's great that they're finally catching on ... wonder how long it'll take for other agencies to decide this is a good idea ...

It's well overdue. Kudos to NAUI for doing this.

R..

 

[TSandM]

Shame it has to be branded and marketed, but anything that produces divers with better skills is to be applauded, I think.

 

[261311]

For some reason and I'm sad to admit it I read it repeatedly through the title and post as the "ego kick" :blinking: I haven't learned it, I think it would be cool to learn but I fear internet instructional videos can only take me so far- the rest will come from within. Given from what people report (the efficiency and purpose) I'm completely agree that this should be an optional course offered through many agencies. PADI has an entire course for PBP, why not specialty purpose-built kicks? They sure do put enough emphasis on the environment and not harming it in their literature.

 

[undrwater]

Shame it has to be branded and marketed, but anything that produces divers with better skills is to be applauded, I think.

Not really a shame. EVERYTHING is branded and marketed... even the frog kick, just more subtly so.

I'll keep practicing my Eco Kick!

 

[TMHeimer]

Everything nowadays is "Eco". I hope I don't disturb the sand and rocks in Nova Scotia with my "NORMAL" kick. Nobody cares what you disturb with your kicks up here. Growing up in NY on Long Island Sound in the '60's would see people confused if you said "ECO kick". But I would guess it's a big concern down in the Caribbean and maybe Florida where big money is at stake. And oh, don't ever shell-collect down there!

 

[TSandM]

PADI has an entire course for PBP, why not specialty purpose-built kicks?

It's a large part of my husband's PADI Distinctive Specialty, "Techreational Diving". Eco kicks, horizontal trim, stable buoyancy, and gas management . . .

 

[261311]

See that's cool though, I'd rather have a true advanced course offered by PADI that is dare I say, proper and bad-habit correcting. One that extensively lumps things such as buoyancy and trim issues, gas management and planning, kicks and techniques all into one rather than (if you're lucky) a very modular setup. Not at all saying these couldn't be priced appropriately but rather than essentially bothering dive shops for every bit of "private" instruction they just had that extended course. Then again, all said, that's something that you would approach a private DM/ instructor about to work on because an option like that would probably not fit the schedule or needs of many customers, especially through PADI. Sometimes I feel greedy in wanting this flood of information you can always easily find through literature to be physically tangible. Still not an accessible option in the precise community I live in. I might make a vacation of it someday and go upwards to Ottawa. Be nice to see the capital anyways once in my life at least. What else are my taxes good for right?

I digress.

It's sad however to see the world try and brand everything as "green" or "eco" it's starting to leave quite the bitter taste in my mouth because of the lack of the honest sources who have the right to join others under these shells. Very few government regulations or even full fledged NGO's out there to monitor the honesty of a company for environmentalism (could you imagine) and the general consumer just sees green or eco on packaging and falls for it hook line and sinker.

 

[Pullmyfinger]

I'm sure there will be plenty of Industry Pros jumping all over it. Why make up a new name for it? Is a new name in the works for the flutter kick also?

Are some new "Eco fins" being developed? Packaged with a pair of "Eco gloves"?
I read in a recent gear guide about how no new split fin was developed by any manufacturer, but different styles of paddle fins were still being introduced. Maybe there will be a newly revamped line of "eco dive gear". Stencil a green leaf logo on everything...I'm sure it will appeal to someone out there.

As has been pointed out, anything that actually improves divers techniques is a good thing. But renaming it "eco-whateverthehell"?? Who comes up with this stuff.

I agree, the "green" and "eco" tags are played out.

The only "green" anyone really cares about is the paper kind.

Cheers,
Mitch

---------- Post added March 24th, 2013 at 09:17 PM ----------

See that's cool though, I'd rather have a true advanced course offered by PADI that is dare I say, proper and bad-habit correcting. One that extensively lumps things such as buoyancy and trim issues, gas management and planning, kicks and techniques all into one rather than (if you're lucky) a very modular setup.

It has arrived!

:cool2:

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

For some reason and I'm sad to admit it I read it repeatedly through the title and post as the "ego kick" :blinking: I haven't learned it, I think it would be cool to learn but I fear internet instructional videos can only take me so far- the rest will come from within. Given from what people report (the efficiency and purpose) I'm completely agree that this should be an optional course offered through many agencies. PADI has an entire course for PBP, why not specialty purpose-built kicks? They sure do put enough emphasis on the environment and not harming it in their literature.

I don't think it needs to be offered as a separate course ... offer it as part of one. It can be introduced in literally any course where diving skills are taught. I most often teach it during a two-day skills workshop I teach to those who have completed their OW class and want to learn new skills or become more proficient with the ones they were introduced to during OW. Once the basic mechanics are demonstrated, it becomes a matter of practice. And once you learn the basic frog kick, it's a simple matter of modifying the mechanics a bit to learn the helicopter and back kick ... both of which are extremely useful to the recreational diver who's interested in taking pictures ... which, lately, would include most of us ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

---------- Post added March 25th, 2013 at 03:42 AM ----------

Everything nowadays is "Eco". I hope I don't disturb the sand and rocks in Nova Scotia with my "NORMAL" kick. Nobody cares what you disturb with your kicks up here. Growing up in NY on Long Island Sound in the '60's would see people confused if you said "ECO kick". But I would guess it's a big concern down in the Caribbean and maybe Florida where big money is at stake. And oh, don't ever shell-collect down there!

It's a huge concern in Puget Sound ... we don't have sand, we have silt. Flutter kicks around here have a huge impact on visibility ... which, once disturbed, remains that way for quite a long time.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

---------- Post added March 25th, 2013 at 03:51 AM ----------

See that's cool though, I'd rather have a true advanced course offered by PADI that is dare I say, proper and bad-habit correcting. One that extensively lumps things such as buoyancy and trim issues, gas management and planning, kicks and techniques all into one rather than (if you're lucky) a very modular setup.

I've been teaching that AOW class for nine years ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)