If it is useful, try thinking on the movement as split in 4 steps.
Cool advice is to try in pool, with no gear
Here the steps, starting from the standard horizontal position:
1) bring your feet together while twisting them along the horizontal axis so that, if you had the fins, the flat of their blades would have been perpendicular to the bottom (instead of the normal horizontal position). Feet soles should be touching as much as possible. Legs are wide open, of course, to allow this rotation.
2) extend your feet smoothly backward while closing your legs and keeping your toe tips as backward and straight as possible, like slowly "stabbing" the water beneath you. Being the blades vertical and your movement backward and downward you should have very little drag and no forward movement. The key word here is "slow" ...
3) open up the soles of your feet, pivoting on the ankles. This allows the fins to have drag
4) flex your legs, moving the feet toward the center of your body while keeping them at angle. Here you need to apply some force. It will be the edge of the fins to do the most of the work, so they have to be kept at 90 degrees from the motion direction to maximize efficiency. Then return to the normal position and start again
It's very difficult to explain in words, but I hope this was helpful.
A few other tips that have worked for me:
- slow and smooth: if you hasten or use too much force you will get uncoordinated and probably will also push yourself forward instead of backward
- you need a good trim and a good arched back, otherwise you will move up or down.
- be patient: 2/3 movements are required to gather enough inertia to feel movement ...
That said, as somebody else pointed out, take your course: shown and taught is much easier than it seems.
Ciao
Cool advice is to try in pool, with no gear
Here the steps, starting from the standard horizontal position:
1) bring your feet together while twisting them along the horizontal axis so that, if you had the fins, the flat of their blades would have been perpendicular to the bottom (instead of the normal horizontal position). Feet soles should be touching as much as possible. Legs are wide open, of course, to allow this rotation.
2) extend your feet smoothly backward while closing your legs and keeping your toe tips as backward and straight as possible, like slowly "stabbing" the water beneath you. Being the blades vertical and your movement backward and downward you should have very little drag and no forward movement. The key word here is "slow" ...
3) open up the soles of your feet, pivoting on the ankles. This allows the fins to have drag
4) flex your legs, moving the feet toward the center of your body while keeping them at angle. Here you need to apply some force. It will be the edge of the fins to do the most of the work, so they have to be kept at 90 degrees from the motion direction to maximize efficiency. Then return to the normal position and start again
It's very difficult to explain in words, but I hope this was helpful.
A few other tips that have worked for me:
- slow and smooth: if you hasten or use too much force you will get uncoordinated and probably will also push yourself forward instead of backward
- you need a good trim and a good arched back, otherwise you will move up or down.
- be patient: 2/3 movements are required to gather enough inertia to feel movement ...
That said, as somebody else pointed out, take your course: shown and taught is much easier than it seems.
Ciao
