Why aren't fins for a frog kicker canted 10 degrees?

[FishWatcher747]

Where I live it is 20* F right now so yes pool it is. I'll be back in Key Largo in 2 weeks for real diving.

So when bringing fins together in frog kick propulsion is generated by how much water gets shot backwards. If fins remain horizontal you are just compressing water with the edge of the fin, not the body. One must flex the ankle so the body of the fin gets turned 20-30 or so degrees so the bottom of the fin is pointed towards the centerline. Why not make this easier by designing a fin that already has this shape by 10 degrees?

 

[mcohen1021]

Plus, frog do indeed have a left and a right foot.

only the ones that know how to dance

 

[FishWatcher747]

Here is a video of a real frog swimming. The bottom of the feet are almost coming together in a vertical position not horizontal. Do you think a frog can't avoid stirring up a silt storm?

My point is there should be fins designed for flutter kick and different fins for frog kick.

 

[FishWatcher747]

For example here are breaststroke specific swim fins to improve your frog kick. Now where are the scuba fins specific for frog kick?

https://www.amazon.com/Speedo-Unisex-Swim-Training-Breaststroke/dp/B08DDHRG8S

 

[FishWatcher747]

Okay, here is a short video of a breaststroker using these training fins. Check this out. I want some scuba fins like this fir frog kick.

 

[divad]

Okay, here is a short video of a breaststroker using these training fins. Check this out. I want some scuba fins like this fir frog kick.

Just get some of those......you'll be the luckiest girl in town.

 

[The Chairman]

The problem with angles and the frog kick is with the return stroke and it's why we glide so much. After you complete the power portion of the kick, you turn your ankles so the fins are horizontal and the only resistance should be on the edge of the fin, so it cuts through like a knife. This is why the kick is so effective. In canoeing, we call it feathering the paddle because even wind can cause some push back. You would have to turn your ankles the other way to accommodate any weird fin, which is completely impossible.

In addition, the current, unaltered kick, causes water to move back and UP. For most environments, this is absolutely perfect.

 

[FishWatcher747]

Well if I could feather my ankles as easily as I can feather a paddle with my wrists it would be way easier to do a powerful frog kick. I am a paddler so this makes perfect sense.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Here is a video of a real frog swimming. The bottom of the feet are almost coming together in a vertical position not horizontal. Do you think a frog can't avoid stirring up a silt storm?

My point is there should be fins designed for flutter kick and different fins for frog kick.

You really need ones that work better for the frog and acceptable for the flutter instead wholly for one extreme or another. That’s how you end up with crap like split fins.

 

[The Chairman]

it would be way easier to do a powerful frog kick.

So, where's the fire? The whole point of a frog kick is to reduce your stress and air consumption. It's for control and not kicking up a bunch of silt, not speed. Here's the tip I give all my students: you should feel the power transfer in the bottom of your toes. Think of it as "This little piggy went to frog kick..." In fact, my toes do as much work as my ankles do. If I brush something, my toes know right away and I stop. I will breathe myself up or down at this point so I don't kick anything. When I want to swim backward, I want to feel the power on the tops of my toes.

So what about currents? Mother Nature is huge and you want to fight her? Good luck with that. If I have to, I break into a hard flutter for that nonsense. But I'm a diver, not a fighter, so I go with the five "Ds" of handling currents...

Avoidance is the best policy, and if you're a paddler, you should know how to read currents. The current is the slowest on the bottom. It can be nonexistent in a furrow or trench. Hide as much as you can by staying in the lee as much as possible. IOW, use your head more than your glutes.

Finally, we cavers have a dirty secret: pull and glide. Yeah, I can cover far more ground than you'd think possible and not be huffing at the end of it all. Don't touch anything living and don't kick. I hope this helps.