Fin Kicks … Only the Beginning
Good, effective fin kicks are only as good as your buoyancy control. With the more advanced kicks, good buoyancy is an absolute. Mastering these skills will make the diver more comfortable, safe and over all a much better SCUBA diver, heightening the enjoyment of the dive. After all, diving is about having a good time!
THE FLUTTER KICK
This kick is used by more divers than any other. (Although I rarely use it.) The diver's body position is basically straight from head to hip. The kick starts in the hip as a leverage point and uses a relaxed, nearly straight leg with minor bending at the knee and terminates in a lose ankle joint. The fin then is allowed to do what it likes best. Push water up and down. The biggest error I see made with this kick is in the knee. Many divers look like they are ridding a bike or still trying to walk like a land animal; pushing the water directly in back of the diver with the dorsal (top) of the fin. Often the attitude of the diver in the water is 30 to 45 degrees to the direction of travel, rather than 0 degrees to the direction. The results of a poor flutter kick include: difficulty maintaining neutral buoyancy, excessive energy expenditure with subsequent over use of breathing gas, fatigue and all their associated problems.
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Good times to use a proper flutter kick include: on the surface, (I like surface swimming on my back when conditions allow), in the face of a current, escaping Jaws, or when some speed is desired. Poor times to use the flutter kick include: in low visibility, inside wrecks and caves, silty bottoms or when near corals and other easily damaged items. It can also be used to slow a runaway decent. Although, with proper buoyancy, kicking on descents becomes unnecessary. With a little practice (try having your buddy video tape you) the flutter kick can become a very effective kick.
(Next time...'Baby Kicks')
(Next time...'Baby Kicks')
