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Old 06-19-2012, 06:45 PM   #1
flamencoguru
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Freediving... What a drag!!!

Hello,

Here is an article/blog I wrote about being efficient in the water. I was reading about Olympic swim athletes and inspired me to write this blog. For some reason freedivers/spearfishermen never worry about how efficient they are in the water... It definitely helps to become a better hunter and have more bottom time.

There are some tips in the blog to help you out!

http://freedivinginstructors.com/fii-blog

Enjoy!

Errol
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Old 06-19-2012, 07:06 PM   #2
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Re: Freediving... What a drag!!!

Thanks E. good tips
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Old 06-19-2012, 07:21 PM   #3
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Re: Freediving... What a drag!!!

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Thanks E. good tips
thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed!!!
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Old 06-20-2012, 11:29 AM   #4
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Re: Freediving... What a drag!!!

Great post Errol. I could not agree with you more. I have been fortunate enough to train with some of the best surf lifesaving athletes from Australia in the disciplines of open water swimming, board paddling and surf ski paddling. These guys and girls come over to the US every Summer and put on a clinic against Americans, not because they are more fit, but because there technique is PERFECT! We are fortunate to have modern technology at the Olympics this summer as it has changed what was once a boring TV sport in swimming, to one of the best televised spectator sports. All freedivers and spearfisherman should take note on how effective and efficient Lochte and Phelps are off the wall, especially in transition during IM's. Good post!
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Old 06-20-2012, 02:20 PM   #5
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Re: Freediving... What a drag!!!

Good stuff Errol! The head position is a great tip that I found has increased my depth and bottom time. Efficiency is really the key determinant that distinguishes good divers from great divers
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Old 06-20-2012, 03:34 PM   #6
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Re: Freediving... What a drag!!!

sweet article Errol!
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Old 06-20-2012, 04:52 PM   #7
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Re: Freediving... What a drag!!!

One thing I've recently been playing with that kind of disagrees with the part about finning in that article.
I was recently scuba diving in the Philippines and I used my carbon long fins. My son and I were playing around trying to get close to fish as if we were spearing (at Tubbataha where you can't spear)
We both found that shorter, more rapid kicks propelled us faster through the water,
And if you look at a picture of it, the long kick and bend knee creates more drag,
I got out here on the barrier reef for the first time free diving since my trip and was applying the shorter, faster kick and I was getting to the bottom fast.
I guess I need to see it on film though, but it feels like it's a shorter kick.
My son swam competitively a few years ago and is pretty in tune with streamlining and speed through the water.

Just thought I'd bring that up. But I agree with your concept and I learned a lot about it in my PFI Int course. Thanks for the article Errol
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Old 06-20-2012, 04:59 PM   #8
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Re: Freediving... What a drag!!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hank49 View Post
One thing I've recently been playing with that kind of disagrees with the part about finning in that article.
I was recently scuba diving in the Philippines and I used my carbon long fins. My son and I were playing around trying to get close to fish as if we were spearing (at Tubbataha where you can't spear)
We both found that shorter, more rapid kicks propelled us faster through the water,
And if you look at a picture of it, the long kick and bend knee creates more drag,
I got out here on the barrier reef for the first time free diving since my trip and was applying the shorter, faster kick and I was getting to the bottom fast.
I guess I need to see it on film though, but it feels like it's a shorter kick.
My son swam competitively a few years ago and is pretty in tune with streamlining and speed through the water.

Just thought I'd bring that up. But I agree with your concept and I learned a lot about it in my PFI Int course. Thanks for the article Errol
I find that the fastest way to propel youself through the water is by very short, low amplitude kicks. It is very noticable with the realtively short blades of a scuba fin, but I see the difference with freedive fins as well.

However, the fastest way to kick is not, in my experience the most efficient means to propel yourself, either scuba or freediving. I learned to do a super fast, low amplitude kick for chasing down a speared fish when scuba diving, but if I did it for any distance at all, my heart rate shot up dramatically.


I don't think I ever use that type of kick for freediving, because it is "wasteful" of my oxygen reserves...Maybe on the surface in an emergency when you have unlimited air?
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Old 06-20-2012, 05:14 PM   #9
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Re: Freediving... What a drag!!!

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Originally Posted by jfjf View Post
I find that the fastest way to propel youself through the water is by very short, low amplitude kicks. It is very noticable with the realtively short blades of a scuba fin, but I see the difference with freedive fins as well.

However, the fastest way to kick is not, in my experience the most efficient means to propel yourself, either scuba or freediving. I learned to do a super fast, low amplitude kick for chasing down a speared fish when scuba diving, but if I did it for any distance at all, my heart rate shot up dramatically.


I don't think I ever use that type of kick for freediving, because it is "wasteful" of my oxygen reserves...Maybe on the surface in an emergency when you have unlimited air?
Good points. I haven't really determined how it will affect my bottom time. But I do feel I get down quicker, which is a plus if I see some fish I want to get down and hide from.
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Old 06-20-2012, 05:49 PM   #10
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Re: Freediving... What a drag!!!

fast kicks will make you faster and make you burn more oxygen... as with engines there is an ideal point where you maximize you energy efficiency with the right rpm, or finning rythm....
I guess, anyway, that My problem is streamlining
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Old 06-20-2012, 07:55 PM   #11
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Re: Freediving... What a drag!!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by jfjf View Post
I find that the fastest way to propel youself through the water is by very short, low amplitude kicks. It is very noticable with the realtively short blades of a scuba fin, but I see the difference with freedive fins as well.

However, the fastest way to kick is not, in my experience the most efficient means to propel yourself, either scuba or freediving. I learned to do a super fast, low amplitude kick for chasing down a speared fish when scuba diving, but if I did it for any distance at all, my heart rate shot up dramatically.


I don't think I ever use that type of kick for freediving, because it is "wasteful" of my oxygen reserves...Maybe on the surface in an emergency when you have unlimited air?
My math is kind of dumpy but drag is also not a linear relationship to speed. Ie twice as fast is not twice as much drag, it's four times as much drag. This is precisely why a lot of spearos and freedivers can get away with lousy technique; they are moving through the water so slowly that inefficiencies in hydrodynamics are less noticeable. That being said every second counts and bad form eats up O2.
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Old 06-21-2012, 08:12 AM   #12
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Re: Freediving... What a drag!!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hank49 View Post
One thing I've recently been playing with that kind of disagrees with the part about finning in that article.
I was recently scuba diving in the Philippines and I used my carbon long fins. My son and I were playing around trying to get close to fish as if we were spearing (at Tubbataha where you can't spear)
We both found that shorter, more rapid kicks propelled us faster through the water,
And if you look at a picture of it, the long kick and bend knee creates more drag,
I got out here on the barrier reef for the first time free diving since my trip and was applying the shorter, faster kick and I was getting to the bottom fast.
I guess I need to see it on film though, but it feels like it's a shorter kick.
My son swam competitively a few years ago and is pretty in tune with streamlining and speed through the water.

Just thought I'd bring that up. But I agree with your concept and I learned a lot about it in my PFI Int course. Thanks for the article Errol
Every movement in water will create drag... it's just the ratio between power/drag created... we want to find the right balance. Faster will also burn more O2.... We have to find the perfect combination to move efficiently.

Here is a great video that describes power/drag, obviously for swimming. But we have discovered that for freediving the long wide kick will provide the best ratio for power/drag/burn 02/speed. Ideally you want to move about 1 meter per second.

At minute 6:00 he sums up what my blog was trying to say. It's worth watching the whole video.


Last edited by flamencoguru; 06-21-2012 at 12:47 PM.
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Old 06-21-2012, 08:32 AM   #13
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Re: Freediving... What a drag!!!

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Originally Posted by growingupninja View Post
My math is kind of dumpy but drag is also not a linear relationship to speed. Ie twice as fast is not twice as much drag, it's four times as much drag. This is precisely why a lot of spearos and freedivers can get away with lousy technique; they are moving through the water so slowly that inefficiencies in hydrodynamics are less noticeable. That being said every second counts and bad form eats up O2.
You are right... drag is exponential. Yes, we as freedivers move slower so we don't notice it as much. I was spearing in the Keys with a good friend of mine and I was doing pretty good dive times and boating fish.. he asked, "how are you doing it?". I'm a terrible hunter but I must say I contribute my success as a freediver (compensates for my lack of hunting ability)to a good diving technique... super relaxed, maximizing my O2 and only moving when I have to with a streamline technique. That's why my dives were longer, I was less fatigued and I ultimately boated fish.... of course the fish had to be there :-)

Last edited by flamencoguru; 06-21-2012 at 10:37 AM.
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Old 06-21-2012, 02:49 PM   #14
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Re: Freediving... What a drag!!!

Errol, two other tips to consider..i know we are always scouting for fish and structure from the surface..I also know that I often see where i would like to end up and dive to reach it before i am actually over the structure, this forces me to swim down at a nangle, this is terrible...not only do I have to go farther to get to the bottom but I have to arch my body to keep moving forward which makes me less efficient.

also, carrying your gun...if you are not tucking your gun up against your body you are swimming with a sail. this is less of a problem for pipeguns but it still messes you up.
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Old 06-21-2012, 04:27 PM   #15
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Re: Freediving... What a drag!!!

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Originally Posted by flamencoguru View Post
. we want to find the right balance. Faster will also burn more O2.... We have to find the perfect combination to move efficiently.
That's the key. 35 mph isn't the best speed for maximizing fuel in your car and neither is 90 mph. But around 55-65 or so and you're on it.
I was geting the feeling that long, drawn leg kicks WEREN'T as efficient. The slightly shorter, faster ones seem easier and get me down quick.
But, you're the expert. Thanks.
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