explain to me dynamic with fins exactly..

[fjohnson]

When I'm in the pool and doing dynamic apnea I'm starting from my knees in the shallow end, with my fins pointed outward, so kinda with the bottom of my feet close to the wall behind me with no push off the wall but maybe some off the floor. I'm just wondering in the technical/competitive arena of dynamic apnea is there some rhyme or reason as how to start, probably diving off the side doesn't count. And also, what about the turn with a push off the wall?
Fred

 

[laminar]

Fred,

As far as official competition (at least in Canada--we are following AIDA rules), you've got a 1.5m starting area, marked off by a rope strung across the pool lane. So that means you can stand up and make a surface dive from that position, push off from the wall--as long as you get under the rope.

As for the turn, you have to touch the wall with your hands or feet, but you must touch it. Personally, with the monofin, I glide to the wall, touch it with my hand, push off and spin my body around on a horizontal axis quite slowly. Others do a swimming flip-turn.

Your spotter is supposed to follow you on the surface with a kick board ready to hand to you in case you stop your dynamic in deep water and need some support. It's not a disqualification to grab the kick board and hang on while you catch your breath.
Most people do dynamics along a pool edge and come up sideways so that their first motion is to set their elbows on the pool lip for firm support while they recover.


Hope that helps.

Pete

 

[fjohnson]

Pete,

Thanks for the reply.. your answer was just what I was wondering about. I've been doing dynamics in the pool most of the winter here and they seem to be going very well for me. Doing a lot of dynamics has sure been a confidence builder, when I hit the deeper water this summer I think things will be good. About 1- 2 more months and the ice will be gone...

I've been turning the way Tom Lightfoot expained in my post sometime ago about turning in a pool with big fins and that really was a big help...my turns aren't fast but they get the job done and keep my fins off the wall most of time.

Fred

 

[Lynn]

Turn!turn!turn! (Not the Byrds)

Hi,

When not sprinting I use + - the same turning technique as Pete does: one hand touches the wall and works as a lever while I slowly turn horizontally till my fin (or fins) touches the wall and I restore my streamline and push off.

When sprinting in a 25m pool (the 50m apnea finswimming discipline is done at only 50cm under water) I take a quick flip turn at the surface w/o getting my face out of the water. Easier when you're in need for speed...

Totally submersed flip turns with fins seem a bit awkward to me...don't the divers who use this technique lose a lot of energy when turning ? Or do they make surface flip-turns ?


Lynn

 

[laminar]

Lynn,

Actually, I don't push off from the wall. As I glide in and push off with one hand, I lift my knees and pull the fin over my butt until I've made a full horizontal 180 degree turn. I try to make the hand push firm enough that I drift away from the wall as I turn so that when I bring the monofin back down into "position" it propels me forward enough to get going again without touching the wall at all.

I do this because the fin can get sucked against the wall on a push-off.

cheers,

Pete

 

[thin_air]

I do this because the fin can get sucked against the wall on a push-off.

this same thing happens to me while playing UWH, i dont know how to get rid of the "suction" but i know that it slowes down my starts after a goal. i tried a few things, letting my feet hang below me and pushing with my arms to get me far enough to start kicking, i dont think that that is the most effective method to use
does anyone else have a problem with this (i hope pete and i arent the only ones, i would feel bad and no one here would want that right rolf)

"Don't be so humble - you are not that great."
- Golda Meir

 

[Tom Lightfoot]

Hi Vince,

It's good to hear that you are a hockey player too. I find there's a big difference between what I'll do with my hockey fins (Ala's) and what I'll do with my long blades (Mtech carbon fibre). With carbon fins I do the delicate arm-powered flat turn where the blades only touch the wall gently, if at all. The point is to avoid suction and avoid damaging my expensive blades. The cost of such a turn is speed.

Fins for underwater hockey are smaller and much less delicate. When I'm doing dynamic with hockey fins, I roll onto my side and do a flip turn underwater. My hands don't touch the wall. It's probably the worst thing you could do to a monofin.

I've never noticed my Ala's sticking to the wall. The blades aren't that big and they have prominent ribs which help to reduce suction. I also try to avoid pushing off with both fins completely flat to the wall. I push off with either the ball or side of my foot.

Hope this helps. What type of fins are you using, Vince?

Tom

 

[thin_air]

well, i use crappy 5 dollar ones from a superstore, i have yet to get some reasonable ones (probably mares plana avanti or avanti tre)


but im open to suggestions