Freedive training injuries

[BristolMermaid]

Hi, hoping you can help me with my studies?

I'd like to hear from anyone who has suffered a muscle or joint injury in training e.g. back, shoulder, ankle, hamstrings etc..

I'm not sure how common this is as you hear more about blackouts and barotrauma

I'm studying how yoga can be useful in preventing and rehabilitation of sports injuries, especially from freediving

Thanks
Rebecca

 

[Simos]

All the freediving training sessions I ever attended have been surprisingly injury-free apart from some nasty monofin 'cuts' on the feet.

Only thing I had was a climbing-related back injury that was getting aggrevated by swimming during freediving training...

 

[Andrew the fish]

out-of-the-water training (specifically packing) caused some serious strain on my larynx. I couldn't connect it with freediving training for a while, did a complete check up including x-rays an such, looking for other problems. It felt like a tumor or obstruction in my throat.

 

[BristolMermaid]

Thanks guys
Its seems that packing, lung stretches and bandha can hurt if done too aggressively looking at other posts across DB - thanks for helping out! I'm also looking at ankle/foot and knee straings from no fins

Rebecca

 

[trux]

The most frequent injury I see during freediving training is probably banging the head into the wall. In our club, most frequently in the 50m pool with a retractable 25m wall - in fact it is not completely retractable, so it happens frequently that somene hits it. But hitting the wall at the end of the pool is also rather common, also at competitions.

 

[Simos]

The most frequent injury I see during freediving training is probably banging the head into the wall. In our club, most frequently in the 50m pool with a retractable 25m wall - in fact it is not completely retractable, so it happens frequently that somene hits it. But hitting the wall at the end of the pool is also rather common, also at competitions.

Freediving is probably the only sport where 'hitting the wall' means literally banging your head against a wall! :head

 

[BennyB]

Hi Rebecca,

I guess the recurring injuries i've noticed on myself are knee pain after consistent (1-2 sessions per week after a couple of weeks) of Dynamic No Fins training. I have a different kind of kick though where I kind of roll my knee inwards a little at the end of the kick when I bring my legs together.

The other recurring issue I have is lower back pain from an increase in monofinning. I haven't noticed this as much since i've started yoga so that's more likely an issue with stiff legs.

Cheers,
Ben

 

[growingupninja]

Hi Rebecca,

I guess the recurring injuries i've noticed on myself are knee pain after consistent (1-2 sessions per week after a couple of weeks) of Dynamic No Fins training. I have a different kind of kick though where I kind of roll my knee inwards a little at the end of the kick when I bring my legs together.

The other recurring issue I have is lower back pain from an increase in monofinning. I haven't noticed this as much since i've started yoga so that's more likely an issue with stiff legs.

Cheers,
Ben

The knee issues you are describing at very consistent to what competitive swimmers experience. Unless your knees are particularly unsuited to frog kick to begin with, most people need to log serious mileage (ie competitive training distances vs 'recreational') doing that kick before experiencing joint pain/damage, although somebody training regularly DNF could probably get there. By the time I was in college many of the swimmers on the team (most of us had been competing for years since a very young age) did not swim/train much breaststroke except during individual medley for that reason (knees giving out), and many of the swimmers I knew who specialized in breaststroke did so in part simply because their knees could tolerate the training mileage required. Even if you are do the kick 100% correct, it puts stress on the knee. A sports doctor who works with swimmers could probably advise... Strengthening the muscles around the joint (leg extensions) may help.

 

[growingupninja]

Jacked up ankles are my main complaint but it's mainly been because I'll lightly sprain my ankle doing something land-based, and then strapping on long fins and diving puts stress on the joint and makes it slow to heal. I started specifically conditioning my ankles at it REALLY seems to help; right ankle that has been brittle for months corrected itself in about 3 weeks. I put some surgical tubing on a 10lbs dumbbell, and using the tubing I hang the weight off my extended foot and slowly bounce it to strengthen the muscles around the joint.

 

[Irishdiver]

Ha Ha. I did this on my first freediving course..straight into the bottom of the sea in fact

 

[BristolMermaid]

I do a lot of no fins so I tend to focus my yoga training on hip opening poses to prevent breast-stroker's knee which a few of you have described. It's helped having lots of video footage to watch of my technique to see when I kick too widely, which can exacerbate pressure on the knee. Leg strengtheners, especially thighs and adductors also helps.

I know 'hitting the wall' well - i've done it going into statics too!

I did some yoga training with a diver recently with ankle instability, which affected her finning, and we found standing poses like Warrior and balances really helped to strengthen the muscles (e.g. peroneus) in her lower leg to support her ankle. And core exercises helped stabilise her lower back also.

Thanks
Rebecca