getting going with my new mono...

[Jonny250]

My Nemo monofin arrived today - it looks great and seems to fit well

I dont have a local club or any experienced monofinners nearby [that i know of!] so i would be grateful for any basic tips to get me going when i jump in the sea later... obviously i've watched lots of youtube videos on technique, but i just wondered if there are any 'classic beginner' mistakes for me to watch out for?
the trailing edge looks delicate...!

Thanks

 

[REVAN]

Don't try to bi-fin kick! One failure mode of these fins is someone instinctively tries to bi-fin kick and they crack the blade between the foot pockets. Also, don't drop it on the edge because it is fragile.

 

[REVAN]

Aside from the warnings, keep your chin down, arms forward tucked tightly over your ears and don't bend your knees too much. I find that when you think you are not bending your knees at all, you are usually bending them just about right.

Begin your kick with a hip rotation and amplify the motion as it travels down your legs.

Good Luck!!

 

[Apneaddict]

And tighten up your mask (or get one with a low-profile leading edge like the Sphera, Micromask, Mystic, etc.) as the extra speed of a monofin has pulled more than one mask off of a swimmer's face!

If its getting tiring, try swimming on your side, with only a small tip of the fin out of the water. You'll get good propulsion, won't make a much turbulence on the surface.... And make it look like a shark is after you with its dorsal fin exposed!

 

[Apneaddict]

One easy protection method that I recently saw at a competition is to take a pool noodle (or even pipe insulation) and cut a slit in it to secure / protect the 3 sides of the fin blade.

 

[Yeti]

go somewhere deep and with lots of space because if you take to it you'll need it! woooooooooooooohooooooooooooo. The speed swimming should be!! :friday

 

[Kars]

Warm up doing back crawl for 200m, it's great for getting the shoulders and upper back flexible and warmed up. Arms should be on your head, not aside. And the shoulders should be down, not stretched up/forward. This will provide with a bit more room for movement.

Swim with arms aside, get a feel for the action. The monofin should be pushed instead of kicked. For me it helps to visualise that I want to push up my bud, instead of pushing down the blade. Video your swimming. Pushing the heels a bit outside may help to keep your legs strait.

Monofinning one can have many different monofin strokes. Explore them, remember them. See if you can recognise them in other peoples videos. Timing the different muscle actions in order to swim is challenging and critical to reach efficiency.
When you hit the sweet spot, you'll fly with nearly zero effort. Comparing to this average movement skill may feel like swimming through gel.

At this moment I think Monofinning is about:

Timing of movements,
Balance,
Flexibility,
Streamline,
Rhythm,
Strength.

Alert other pool / lane users of your new toy, be aware of them and try hard to avoid collisions.

This is just a list of ramblings I threw out. I'm sure true monofinners would have a much better list. Maybe the things here are just a part of a good public brainstorm session

 

[Jonny250]

Thanks for the advice guys
we have 28 knots of wind, but i guess i will have to go find a sheltered spot somewhere to have a go... Cheers!