monofin technique

[Mike Newman]

Hi,
I've been reading about, watching videos of and training with my monofin. I'm wondering about technique. I tend to get a lot of head movement. So much, in fact that my front snorkel dips under water. When I undulate less then i tend to kick more with my legs. Any guidance or advice? Is there a video with good technique someone could recommend? I've watched quite a few and there seems to be a lot of variation. Maybe I should just go with what feels right for me?
BTW That 5 star rating was an accident

 

[deepRelax]

Hi
Maybe you can try to work your dolphin kick with small fins (swimming fins) and a swimming board while keeping your head out of the water. This exercice limitates upper body motion. Also concider working on your core muscles to keep stability.
Hope that helps (I m not an expert).

 

[Kars]

I have the same difficulty.

But since I consider myself a freediver, my goal is underwater swimming, and therefore I don't mind practising my monofin technique with the help of a kickboard under my hands.

What I also found highly beneficial is doing regular back crawl, this is my proffered way of warming up my shoulders and gaining flexibility therein.

Now when surface monofinning you can turn your heals a bit to the side so your knees touch and have like x-legs, in this way you can keep your legs strait easier. Also in you mind aim for pushing your ass up, instead of pushing the fin down.

I hope this helps.

 

[Mike Newman]

Hi Kars,
Thanks for responding to my post. Thank you too deepRelax
i am watching a video you made, titled: dynamic + turns practice. Is this the technique I should be using as a model?

 

[Kars]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9vTAJrHZp8]Freediving dynamic + turns practise - YouTube[/ame]

Is this the technique I should be using as a model?

Not quite, it looks a little bit to forceful to me.
But you can use it to study a monofin technique. One of many styles.
The styles depend greatly on many factors such as: flexibility, strength, ability, materials etc.

Daan, the diver here was using a medium stiff fin here, Glide fin, and this fin was quite firm so he needed to swim with more aggression.

However I now use the technique Daan is demonstrating, though I like to think I'm swimming slower and more fluid.

You see that the diver first lifts up his hands a bit, while keeping his legs strait. The tensioning his legs and feet as he rolls over the imaginary hill by pushing his hand down and forward again.

It's very hard to describe, the timings are so tight I still have a hard time knowing which action comes first, and how to direct my body.

A common mistake I make is that my monofin stroke amplitude is/becomes too large.
Sometimes I hit the sweet spot and then it feels fast easy and great, but the next dive or session I loose that... again... :waterwork

 

[Simos]

Sounds like you need to work on flexibility in addition to technique. Try practicing with rubber fins while being on the surface on your back - keep your arms extended above your head and focus on the back of your hands being level with the surface of the water.

Keeping your hands level with the water surface, start the monofin movement and focus on your legs being straight - your knees should not break the surface of the water. Try to feel the burn on your core and try to transmit the power to the tips on your fins without bending the knees.

There are lots of dry stretching you can do to help, especially some exercises against a wall while standing up to stretch the chest/back. Bit hard to describe here :-(

 

[Simos]

Like it was mentioned before, if you are practising with a front snorkel it might help you to have your arms extended in front on a kick board - try to make sure the kickboard is on the surface at all times without vertical movement..

 

[Mike Newman]

Thanks. I'm going to the pool tomorrow.