Fins and snorkels??? Seeking opinions
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turtle0022
Posts: 68 Member
Looking for opinions. I've shared I'm a swimming newbie, fresh off after a month of lessons to teach me breathing and proper technique, which I continue to practice.
I've seen so many swimmers use fins and/or snorkels at the pool, able to swim multiple laps continuously - something I have not been able to achieve, although I am improving and getting, what I believe are good workouts. My goal from the start has been able to swim laps continuously for exercise. I realize practice makes perfect and, with patience and perseverence it will all come together.
In speaking with some of my fellow swimmers (some of whom are older than me), they swear by using snorkels to not worry about breathing and the fins to be able to do the distance,
Speaking with the pool lifeguards and my instructor, it's almost frowned upon to use these tools in the swimming workout, although they are a good 20+ years younger than me - having been swimmers since a very young age and in competition, etc., so I believe their perspective may be skewed. One lifeguard referred to it as cheating.
Opinions? While I intend to persevere and continue to practice my breathing, rhythm and technique - especially with the freestyle where I seem to struggle most, is it cheating? Or, would/could I get a better or more efficient workout - using snorkels and/or fins?
I've seen so many swimmers use fins and/or snorkels at the pool, able to swim multiple laps continuously - something I have not been able to achieve, although I am improving and getting, what I believe are good workouts. My goal from the start has been able to swim laps continuously for exercise. I realize practice makes perfect and, with patience and perseverence it will all come together.
In speaking with some of my fellow swimmers (some of whom are older than me), they swear by using snorkels to not worry about breathing and the fins to be able to do the distance,
Speaking with the pool lifeguards and my instructor, it's almost frowned upon to use these tools in the swimming workout, although they are a good 20+ years younger than me - having been swimmers since a very young age and in competition, etc., so I believe their perspective may be skewed. One lifeguard referred to it as cheating.
Opinions? While I intend to persevere and continue to practice my breathing, rhythm and technique - especially with the freestyle where I seem to struggle most, is it cheating? Or, would/could I get a better or more efficient workout - using snorkels and/or fins?
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You know what - I would not worry about any of it so much...
It seems like you are swimming for fitness - well you can be sprinter fit (do fast fast lengths and have breathers in between) or you can be jogger/runner fit (keep on trudging along). Both are valid. I try and do a bit of both.
And you can be someone who does lots of continuous lengths with aids, or someone who has more breaks etc but does not use aids. Both are valid, neither matters. Both will be getting you some excercise and sense of achievement, and happy endorphins.
You can use snorkels and fins. Or not. If you enjoy using them, or you can see a difference if you do, then use them. I don't as a) not so usual in the uk b) it is not Needed, though I can see how they can help c) when I used fins in a swim class they aggravated my knee problem d)don't much fancy a snorkel in the mouth, I'd rather learn breath control / breathing technique as a priority.
So the youngsters have a strong opinion.. When they get older they might mellow, and realise the virtue of 'horses for courses' and 'Whatever takes your fancy'.
If you decide to give them a go, it would be interesting to find out if you liked them or not...0 -
It depends on your goals. I know some really serious swimmers who use fins as a training tool. They are much better swimmers than I am, so clearly it works for them. (I hate the damn things)
I also know at least one really good distance swimmer who goes to my pool and swims for HOURS with a snorkel. Can't say it doesn't work for her!
I'm not much of a toys person, myself, preferring to drill without them, and I'm afraid that my conditioning to breath every third or fifth stroke would get me drowned if I tried to use a snorkel! But that's totally a personal preference thing, I think.
As far as cheating? That life guard is wrong. Plain wrong. I know of people who use tools that are not permitted in competitions to work on stroke and technique, then go on to some amazing unassisted swims. I'm talking like the English Channel here. So, they're the real deal.
Now, if your instructor thinks that using these tools will not help your technique... well, I'm not a swim instructor and know nothing about your personal technique, so I wouldn't know. But I have been handed fins, kickboards, and pull buoys for technique work more than once, so I think it's weird they're against the idea.
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For me, early on I found fins to be very useful in distributing effort while I built upper body endurance. It also helped me elevate my plane. I had a bad habit of letting my butt sink too much. The fins raised my plane such that my butt is almost out of the water now. And that is how it remains without fins now.
Eventually I stopped using fins for crawl laps and now only use them for kickboard laps. But even kickboard laps I push the board out in front, keep my head down in the water to keep myself well planed. I see a lot of people tuck the kickboard under and lift themselves up.
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It's only "cheating" if the benchmark is competition-legal stroke technique.
Fins give your legs more power, and so can mean you're getting less of a workout for the same speed. On the flip side, as you point out, the extra boost would probably mean you can go farther in the same time, which would balance things out.
Snorkels...to each their own. I am miserable with a snorkel. I turn my head and dip the snorkel underwater EVERY TIME. Cough, cough, cough. I had to snorkel 800 yards for my scuba license...I just let the snorkel dangle and swam normally.
@fishgutzy - that's interesting about the fins helping to keep your hips on the surface. I'm going to try that with someone I've been helping with strokes next time we're at the pool together!0 -
@fishgutzy I will have to get my boyfriend to try swimming with fins. His lower half tends to sink, this might help him out.0
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It definitely worked for me. I didn't realize this benefit at first because I wasn't really paying attention to it. One day I just noticed that my but was staying up without the fins on.ashenriver wrote: »@fishgutzy I will have to get my boyfriend to try swimming with fins. His lower half tends to sink, this might help him out.
Now I just have to work on other inefficiencies and improve strength to get my lap time down a lot more.0 -
fins are GREAT for learning balance...i highly recommend them to a beginner swimmer trying to get the feel for the proper body position...one important note, make sure that even with the fins you focus on kicking from the hip (not with the knees). fins can also make it easier to work on the dolphin kick - great core work!
snorkels are also great for maintaining good head position...TONS of ELITE swimmers train with forward snorkels (including myself) http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/finis-glide-swimmers-snorkel-8117429/?color=43949 - and i always used a nose clip...its great for working drills/longer distances w/o poor form. i loved mine!
other less expensive toys that can help:
1. 6" piece of garden hose...can use it to work on catch up drill, if you focus on it with your eyes, it actually helps with proper head position.
2. tennis balls! swimming with a tennis ball in each hand will force you to have proper hand entry in the water & then pull with your forearm and back muscles not just your palm..its really weird at first but if you can master it, your freestyle will be much more efficient.
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I incorporate some fin swimming in my workouts, notice my legs do become more toned when I use fins more. it's seems different leg muscles become engaged. I try to do several hundred meters of dolphin kick on my back and front for a great abdominal core work out, I call it the "ab blaster", using no arms. I try to tell my swim buddies at the pool but they don't listen.....0
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^^^^ amazing core workout!0
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Personally, I'm old-fashioned and would never use fins or snorkels in a pool, but it sounds like it has helped others here so I will keep an open mind. The only real problem I guess is when you're circle swimming with people who are not using fins. Be respectful of us traditionalists and do not press us to go faster or get out of your way!0
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getfitrenee22 wrote: »2. tennis balls! swimming with a tennis ball in each hand will force you to have proper hand entry in the water & then pull with your forearm and back muscles not just your palm..its really weird at first but if you can master it, your freestyle will be much more efficient.
I just ball my hands into fists for this drill. But yes, it is SUPER helpful for concentrating on your *arms* instead of just sculling with your hands, as well as helping (me at least) with faster turnover.
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@cheshirecatastrophe you can do that also! It's kinda fun to tell people you swim with tennis balls....and it keeps swimming interesting!0
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Hmmm, I would think the extra buoyancy of the tennis balls might force more concentration on stroke as well. When you let go of them to do laps without the training aid, do you find you feel like you're let off a leash or something?0
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NoelFigart1 wrote: »Hmmm, I would think the extra buoyancy of the tennis balls might force more concentration on stroke as well. When you let go of them to do laps without the training aid, do you find you feel like you're let off a leash or something?
YES! (well, unballed fists)
It's an amazing feeling.0 -
Ok, I got something to say about this. Cheating? That's hogwash! We use fins, snorkels, paddles, forearm fulcrums, and pull buoys as tools that allow us to concentrate on certain areas.
For example, swim fins allow us to feel the water with our feet so we can concentrate on kicking up AND down. Many swimmers don't even realize that kicking involves thrusting the kick up and thrusting it down (not just down). So, when we use fins, we can feel when we're kicking in both directions and if we're not, we become aware of it. Fins also aid in strengthening the legs.
Snorkels allow us to not have to worry about breathing so we can concentrate on other things like stroke technique.
The pull bouy teaches us balance by strengthening our core muscles. The pull bouy with paddles helps strengthen our core muscles and our arms.
Forearm fulcrums bend the wrists down so that swimmers can feel what it means to "catch the water."
We don't use them to swim faster or to "cheat". We use them to teach us techniques that allow us to swim faster without them.
I started using the forearm fulcrums a few months ago. After about 10 minutes of use twice a week for two weeks, I noticed that even when I wasn't wearing them, I naturally started bending my wrist downward when catching the water.0 -
Thanks everyone for sharing your suggestions and opinions on my original question.0
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I think I need to get some fins - my kicks are non-existent. Never heard of the forearm fulcrum things - will get googling.0
