In every successful scuba diver’s arsenal comes a range of propulsion techniques underwater. Divers looking to get the most out of scuba diving will need to have a range of kicking and finning techniques up their sleeves for different occasions. Learning new techniques is crucial not only for divers who are just starting out and looking to progress themselves but also for divers who are already at the technical level and are looking to enhance their diving skills.
In this article, we will share some of the most utilised finning and kicking techniques and how to perform them.
The Frog Kick
This technique is great for maneuvering around confined spaces and near sandy seabeds.
How to perform it:
Following the posture as with the original frog kick, divers restrict their legs from moving as far out as the standard frog kick. Divers will need to slightly move their hips and kick more with their ankles while restricting their thigh and knee movement.
The Modified Frog Kick
This technique is great for maneuvering around confined spaces and near sandy seabeds.
How to perform it:
Following the posture as with the original frog kick, divers restrict their legs from moving as far out as the standard frog kick. Divers will need to slightly move their hips and kick more with their ankles while restricting their thigh and knee movement.
Often the first finning style that scuba divers will learn. This kick offers divers a great amount of propulsion and forward thrust on each downward stroke of the diving fin.
How to perform it:
Divers will need to move their legs up and down in opposing directions, maintaining relatively straight legs with a slight bend at all times. The diver’s hips and legs should also align with their torso while engaging in the kick to ensure a maximum streamlined posture and fins should stay pointed outwards.
The Modified Flutter Kick
This is considered one of the most common scuba diving kicks amongst scuba divers, where unlike the original flutter kick, this offers divers more mobility underwater with less effort. This promotes greater maneuvre capabilities, allowing scuba divers to navigate better.
How to perform it:
Divers will need to maintain straight thighs and sharply bent knees while kicking more from the lower part of the legs and ankles.
The Reverse Kick
This advanced kick is extremely useful in helping scuba divers maneuvre backwards and is extremely useful in many situations. This can be helpful to underwater photographers and diving instructors.
How to perform it:
Divers will need to get into a position similar to that of a frog kick. Focusing mainly on your diving fins, your legs will first need to move out and away. The diving fins will then pull your legs close, scoping forward and stopping halfway so that you won’t be able to move forward. Thereafter, the fins will do the work in shifting your legs back to the original position and the diver can repeat the above steps.
Turning At a Fixed Point
Also known as Helicopter Kicks, these are great for helping divers to change direction underwater and can be extremely useful when diving in caves or through wreckages.
How to perform it:
Divers will need to engage in frog kicks and reverse kicks combined, each kick using one leg. In order to do so, divers will need to move their diving fins apart slowly and horizontally, engaging in opposing motion while rotating their ankles.