Pull buoys and kick boards-I just hate them SO much!
Former Member
Am I all alone in this?
I am a newer swimmer, aspiring to join our local masters group, however, I loathe pull buoys and kick boards! I love doing kick drills with no board, it feels purer and more ergonomic. Kick drills with a board torque my neck up and shoulders out of line and make me feel like a slow barge to nowhere. As for pull buoys, I just don't get the benefit. They throw me way off balance and are so distracting that I can't really focus on just my arms. Wouldn't using fins for the arm-focused drills be equally beneficial?
I ask because these crutches I mean tools seem to be an intrinsic part of the masters workout, and I'm worried that if I eschew them, I will throw off the timing of my lanemates, or somehow not fit in to the group flow.
Am I a budding purist or an inflexible whiner? Should I just get over it and use the board and buoy? Or is it acceptable to adapt the workout without these items?
Willow
Parents
Former Member
I agree on the kick boards, they hurt my shoulders now (they didn't when I was younger).
I vaguely recall that kickboards were a lot bigger 20+ years ago, and I don't think it's just that I was smaller and thinner then. They'd keep my whole upper body out of the water practically, and we'd swim tandem in the lanes chatting rather than working. The kickboards I've tried now barely keep my head out of the water and I just prefer going without them.
Pull buoys I do like though.
Reply
Former Member
I agree on the kick boards, they hurt my shoulders now (they didn't when I was younger).
I vaguely recall that kickboards were a lot bigger 20+ years ago, and I don't think it's just that I was smaller and thinner then. They'd keep my whole upper body out of the water practically, and we'd swim tandem in the lanes chatting rather than working. The kickboards I've tried now barely keep my head out of the water and I just prefer going without them.
Pull buoys I do like though.
