In the “Readers Ask” section on page 11 of the latest issue of USMS Swimmer (as shown on the home page of this site), there is a question about the use of paddles.
The reply (from Randy Nutt of the Boca and Gold Coast Masters) says something to the effect that “……..Paddles increase distance per stroke and enable the swimmer to achieve some very fast speeds in a work out”.
As I’ve said repeatedly, the main problem in swimming is how to get more propulsion –not reduce drag- and paddles and flippers provide the most drastic improvement in speed.
So here’s the $64,000 question: If FINA allows the use of so called tech suits which increase speed by purportedly reducing drag, why aren’t paddles and flippers (which increase speed through enhanced propulsion) also allowed? :confused:
Dolphin 2
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Former Member
I think more than anything it is a matter of simple principle, a suit is a necessity to make the sport decent, if you'd rather have olympic records set in the nude, I'm sure they have a league for that.
Suits are intended to increase the hydrodynamic characteristics of your body's shape, cutting out sharp edges and such to reduce drag, effectively just altering your body's form. Flippers and Paddles are both extensions, they are not alterations of an existing area of the body (excluding calling them feet and hands), they are longer and wider than any human hand. If flippers and paddles were allowed for use in competition, the goal would be to have the largest peripherals, rather than the best form.
The disparity between 'haves' and 'have-nots' in terms of suits would grow even further since most people would be unable to afford the cleancut compound that a fast flipper is made out of and thus, world records would shoot downward and the average swimmer would stay in place. If flippers were to be legalized, records would have to be marked with an asterisk to differentiate a fin run from a regular run as I'm sure the world record would fall by AT LEAST ten seconds.
I also think that if fins were legalized many strokes would have to be altered, the 15 yard rule on the Backstroke would have to be removed because it would almost be impossible to NOT go past it even with a below average kick. What adding peripherals and tools would do to swimming would make it more about a strong kick than ever, Mr. Phelps would very much enjoy setting new records by utilizing a pair of fins intended to increase the force delivered by a single dolphin kick. I think the only stroke that would be largely unaffected would be the Breaststroke, aside from paddles tools are not much assistance in swimming.
I understand the discrepancy here but it's simply unreasonable to compare a specialized suit to flippers and paddles. There is no way a suit will EVER deliver the same effects as a fin.
Thanks, Bare. :)
I think more than anything it is a matter of simple principle, a suit is a necessity to make the sport decent, if you'd rather have olympic records set in the nude, I'm sure they have a league for that.
Suits are intended to increase the hydrodynamic characteristics of your body's shape, cutting out sharp edges and such to reduce drag, effectively just altering your body's form. Flippers and Paddles are both extensions, they are not alterations of an existing area of the body (excluding calling them feet and hands), they are longer and wider than any human hand. If flippers and paddles were allowed for use in competition, the goal would be to have the largest peripherals, rather than the best form.
The disparity between 'haves' and 'have-nots' in terms of suits would grow even further since most people would be unable to afford the cleancut compound that a fast flipper is made out of and thus, world records would shoot downward and the average swimmer would stay in place. If flippers were to be legalized, records would have to be marked with an asterisk to differentiate a fin run from a regular run as I'm sure the world record would fall by AT LEAST ten seconds.
I also think that if fins were legalized many strokes would have to be altered, the 15 yard rule on the Backstroke would have to be removed because it would almost be impossible to NOT go past it even with a below average kick. What adding peripherals and tools would do to swimming would make it more about a strong kick than ever, Mr. Phelps would very much enjoy setting new records by utilizing a pair of fins intended to increase the force delivered by a single dolphin kick. I think the only stroke that would be largely unaffected would be the Breaststroke, aside from paddles tools are not much assistance in swimming.
I understand the discrepancy here but it's simply unreasonable to compare a specialized suit to flippers and paddles. There is no way a suit will EVER deliver the same effects as a fin.
Thanks, Bare. :)
