I've starting swimming again after about 8 years off. I'm trying to get back into shape to lose a little weight and hopefully start competing again! Anyway, when I was swimming I'm pretty sure we all just used big fins. Now it seems there's about 100 different types (long, medium, short, really short, some have holes, etc). I have been thinking about buying some, but I'm lost. Maybe I shouldn't even use fins? Any suggestions?
If you read the "help my flutter kick is horrible" thread Ande pretty much says to stop using Fins all together
Not everyone agrees with this, including some pretty fast swimmers & kickers. (I don't use fins very much either, btw.)
Increasing angle flexibility and leg strength are two fine reasons to use fins.
All I would say is, don't come to rely on them. Do some sets without them.
And I recommend tracking improvement in your kick by using your times without the fins; you don't get to use them in a race, after all. If your times with fins are improving but not your times without them, all you are doing is learning to use fins more effectively.
As far as what kinds of fins to get, I'm going to defer to an avid user.
If you read the "help my flutter kick is horrible" thread Ande pretty much says to stop using Fins all together
Not everyone agrees with this, including some pretty fast swimmers & kickers. (I don't use fins very much either, btw.)
Increasing angle flexibility and leg strength are two fine reasons to use fins.
All I would say is, don't come to rely on them. Do some sets without them.
And I recommend tracking improvement in your kick by using your times without the fins; you don't get to use them in a race, after all. If your times with fins are improving but not your times without them, all you are doing is learning to use fins more effectively.
As far as what kinds of fins to get, I'm going to defer to an avid user.
