Paddles, in swimming, are frequently misused, which may potentially cause unnecessary injuries and shoulder issues. However, when these paddles are used properly, they provide you with an incredibly useful tool. This makes paddles worth the financial investment. In fact, you will see swim paddles in swim bags around the world. That’s how important they are.
In this post, we will be discussing everything there is to know about how to use paddles in swimming. As these paddles are primarily regarded as a tool that helps you build strength in your shoulders and arms. But that isn’t always the case. To be deemed effective, swim paddles should only be used in the correct way. Keep reading if you want to know more.
Specific power development: When it comes to building power and strength, as previously mentioned, you should be able to perform your strokes with precision and accuracy to be able to reap the paddles’ benefits. If you do your strokes as precisely as possible, you are likely to add more resistance to every stroke.
Efficiency and speed: As obvious as it is, swim paddles are great because it helps you gain speed a lot faster, whether you are using it for recreation or during competition. When swimming with paddles, you get to feel the speed, allowing you to be extremely efficient while you’re in the water.
Adds spice to your workout routine: Whether you are required to do a repetitive 500s or whatever your coach is telling you, adding swim paddles into your routine surely mixes things up. It may also help you be mentally fresh.
Allows better catch: If you are specifically being adventurous on your training day, try using only the strap for the middle finger. When you are not using the early forearm catch, there is a possibility that the paddle will just slip off. This might make you feel like an amateur swimmer, having to place the paddle back in your hands mid-swim. However, there’s a silver lining – it tells you what you shouldn’t do.
It tells you when you’re pulling incorrectly: In case you didn’t know, the use of paddles is likely to accentuate every aspect of the pulling motion. Using paddles allows you to make your catch a lot stronger, not to mention the pulling motion. This way, you will have a better focus, as well as tune the other important components of your stroke.
A lot of surfers nowadays tend to toss out riding small waves. For some of us, small waves are not worth the ride. However, there are so many gems and valuable lessons, even in riding the tiniest ripples. In fact, you get to learn a lot more when you surf in small waves than you do from big waves. Not only that, these tiny waves help you improve, as well as develop your surf skills.
In this post, we will be talking about everything that you need to know about how to surf small waves like a pro. Because small waves tend to be more difficult to ride, you will constantly be forced to perform subtle bodily adjustments to be able to keep gliding through the waves. With this, change your outlook and still go for a ride even if all you see are small waves. We promise they’re worth it. Keep reading this article if you want to know more.
The Technique
One of the most critical things when doing the small waves surfing is speed. This would mean that you need to be able to pick the right wave and just let loose. It will also be helpful for you if you paddle as hard as possible. If you require an additional boost, try kicking your feet. If you are riding a longer board, you may also need to try to take off just behind the board’s peak. Doing so will allow you to reach the stand-up moment, but now with a lot more momentum and speed.
Once you have caught the small wave, try lifting your arms. This action will help your release some weight on the surfing board. Instantly after, you may need to adopt a subtle forward stance. You may notice that when you do this, your surfboard will also move faster.
Probably the greatest trick to ride small waves is that you need to stay with your toes on the center of the board, allowing you to be steady as you glide through the lines. Don’t be reluctant to be a little adventurous, as you may also find an opportunity to do a few complex maneuvers. Surprisingly, even a two-foot surf height allows you to perform tail slides, floaters, and cutbacks. However, you may not be able to do some rare 360s or aerial maneuvers.
Try keeping a low profile when surfing in small waves. Over the top movements wouldn’t work and it might seem a bit ridiculous if you’re being watched by beachgoers. Another helpful tip is that your body must remain still. Your body should also be prepared to move backward and forward on the surfboard. In addition, you must never forget about the wide distance between your two feet, as well as the low stance. Doing so will allow you to reduce the drag while you glide even on the flat spots. Lastly, it allows you to increase your speed.
A lot of divers may think that cave diving is a dangerous and mysterious activity, suited for people who seek thrill. However, when done properly, cave diving could be such an extremely safe yet safe activity. In fact, cave diving offers people a whole new view of the world. This activity will heighten your sense of exploration as you go deep into the waters.
If you are thinking about being a cave diver, you need to complete a course, specifically for cavern-diving. In this post, let’s talk about all the things you need to do to become a certified cave diver. Are you curious about what steps you need to take? How does the course work? What we can tell you now is that it all depends on the agency of your choice. But if you’re curious about what to expect, then keep on reading this post.
Is Cave Diving for Everyone?
Before we proceed with the discussions, it is essential that we first talk about the difference between a cave dive and a cavern dive. A cavern dive is generally conducted during the first part of cave diving. The part where you can still see the light as soon as you look behind you. Once you can’t see the light, in whatever direction, it now becomes a cave dive.
When taking the course, you must be able to fulfill several of the prerequisites, just like any other advanced dive courses. This would include logged dives, which normally happens right before you start the training. Generally, you should be able to complete the course called Advanced Open Water, the one you should take to be a certified diver of up to 130 feet or 40 meters.
In addition to the abovementioned course, you’ll also be required to take a cavern certification course, or any similar course that can certify that you have sufficient experience, especially in an overhead environment. Also, you need to be experienced in night diving, confident enough with low-light methods of communication means, including torches. It is also considered a must that you be qualified with a twin-tank system, which may either be in the back mount or side mount configuration. Lastly, most agencies would also require your recent diving experiencein all the aforementioned environments.
When you see someone kayaking, it seems like it is a pretty straightforward task. All that you have to do is to sit on the kayak, paddle, and you will instantly move. Truth is, it is more difficult than what you have initially thought. From the proper posture to learning the fundamentals of paddling, there are many things that you have to know.
If you are a novice, keep on reading and learn from what we will share about the tips to improve your kayaking skills. You cannot be a pro overnight, but with patience and determination, you will be able to easily master the skills and become better!
1. Build your Core Strength
Kayaking will require you to be fit and healthy. You might think that it is effortless when you are from afar. When you are the one paddling, you will realize that it can actually be exhausting. It will require effort, especially if you are paddling in rough water. That said, it is important that you work on your core strength.
You will need to be engaged in exercises that will build your core. When you have a strong core, you will find it easier to paddle different strokes.
2. Practice Paddling
Perhaps, paddling is one of the most important things that you have to learn when you are new in kayaking. The stream or current alone will not be enough to get you from one point to another. You have to paddle the right way to move and to avoid bumping into other people or a foreign object. The right paddling is also important to make sure that you won’t end up being exhausted.
If you are just starting out, one thing that you might want to consider is to paddle in the mud. This will help you to work on your strokes while being able to build your core at the same time.
3. Learn the Proper Posture
Your posture is important when you are kayaking to be comfortable and well-balanced. Otherwise, you will easily feel tired and there is a higher likelihood that you will fall off. At all times, you should sit with your back straight. Keep your spine long and your head held high with eyes straight to where you are going.
Make sure to work on your paddling posture when you are on the kayak. If you are too forward or back, it can be easy to lose balance. You will be prone to tipping or capsizing, especially when you are on rough water.
Swimming, without a doubt, is one of the best forms of exercises. It uses all parts of the body, making it a great workout. No wonder, it is considered the fourth most popular activity in the United States.
What exactly will you get from swimming? Keep on reading the rest of this post and we’ll list down some of its most notable benefits.
1. Swimming Burns Calories
For most people, the main goal of exercise is to lose weight. That said, if you want to achieve more in a short span of time, swimming is one of the best activities that you should add in your workout routine.
It is believed that one hour of swimming will burn 500 to 750 calories for a 150-pound woman. This, however, will depend on your weight, stroke, and intensity of the swimming session. Regardless, the point is that it will burn mega calories. When complemented with healthy eating habits, this will speed up your weight loss journey.
Even if swimming is a low-impact activity, it will burn a lot of calories. This can be attributed to the fact that you aren’t focusing on a single part since you are using your entire body when you are swimming.
2. Swimming Makes you Flexible
With the different strokes that you have to do when you are swimming, you will love the fact that it can significantly improve your flexibility. You will use your ankles as fins. You will have to push yourself using your feet. Plus, the arms will be twisted and stretched to propel your movement on the water. All of these things will be helpful in making you flexible.
With the range of motion that will be required when you are swimming, it will play a crucial role in the improvement of your flexibility.
If you want to maximize the benefits of swimmingfor your flexibility, it is recommended you end up every session with stretching exercises.
3. Swimming Strengthens the Muscle
Because swimming requires physical movements, it will be vital as well in improving your muscle definition and strength. No wonder, swimmers have sculpted bodies that are sure to make anyone envious!
In other sports or exercises, you work out only specific parts of the body, and hence, only some portions are defined. For instance, when you are running, it only builds muscles on the legs. Those who lift weights, meanwhile, will only build muscles on the arms. If you swim regularly, it is a different story. Since you are using all the parts of your body, your muscle will develop in your arms, legs, back, and stomach, among others.
Cave divers are typically easy to spot. They usually are the ones with the most large number of gear and equipment than anyone in the boat. However, you should be aware that equipment configurations for technical and recreational diving substantially differ, especially between side mount diving and twinsets or what we call ‘doubles’.
In this post, let’s talk about everything you need to learn about cave diver equipment configuration. Also, we will be discussing the difference between recreational and technical gear, in which you are likely to use a long hose regulator and a short hose regulator, in separate occasions. If you’re curious about it, then keep on reading this post.
The Differences Between Long Hose and Short Hose Regulator
The short hose regulator configuration, which is used primarily by recreational cave divers, utilizes a short - around 2 to 3-foot hose on the regulator. The diver simply places a substitute source of air on a long – around four-foot hose, while attaching it to a buoyancy compensator. A cave diver who is need of air can just grab the substitute source of air and breathe using it.
The long hose regulator configuration, on the other hand, is used mainly by technical cave divers. Typically, the diver carries his regulator he uses to breathe with on a five to seven-foot hose. The additional regulator is then attached to a short hose and positioned directly under the cave diver’s chin using a ‘necklace’. Meanwhile, to be able to donate air in the event of an emergency, he should take the long hose regulator out of his mouth, then hand it over to the diver who is out of air. Finally, he will need to switch to his additional regulator on hand.
But which of the two is better? Recently, there was some news that organizations including theUnified Team Diving, as well as the Global Underwater Explorers, have been using long hose regulator configuration in conducting even the most basic scuba certification course. If you would notice, sharing some air using the short hose regulator would only unnecessarily increase the stress and difficulty of the drill. This is the very reason why using the long hose configuration makes more sense because it makes the sharing of air a lot easier.
Developing a breathing technique would probably be the most challenging aspect for beginners, as well as experienced swimmers. If you are having difficulty with breathing, it could easily affect the other components of your stroke. For example, breathing may potentially cause you to do scissor kicks, cross-overs, lop-sided strokes, as well as poor body position. This is a common misconception among swimmers, in which they fail to realize that the breathing, not the stroke, is the culprit.
In this post, we will be discussing four breathing exercises for smooth freestyle swimming. We hope that these exercises would help you keep a better, as well as a horizontal position when you swim smooth freestyle. Keep on reading if you want to know more.
1. For the first one
For the first one, try grabbing the wall using your one hand, take a breath, place your face into the surface of the water, and start kicking, in which the amount is appropriate to position your body horizontally. At this moment, you will not be exhaling. Instead, you will be holding your breath for about two seconds and let about 50% of the air in your lungs out through your nose, with 20% of that air using your mouth.
While you are letting out about 70% of that air, take a quick breath through your mouth. In swimming, you will notice that you breathe the exact opposite if you are running. When swimming, you are likely to exhale through your nose while inhaling using your mouth. You may also notice that you will not constantly exhale the whole time your head is in the water. This is very important, especially when maintaining your upper body afloat. It would also be useful if you don’t fill your lungs up to their full capacity.
You may start practicing this breathing technique on either side – breathe on your left and breathe on your right. You may do this exercise until you are comfortable with doing the overall movement and more specifically, this breathing technique.
2. The second breathing exercise
The second breathing exercise is a lot like the first one. However, in this instance, you need to have a kickboard instead of the traditional wall. In addition, you’ll also be performing full strokes. Try kicking about six times, then take a breath and a full stroke. You will notice that some swimmers are not exhaling while their head is in place looking at the bottom of the pool. Meanwhile, more experienced swimmers just exhale while their head is moving up to the surface before breaking it and a little bit while their head is on the surface.
It is also noteworthy that this all happens in just a matter of hundredths of a second while swimming fast. This is the very reason why you need to practice this breathing exercise slowly at first. Through repetition, you will be able to perfect and master it.
3. The third breathing exercise
The third breathing exercise is also very similar to the second one. However, you will not be needing a kickboard for this one. Generally, swimmers do have their preferred side but for beginners, you will need to practice a lot to learn the technique of breathing on both sides. You may also notice that goggles barely come out of the water’s surface. This is to make the breath a lot faster while keeping a good alignment of your body.
4. The fourth breathing exercise
The fourth breathing exercise, when compared to the first three, is a lot simpler. You just need to kick while your arms are in a downward position while moving your head a bit to one side to breathe. It should be noted that there should be no movement from your arms.
With this breathing exercise, you need to focus on keeping your hips on the water’s surface and taking quick breaths. Think of it like the way you train on the previous breathing exercises.
Now, it seems like you are prepared to do it all. You may practice on a length of the pool, where you can do the freestyle you can work on all while you take quick and short breaths. You may also try this: breathe every second, third, or fourth stroke. You will perhaps notice the big difference, especially when you stop at one end, take control of your breath, and then do it all over again.
For people who are just starting to discover the wonderful world of sea kayaking, it is common to end up being intimidated. It can send chills down one’s spine, especially for those who aren’t confident about their paddling and swimming skills.
While there is a legitimate reason to be scared, it is important to stay as calm and composed as possible. If you do not know how to overcome your fear, keep on reading the rest of this post and learn from some of the insights that we will be sharing.
1. Take Classes
To overcome your fear, one of the most important is to enroll in classes. There are formal classes that will put you under the tutelage of an expert in sea kayaking, providing the opportunity to gain first-hand insights from people who are experienced.
Sea kayaking classes are usually broken down in different levels. It starts with the most basic, which include mastering how to fit in the boat and basic paddling skills. As the lessons progress, they become more complicated.
After taking classes, you will feel more confident about your sea kayaking skills, knowing that you are armed with the right knowledge and skills. While no one becomes an expert overnight, these classes will help to advance your knowledge. The more you know, the less scared you will be.
The key here is to make sure that you choose the right classes where you can enroll. Read reviews to learn from the experiences of other people. Consider the credentials of the instructors.
2. Have a Strong Support Group
You do not have to do it alone. After all, sea kayaking is not a sport that you are meant to do solo. The mere fact ithat there are risks involved means that you should do it with a buddy or as a group, especially if you are just starting out.
Having a support group is an effective way to overcome the fears that you have basically because there are people who got your back. For instance, if you ever capsize while in the middle of the action, you can be confident that you do not have to do things on your own. While it is crucial to know the fundamentals of self-rescue, it will be good to have people around who can extend a helping hand when it is needed the most.
To add, your support group will also provide you with the encouragement that is needed. They are like a family who can push you to overcome your fear. They got you covered, so there is no need for you to be afraid.
3. Learn the Art of Pacing
In sea kayaking, you need to learn to pace. This will not only make you better when you are there out in the open, but this will also be an effective way to minimize the fear that you have. In its simplest sense, pacing is all about doing it consistently and steadily. You do not need to be in a rush. Often, you will get scared when you get involved in action without being carefully-paced, in the absence of thinking about it first.
When you are pacing yourself, there are times wherein you will just find your kayak stuck in its position. From there, watch the waves. Look at the other kayakers. Then, start paddling once you know that it is the right time to move.
The frontside air is now considered a basic maneuver in surfing. This move, in our opinion, is one of the most challenging yet easiest air to complete. Before you attempt to perform this maneuver, you should get ahold of your floaters, cutbacks, and re-entry’s down. This would allow your frontside air to be as solid and as stylish as possible.
In this post, we will be discussing everything you need to know about how to perform the frontside air. We also have a rundown of some tips for you to be able to do this correctly. Worry no more because all you need is the determination, as well as practice, and you will be doing the frontside air in no time. Keep on reading if you are curious.
