MonoFin swimming
Created | Updated Jul 20, 2003
Dolphins and all other mammals swim extraordinair compared to fish.
The fishbone is designed to flex left and right and fish propell themself with this movement. Most other propultion systems by other aquatic animals are circular symmetrical. Mammals however have a spine. This spine is designed to flex in an up and down direction ( while some apes would call this forward and back ).
Aquatic mammals all swim by moving their tailfin up and down. Even a human can swim this way. Most human swimming strokes as breast stroke or crawl hardly use this movement. Man can swim as dolphins.
This is the fastest way of swimming there is, hardly trained I matched semi professionals and always won over 50m. This stroke not being allowed in contest matches I lost intrest. Perhaps the problem is in the fact you have to swim emerged to really speed up.
Years later I saw an add showing a MonoFin for sale. I did not hesitate and ordered one. I practised using it a lot, until satisfied with my gear and skills. After a while I made my conclusion this was the perfect way to swim. Be it there are a few disadvantages.
--> You have to be a good swimmer. Swim with your legs tight by a belt for an hour. Swim, dive and move with your arms alongside your body.
--> Turn on your side to breath and relax. To keep speed you jump over your back and inhale fresh air after having released old air by you nose submerged.
--> You should keep your nose closed from the inside ( human can! ) nose clips are not tight enough in sharp curves.
--> You should keep your eyes closed and your chin to your breast or with very tight fitting and strapped goggles.
--> You should keep your mouth shut.
--> You steer with your fingers and break with your arms.
--> Take care to wear no swimming wear or very tight strapped.
--> Anything but goggles (and something to avoid obscenity) should be avoided
--> Rotate to make short curves, mammals flex easyer down then up.
--> Do not bump into the shore, it is hard at those speeds.
--> Swimming area should exceed 2m or 8ft deep ( nautical measure? )
--> Take care not to overtake wind surfers at 5bft, I scared one a little much.
--> The MonoFin is made of glassfibre do not even touch rocks!
--> Though they are astonished officials can give you a ticket for ( underwater ) speeding.
--> Jumping out of the water is also illegal in some areas.
I wonder how a dolphin would react, the one I met on the windsurfing board was curious and gentle.
Now lets start the research
The fishbone is designed to flex left and right and fish propell themself with this movement. Most other propultion systems by other aquatic animals are circular symmetrical. Mammals however have a spine. This spine is designed to flex in an up and down direction ( while some apes would call this forward and back ).
Aquatic mammals all swim by moving their tailfin up and down. Even a human can swim this way. Most human swimming strokes as breast stroke or crawl hardly use this movement. Man can swim as dolphins.
This is the fastest way of swimming there is, hardly trained I matched semi professionals and always won over 50m. This stroke not being allowed in contest matches I lost intrest. Perhaps the problem is in the fact you have to swim emerged to really speed up.
Years later I saw an add showing a MonoFin for sale. I did not hesitate and ordered one. I practised using it a lot, until satisfied with my gear and skills. After a while I made my conclusion this was the perfect way to swim. Be it there are a few disadvantages.
--> You have to be a good swimmer. Swim with your legs tight by a belt for an hour. Swim, dive and move with your arms alongside your body.
--> Turn on your side to breath and relax. To keep speed you jump over your back and inhale fresh air after having released old air by you nose submerged.
--> You should keep your nose closed from the inside ( human can! ) nose clips are not tight enough in sharp curves.
--> You should keep your eyes closed and your chin to your breast or with very tight fitting and strapped goggles.
--> You should keep your mouth shut.
--> You steer with your fingers and break with your arms.
--> Take care to wear no swimming wear or very tight strapped.
--> Anything but goggles (and something to avoid obscenity) should be avoided
--> Rotate to make short curves, mammals flex easyer down then up.
--> Do not bump into the shore, it is hard at those speeds.
--> Swimming area should exceed 2m or 8ft deep ( nautical measure? )
--> Take care not to overtake wind surfers at 5bft, I scared one a little much.
--> The MonoFin is made of glassfibre do not even touch rocks!
--> Though they are astonished officials can give you a ticket for ( underwater ) speeding.
--> Jumping out of the water is also illegal in some areas.
I wonder how a dolphin would react, the one I met on the windsurfing board was curious and gentle.
Now lets start the research
