.Treading Water

[cwood714]

Good morning everyone,
I am currently preparing myself for A&S as I begin to submit my package. I have always been extremely comfortable in the ocean and have been a surfer my whole life, however the pool seems to be a dilemma for me when it comes to various ways to tread water. I have tried to tread using the frog kick and egg beater, but it seems like I don't have the proper range of motion and I begin to sink. Almost like my hips wont do the movement correctly from being to tight or something. The only way I seem to remain a float is when I use the scissor kick, however its not very efficient when I throw cammies on and I burn out easily. This has been a frustrating matter and I have tried to work on my breast stroke and egg beater form but it just seems to be a range of motion issue. Has anyone ran into this problem? Is it possible to make it through A&S using a scissor kick tread? Do you think anyone has done this before? I am not trying to make mountains out of molehills and am seeking solution. Thanks

 

[Jax]

I have tried to tread using the frog kick and egg beater, but it seems like I don't have the proper range of motion and I begin to sink. Almost like my hips wont do the movement correctly from being too tight or something. /QUOTE]
I've never been to any selection so I hope I'm not stepping too far out of my lane on this one, but I feel like you answered your own question about the eggbeater. Have you tried improving hip mobility? Running, swimming, and lifting will lead to tight hips.

I wish you the best of luck on your endeavors and hopefully someone qualified can answer your question about the scissor kick and A&S.

 

[Hillclimb]

What are you doing with your arms? And are you relaxed with your lungs fully inflated?

 

[cwood714]

I am sculling with my arms fine. Its more difficult using the scissor kick tread without arms or while treading with a brick. Did you see guys have any success scissor kicking through the long tread sessions in A&S?

 

[Hillclimb]

Yeah. That's what I did, and many others. I don't know too many people who egg beater; it's not very energy efficient in longer pool evolutions. It could also be that you're just not buoyant.

I typically use a scissor kick in my recovery tread with huge arm wades from 12 to 4/7 of clock, then frogs or just harder scizzors when I had to do an activity (brick, or arms out).

Which coast are you?

 

[cwood714]

West Coast brother. I guess at this point I am just going to have to get my kicks stronger. You were very right about not being buoyant. I am an iron duck. The reason why I posted this is because my buddy who just got selected and is now at ITC told me most guys who dropped in the pool were ones who were scissor kicking. But he also told me to do whatever it takes to keep my head above water and obviously above all else never quit.

 

[Teufel]

I can tread water forever using the eggbeater method. I don't even need to use my arms and I'm rounding the corner on 40. Technique is everything.

 

[Stanimal]

Ok, I'll take a whack at this question. The "right" kick or technique for you is the one that allows you to keep your ears above the waterline while expending the least amount of energy. Treading water should not be viewed as exercise per se, but rather as a chance to recover from other anaerobic activities. Buoyant or not, you have to figure out what works for you. Try everything as long as it's permitted by the course instructors. My personal technique is a frog kick with small, tight arm movements. I developed this technique due to the propensity of my instructors to force confined space treads on us. We were packed in a formation so tight, we were basically clawing and scratching each other just to get a clean breath. All the while, we were dragging each other to the bottom with every kick and grab. That's no fun for anyone. Keeping the arms tight to the body and staying calm allowed most of us to endure this torture. Lucky for you, the confined treads have gone by the wayside for the most part. The point is...use your arms to your advantage if space is available. Think in terms of economy of motion though. Big sweeping movements typically use more energy. The points I've outlined may be debated by some, but I will attempt to lay out some tips for you that everyone should be able to agree on.

1. Keep your lungs full. I mean FULL. Air floats. Basically, you are skip breathing. Take a deep breath and hold it while you tread. When it's time to breathe again, exhale sharply and immediately refill your lungs to capacity.

2. Stay calm. Slow your heart rate down. Learn to "enjoy" the treads. Hey, at least it's better than crossovers...

3. Practice treading in cammies every chance you get. Practice treading when you are already winded, not just when you are fresh. Try doing a 100m freestyle sprint starting from the deep end. As soon as you touch the wall, push off and immediately begin to tread water. Turn your back to the wall so you won't be as tempted to reach out. Tread for five minutes, or until your HR drops below 100 BPM. Whichever comes first. You will learn to appreciate the treads.

4. There are strict rules governing the modification of your uniform for swimming. I've seen guys try to cut the bottoms off or completely remove pockets. Don't do it. You can, however, wear a uniform for swimming that fits you well. Don't make the mistake of wearing something that fits too snugly and restricts movement. Conversely, your trouser legs shouldn't be hanging off your feet. Those could be recipes for disaster. Getting a size smaller as far as the length of the arms and legs is concerned could help you out though. For example: Going from a MR (medium regular) to a MS (medium short). Be careful here. Don't do anything that could be construed as cheating, or get you labeled as an integrity violator. Make sure the cammies are serviceable, all the way down to the name tapes.

5. Try putting a couple of pounds of dive weights in your cargo pockets while you tread for five minutes. Do three "sets" of this. Over time, add more weight if you can handle it. Think of this as the aquatic version of performing weighted pull ups. You'll build strength and confidence previously unkown. When you are called to conduct future water treads without the weights, you'll fare much better than your peers.

 

[CQB]

One thing I noted in the vid was the rapid leg movement to offset negative arm motion. (I know water polo is different but relaxation is the key & IMO shouldn't be as rapid as that). It's an advantage to make the arm movement as relaxed as possible, cocked at 90 degrees & fingertips coming together in front of your body and moving outward and then back to the starting point...relax. There's a difference in water density with pool & a cold wet saline solution, which I'm sure you're aware of but it does make you work harder in the pool.