Monofin Freediving 101
Posted By Peter Scott on 25 March 2002
Last summer, a Mermaid told me the secret of diving with a dolphin's tail.
"Move as if you want all the creatures in the sea to fall in love with you," she sang in musical siren tones.
With a flash of her tail, she headed for the abyss. Each undulation flowed into the next; her back arched as ripples of pure fun travelled through her body. Her long hair streaming behind her, she wound her way around currents and fish and me in widening arcs of golden skin and cerulean scales. And before I could follow, she was gone.
As you begin your monofin adventure, don't think of it as a new freediving skill to add to your repertoire. Think of it as pure fun.
And then maybe someone will ask for your phone number.
Two Legs Stuck Together and Nowhere to Go
Anything new requires a move beyond your comfort zone. At first, a monofin can feel clumsy and stupid. But stick with it. The rewards are well worth the goofy-fin stage.
The goal is to learn how to coordinate your entire body into a single swimming muscle. When you do, you will feel like you can move around water somehow, not through it. Learning how to undulate is the secret and joy of monofin freediving.
Body-Movin'
A good monofin stroke comes from core body flexibility, strength and solid mechanics.
It is hard to undulate with a stiff back, tight hamstrings and poor muscle conditioning.
When you undulate, you should feel your body ripple from just under your clavicle, through your ribcage to your abdomen and lower back, and then to the hips, where the motion is magnified to deliver power to the fin. Your legs and fin are like receptors of a wave, translating the body's core signal into a propulsive force. If your upper body is stiff-where the undulation is born-the power will be dampened or completely disrupted.
There are many drills to learn the timing of the monofin stroke but it is vital that you do your best to make your body the best possible conduit for the undulation by improving your overall strength and flexibility. Exercises like Yoga and Pilates that use slow dynamic stretches and body-weight exercises are perfect for cross-training. An underwater video camera is also a great tool for evaluating your own stroke. Use one if you can.
The Dry-Land Exercise
Most people have trouble undulating properly. Instead, they use their legs to push themselves forward, pushing down against the water with their feet. A dolphin does not use its tail to swim. The tail anchors the power generated by the dolphin's core muscles and translates it into speed. Remember that the relative size of a dolphin's fin is quite small compared to a stock monofin on a human. Dolphins reach incredible speeds with a powerful undulation and active streamlining.
Since the mechanics of the undulation are so important, I devised the following drill to help isolate each muscle and body part involved in the motion.
"The Wall-Worm:"
1. Stand against a wall with your shoulder blades lightly touching the wall, feet shoulder width apart, arms by your sides.
2. Keeping your shoulders still and head looking straight ahead, tilt and lift your chest towards the ceiling.
3. As your spine stretches forward and up, allow your hips and pelvis slide forward-your knees should bend slightly.
4. Let your chest tilt downward and fall back toward the neutral position.
5. Engage your stomach muscles to bring your chest down slightly and bring your hips back.
6. Allow your legs to straighten, as your hips, spine and chest all return to the starting position.
The amplitude of this undulation should be small - all within three or four inches. Your shoulder blades should stay fairly close to the wall. If they bang against it, you are probably bending too much at the waist. Your shoulder blades and head should be still.
This drill represents the basic form you should have when ascending from a dive. A descent would use a slightly greater amplitude. Notice how your legs barely move and bend slightly at the biggest part of the motion.
Once you feel a good undulation, link together each step to make a fluid motion. Pretend it's a new dance craze and invite all your friends over! Practice this often, at the office, before bed, on the beach before you go in the water-focus on the rippling sensation.
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