Sinkers

[Ken B]

Coach McDougal, are you saying that everyone can float horizontally? I would like a poll of the forum to see how many of us can achieve this in all circumstances.
I've been a follower of TI for about 6 years. In salt water my legs float to the surface and I feel like a seal in the water, totally comfortable. In fresh my legs slowly sink. At best in s.g., stretched out with my arms breaking the surface I maintain an angle of about 30 degrees from horizontal. I manage this well enough with forward motion and posture when swimming but I'm aware that I'm not as confident in the middle of a lake as in the ocean.
My chest floats fine but my legs are described as Pukeko (waterhen to you northern hemispheres) by the family. That is, long skinny and all bone and stringy muscle.
I'd be profoundly grateful if you could give me something to work on. Sorry I cant get to your class.

Ken

[CoachToby]

I always thought that one of the objectives of SG was to stop the legs from sinking. To this end I would reach forward quite aggressively, with hands breaking the surface and an unnatural arch in my back. I was doing just that recently on a Coach Certificaton Course, when Terry steped in and corrected me. He said its fine if the legs sink. The important bit is to maintain good posture. He encouraged me to drop the arms deeper, the resulting effect being that the scapular are pulled flat onto the back.

Just to reiterate, floating the legs to the surface should not be an objective in SG, and certainly does not indicate skill level. Some people's legs just float better than others.

[Ken B]

Thanks Toby that's what I understood, just checking.

I had another wonderful swim this morning, top of tide, glassy calm, sun shining, water clear and 16C. Focussed on posture and feeling water support me. Sets me up for the day. Thanks TI.

Ken

[daveblt]

My wife is a non swimmer . She won't even put her face in the water , BUT, she can lay on her back and float effortlessly in one position without kicking . If I try to float on my back in the same place I have to maintain at least a light flutter kick or my legs will eventually start to sink , and here I've been following and swimming TI for 17 years and I know this stuff. I guess it is just different body type ?

Dave

[CoachStuartMcDougal]

Originally Posted by Ken B

Coach McDougal, are you saying that everyone can float horizontally? I would like a poll of the forum to see how many of us can achieve this in all circumstances.
I've been a follower of TI for about 6 years. In salt water my legs float to the surface and I feel like a seal in the water, totally comfortable. In fresh my legs slowly sink. At best in s.g., stretched out with my arms breaking the surface I maintain an angle of about 30 degrees from horizontal. I manage this well enough with forward motion and posture when swimming but I'm aware that I'm not as confident in the middle of a lake as in the ocean.
My chest floats fine but my legs are described as Pukeko (waterhen to you northern hemispheres) by the family. That is, long skinny and all bone and stringy muscle.
I'd be profoundly grateful if you could give me something to work on. Sorry I cant get to your class.

Ken

Hi Ken: Yes, and swimmers need to learn to balance and easily stay level But I have dense sinking legs too, and they eventually drop. But with a slight flutter easily stay afloat and I think that is fine, although not all coaches will agree with that statement. I can keep a really tight waist to hold them longer, but I'm only adding more tension, not really more leg buoyancy. Engaging core is critical though, just not Hulk like rock solid. A true sinker is one who starts sinking immediately from the hips and then torso follows hips to the bottom - almost like a bag of cement (often with a pull buoy trapped between the legs). These swimmers need a lot of care just to get torso on the surface which takes time and experimentation.

[mgruebe3]

Coach Stuart I think your a talking about me above... seems myself and my siblings have the same issue with sinking. I was on the site looking for solutions for the issue with floating on my back in drill 1 of FME

[CoachStuartMcDougal]

Originally Posted by mgruebe3

Coach Stuart I think your a talking about me above... seems myself and my siblings have the same issue with sinking. I was on the site looking for solutions for the issue with floating on my back in drill 1 of FME

HI Mgruebe: Many new swimmers feel they are sinkers, especially guys. Much is caused by tension in neck, shoulders, arms and legs. Once you are able to truly relax into weightlessness is when you will start to feel suspended and not sink. A good test to see whether you are a true sinker, in shallow pool, fill your lungs and hold breath, then wrap your arms around knees and see if you bob on the surface or you sink. I suspect you will easily stay on surface.

Here's a blog I wrote about working with a true sinker that will help too: http://totalimmersion.net/blog/the-s...d-the-snorkel/

Give the sink test a try and let us know how it goes

Stuart
MindBodyAndSWIM