Kick like a frog
Most divers know only one kick. It’s the standard flutter kick they learned in their beginning scuba course. There are other kicks, however. Among the most useful of these is the frog kick.
Why would you need it?
The frog kick was originally employed by cave divers as a means to avoid stirring up silt. With the rise of tech diving, its popularity grew. Today, you will see many recreational divers using this kick as well. Why? Three reasons:
- Used over coral, you are less likely to cause damage when frog kicking.
- Over muddy bottoms, you will be less likely to stir up silt.
- Over long distances, you can alternate between a frog kick and a flutter kick to avoid cramping.
So how to you do it?
Here is a video in which cave diving instructor Reggie Ross explains how to frog kick. Reggie had a gift for relating new information to things with which students were already familiar.
Reggie liked to compare different propulsion techniques to gears in a transmission. To him, the frog kick was overdrive. This video was intended for cave diving students but the technique works for any diver.
Reggie is no longer with us. After years of paying into Social Security, he died unexpectedly just days before getting his first Social Security check. (No one said life is fair.) Reggie’s wisdom lives on, though.
Try the frog kick yourself. It is not hard to master. And, in so doing, you will double the means at your disposal to move through the water.