I’ve finally started using a snorkel for actually swimming rather than kicking drills. First thing I noticed… my shoulders get TIRED really quickly. I’m talking like 100 yards and I’m feeling a fatigue that I don’t get even if I swim 2000 straight (without a snorkel).
At first I thought it was lack of rotation, and that was making recovery a lot tougher than when I swim regularly. So I rotated more. Nope, not it. Besides, I swim kind of flat on my non-breathing side anyway, so I shouldn’t be bothered by flat(ish) snorkel swimming on that side.
Then I thought it might be body position causing more drag. I tend to lift my head a little w/ a snorkel because I dread dipping the end of the thing underwater and getting a nice blast of H2O down the tube. But I checked, and my feet felt right where they usually are.
10x50 and my shoulders were definitely pooped. Something’s different, but I can’t figure it out. Maybe my recovery is slower because I’m trying not to splash water into the tube. ???
I can imagine using a snorkel would cause you to take strokes more quickly, and glide less with each because you aren’t forced to leave a gap to turn your head to the side - are you swimming more strokes/length or are you swimming at a greater speed?
A stroke or two more than usual for sure. I came up with 21 spl, and I’m normally 18-19. That could help explain it, as I definitely prefer lazy slow strokes (relatively speaking).
I haven’t looked at the clock, but doubt I’m much faster. The tiles don’t seem to go by any faster.
Takes the breathing out of it, which leaves you free to focus on other stuff. In my case, the idea is to even out my very asymmetrical stroke (I pull a little early on the right, and then late on the left – almost full catch-up drill). I’m also only able to breathe even remotely well on my left, and my neck/shoulder are complaining from all the wear and tear. I’m learning from the ground up on the right side now, but can’t do enough yards for a real workout so I want to use the snorkel in the meantime to keep yards up without having to breathe left.
Doug and some others are proponents of using it. I scoffed at first, but am coming around now.
I am sure these snorkels help, but I put it in the same camp as the dreaded Seal Mask. If I got caught at my pool with either, the real swimmers would laugh me out of there. As it is, I look like a chicken in water flailing to stay afloat…
Got it, I think. I only learned how to swim properly this past year (using the Total Immersion program) and the bilateral breathing thing came completely natural. I’m sure I could use some stroke improvement, but I don’t think the snorkel would do much for me. I would guess that relying on a stroke that eliminates natural roll/breathing would only potentiate the difficulty in natural breathing while swimming, but I’m certainly no expert.
I am sure these snorkels help, but I put it in the same camp as the dreaded Seal Mask. If I got caught at my pool with either, the real swimmers would laugh me out of there. As it is, I look like a chicken in water flailing to stay afloat…
No, no, no, definitely not in the category of a seal mask (or even fins IMO). The real swimmers are the ones who use them, and a former world class swimmer is the one who suggested I use it.
Even David Marsh has his demo swimmer use one in his DVD.
Your problem is lack of body rotation from your hips. You probably were throwing your head to create rotation before. Eventually you will experience even rotation on both sides. Stick with it.
I swim about 2,000 yards at a time with my snorkel and paddles. By the way I do not like the freestyle snorkel. I prefer the original. It is a much better quality and mouth fit.
I take the same nmber of strokes with and without the snorkel. I recently put some duck tape on the top of the snorkel to make the opening even smaller. You have to work harder to get the air in. I am a bit dopey when I finish a set with the tape on. Finis sells an adaptor for the top of your snorkel which will serve the same purpose.
Everyone coming to Curacao with me this year will be bringing snorkels for both fun play and tough workouts.
OK, this sounds “real” but I will wait until some of the faster swimmers show up with the snorkel in fear of getting laughed out of the pool…then again, I could get one and become one of the faster swimmers (ah yes, the holy grail…)
I’m with you Dev…never will a snorkel touch my lips unless I am diving in some reef. Leave it up to triathletes to spoil something as simple as swimming. I got too many freaking gadgets already!
Your problem is lack of body rotation from your hips. You probably were throwing your head to create rotation before. Eventually you will experience even rotation on both sides. Stick with it.
I swim about 2,000 yards at a time with my snorkel and paddles. By the way I do not like the freestyle snorkel. I prefer the original. It is a much better quality and mouth fit.
Could be. I’ll try to work on initiating rotation more from the hips. I’ve complained before that if I skip a breath (i.e., attempt to breathe every 4), I feel slower. And I feel a lot weaker on my left pull than on my right (I breathe left).
Not sure which snorkel you are referring to. I have the Finis with the little drain in the bottom. I’ve been toying w/ the idea of getting their other one that has a greater backward bend so it wouldn’t be so close to the surface and would allow a lower head position. Is that the one you actually don’t like?
OK, this sounds “real” but I will wait until some of the faster swimmers show up with the snorkel in fear of getting laughed out of the pool…then again, I could get one and become one of the faster swimmers (ah yes, the holy grail…)
Dev
When I took a lesson from Roch Frey, I saw a bunch of snorkels there for the masters swimmers. Then again, it may have been a tri group
If it makes you feel any better, when I went snorkeling in Hawaii, I went w/ swim goggles SANS a snorkel. So maybe that evens me out.
And no, us triathletes didn’t start this fad … we’re actually learning from the swimmers here. You can add in the Oakville Aquatic Club and one of the swim teams in Montreal who use snorkels (according to my LSS - local swim shop).
I like the one you are presently using. The mouthpiece is a much better quality.
DougStern
Oh, good. It does get a lot of water in there, though, and it then rattles around like junk in your lungs after a cold. I can’t eject it by blowing it out. I assume it’s because the breathing tube is close to the surface. And then there’s the ocassional gulp of water down the thing if a wave goes by or I dunk it.
