I’m new to this forum and am hoping I can get some recommendations around training fins as I develop my swimming technique. Some background – I’m 63 and have set a goal of completing an Olympic distance triathlon before I get too old. I’m in good physical shape (very good cardio conditioning) and am comfortable with challenging workouts. I grew up near the ocean and family pools, so I’ve been able to swim since I was little but cannot, for the life of me, swim more than 50 yards freestyle without having to grab the side of the pool and catch my breath. In short, my swimming technique sucks. I’m a DIY’er, so my goal is to teach myself to undo 58 years of bad swimming technique and get to the point where I can swim for distance without gasping for air. Once I am comfortable that I’d can swim, or train to swim, 1.5 kilometers I’ll start setting up training plans to eventually reach my triathlon goal. That said, I have access to a 25 yard pool, have goggles, a pool buoy, a kick board and a center mount snorkel. I’m looking for a set of training fins. Suggestions? Thanks!
Starting out these are fine. The are inexpensive and do the job… https://www.swimoutlet.com/p/sporti-floating-swim-fins-color-23059/
Hope this helps and any other questions, let me know.
Tim
While the other fins linked will do the job, my coach recently turned me onto these DMC fins and I was blown away by how much nicer they are. Aside from just being built better (most fins will develop rips along the edge of the toe area), they’re more comfortable and provide a more constant and natural propulsion while kicking. It’s king of hard to describe that last part but having swam in the classic fins for years, I can confidently say these are much nicer. Also much more expensive so may not be worth it for everyone but something to consider.
While the other fins linked will do the job, my coach recently turned me onto these DMC fins and I was blown away by how much nicer they are. Aside from just being built better (most fins will develop rips along the edge of the toe area), they’re more comfortable and provide a more constant and natural propulsion while kicking. It’s king of hard to describe that last part but having swam in the classic fins for years, I can confidently say these are much nicer. Also much more expensive so may not be worth it for everyone but something to consider.
I have the Arena version of those, and I love them, but they aren’t a fin that I would recommend for someone who is new (making the assumption that the DMC and the Arena’s have similar feel). They’re pretty heavy and stiff.
For someone just coming into the sport, I’d recommend a more flexible fin like the Speedo switchblade, or the aquasphere foam fins.
I consider my DMCs to be quite flexible and soft. My other set of fins are Churchill bodyboarding fins so maybe that why. I wore my DMCs on a couple long open water swims this spring when I swam by myself and they performed well, no blisters or extra leg muscle fatigue. I keep wanting to use them more in the pool but havent had the chance.
Don’t swim by yourself in open water.
I realize you’re asking about fins, and nobody addressed the fact that you’re gasping for air after 50 yards, so I’ll just throw this out to you—make sure you are NOT holding your breath and that you are exhaling whenever your face is in the water.
Yeah, I was gonna mention that but that’s a whole other thing.
OP really needs proper swimming lessons, IMO.
Da Fin. Sturdy, soft uppers, and they’ll make your kick stronger.
Size up.
Don’t swim by yourself in open water.
I honestly haven’t had any faith in expecting ‘help’ by swimming in OWS with other swimmers. Unless the other swimmer is literally EXACTLY your speed, you will almost certainly be too far away as well as too far from shore to get any sort of rescue help. If someone’s in a kayak watching you, that’s legit, but other swimmers in OWS are usually too busy splashing away to hear anything from anyone in need until it’s wayyyy too late.
I did a fair number of OWS ocean swims with the LA Tri Club in calm ocean conditions with minimal waves, because of the fear of running into solo trouble as a really bad (BBBOP) swimmer before, and not once did I ever have faith that I’d be saved, ever, had I run into trouble. In fact, what happened every single time was that I’d be so slow that I’d be all by myself within 5 minutes, and nobody would even look back.
Even when I did a “For first time OWS triathlete” sessions, it was the same thing, except I wasn’t the back of the pack - was just a bunch of us near drowning sort of in shouting distance of each other, but nobody could have saved anybody.
Thanks for the suggestion, dakg. I expel before before turning my head to take a breath and trickle breathe after taking a breath but I recognize that I’m not relaxed enough throughout my stroke. I can run a marathon and feel relaxed with my breathing throughout but can’t find that feeling in the water – yet.
Yeah, I was gonna mention that but that’s a whole other thing.
OP really needs proper swimming lessons, IMO.
Swim lessons are always an option but my goal, at this point, is to self-teach enough to complete a 1.5k swim. Training is fun so even if I find my improvement is slow in coming, I’ll be staying in shape.
Yeah i previously did some swims with people close in ability and we would check on each other about every 2-300yards. Those solo swims I may have overstated the open part of the swim cause they were in a harbor. One was about 3,000 yards around an island that had a dock every 100ft and the other I stayed about 50 yards from shore the whole time. Ideally there would be someone on a paddleboard or kayak for you to wave down if you had trouble. I thought the fins gave me a little extra safety and I would use them again on similar swims.
Best safety moves for ows short of a kayak support are
Swimming relatively near shore, especially in standing depth water
Or if you can’t do that use an inflatable buoy to hang onto and mark your spot while help comes.
I have used about every kind of fin and found the DMC fins to be the one for me. I second having someone that knows what they are doing look at your stroke. You will get more benefit from that then from fins. Swim safe!