From Novice to Pro: The 6 Best Finning Techniques for Divers
July 12, 2023
Believe it or not there are different ways to move your body while scuba diving. Most beginners start by using the flutter kick finning technique, but then advance to other styles that suit them better. There are six main types of finning techniques for scuba diving, and each is useful for different situations and types of diving. It is good to learn them, or a few of them, so that you are prepared and can move in the most efficient way underwater.
Here are the six main finning techniques for scuba diving:
1.Flutter kick.
The flutter kick is the first kick we learn for scuba diving, and the one that probably comes most naturally. To perform a flutter kick, you kick each leg at a time back and forth.
That avoids doing a "bicycle kick" where you are bending your knees a lot as if you are cycling. Bicycle kicking is not efficient and wastes a lot of energy. Try to also keep your toes pointed when you are flutter kicking to make full use of the fins.
The flutter kick is easy to learn and easy to master, and it gives a good amount of power to move you forwards through the water.
Just remember to kick from the hips instead of the knees and to keep your legs straight.
2. Modified flutter kick.
The modified flutter kick (as you can probably guess) is similar to the flutter kick. You move your legs back and forth one at a time. However, for the modified version, you bend your legs at the knees so that your feet are higher up, you then kick small and fast with your fins.
The modified flutter kick is not generally used by beginners or in regular recreational diving very often, but it can be useful in confined environments.
The modified flutter kick is a great choice when you are sharing air with your buddy, or you want to avoid kicking up sand or silt from the ground.
3. Frog kick.
The frog kick is used more often than the flutter kick by diving professionals or experienced divers. This is because it uses less energy, and it is easy to rotate or reverse in the frog kick position.
Frog kicking involves moving your legs exactly the same as you would in breaststroke swimming. The legs start off straight and together, the knees are then bent, and the feet come up and apart. The feet then rotate in an outwards direction until they meet back together with straight legs, and the action is repeated.
This finning technique can take some practice and does not feel natural to most beginners. You might be comfortable with performing breaststroke in swimming, but it can be a little trickier when you have fins on your feet.
Remember not to use your arms with this finning technique; it is unnecessary and uses excess energy. The idea in scuba diving is always to go slow and stay relaxed.
4. Scissor kick.
The scissor kick is essentially the frog kick and the flutter kick combined. To do a scissor kick, you open your legs as if to do a frog kick but then bring the legs together and straight in a fast motion to propel yourself forwards. The legs move in a scissor action towards each other.
The scissor kick is tricky to get your head around, but it creates a good amount of power with minimal effort. Many technical divers and scuba professionals use the scissor kick technique.
5. Backwards kick (reverse).
One of the best skills and finning techniques you can learn in scuba diving is how to reverse backwards without having to turn your whole body around. This makes it much easier to get close to rocks and corals and look inside cracks, and then simply move backwards when you are done.
When they try to turn around, many divers will use their hands to pull their body around. Unfortunately, this means they have less control of their equipment, and they might end up hitting another diver or a piece of coral or rock as they turn.
To perform a good backwards kick, you are basically doing a frog kick in reverse. Start in a hovering position and have your legs straight out behind you and together. Next, bend your knees slightly and rotate your feet in the opposite way than you would in a forwards frog kick.
This moves the fins in a way that scoops the water forwards and in turn moves you backwards. This can be hard to master, and you might feel silly in the process, but remember everyone did when they first tried!
If you are thinking about becoming a dive professional one day, the backwards kick is an essential skill for keeping an eye on your students.
To help you master this finning technique, practice in confined water, away from any hazards, and make sure you are neutrally buoyant before you begin.
6. Helicopter turn.
The helicopter turn is definitely an advanced finning technique and is used often by technical divers and when drysuit diving. It is a handy skill to have when diving around wrecks or in confined spaces.
The helicopter turn allows you to rotate your whole body to start diving in a different direction, without having to use your hands or move forwards at all.
To perform a helicopter turn, start with slightly bent knees and your feet apart, then turn your feet in opposing directions back and forth, while at the same time rotating your ankles. This complicated move takes a lot of practice but will come in handy if you are thinking of trying tech diving.
Before learning these finning techniques, it is important to have good buoyancy control. Here are 5 Tips to Perfect Your Buoyancy.
More top tips to improve your finning techniques.
Remember, none of the finning techniques above involve the hands at all; you should always scuba dive with your arms close to your body in a streamlined position. This saves energy and ensures easy access for adjusting equipment and buoyancy.
Also remember that practice makes perfect. Get a friend to film you while you are finning in the shallows, so you can watch the footage and see what needs improving. Happy finning!
If you want to explore further and improve your dive skills, why not enroll in one of our advanced diver courses? With over twenty courses to choose from, we have something to meet every dive passion, and you can start online today: