

Submitting your legs vertically out of the water as part of the duck dive helps propel you under the surface.

This is the effect of simply lifting your arms. To understand this concept, float upright in the water with your head above the surface and then raise your arms over your head – your head will automatically dip below the water. This will naturally create the momentum to push you under the water without additional effort. The next step is to raise both legs out of the water together until vertical, making your body straight again. Be aware at this point to keep the legs entirely straight so the body assumes a 90-degree angle, bent at your hips. Imagine you are in a pool, trying to touch the bottom. The next step is to put both arms out in front of you and dive forward with your arms leading your upper body, bending at your hips to create a right angle.

However, pressure changes are the most intense in the first 10 meters, and you may find that this pre-inflation of your ears helps you last until your first equalization of the dive, which can come as late as 4 or 5 meters deep. You may find that you do not need to do this equalization. One of my instructor trainers coined the term 'equalization' as it slightly inflates the eardrums outwards before the dive. Step 1 – snorkel, 'equalization' and momentumĪfter taking your final breath, remove your snorkel and perform an equalization. If, when you duck dive, you cannot immediately see the line, then get your instructor or buddy to take a look and see where about the line you are starting the dive. This ensures that when you duck dive, you automatically face the dive line and are close enough for there to be no drag from the lanyard running along it. You want to keep the dive line next to you so you can make sure you duck dive ahead of the line by about a metre. I find it helpful to hold onto the line with the hand to which my lanyard is attached so that it does not cross my body. This ensures it is in the correct position when you come to do the duck dive. Unless there is zero current, you will find it helpful to lightly hold the dive line in one hand, keeping it next to your body. If you breathe upright, you will need to assume a horizontal place to start the duck dive after your final breath.įor simplicity's sake, we will assume that you are lying on your front, snorkelling in, breathing in a very relaxed fashion next to a line. If you choose to breathe up on your back, you will need to factor in a roll onto your front before you leave the surface, and this can be complicated if you are wearing a lanyard. The best position for starting a duck dive is on your front, breathing through a snorkel, as you are ready to start the duck dive without changing anything.
#Ducky dive in head first how to
It's difficult at first to coordinate each stage, not to mention perform it upside down, so let us look at the forces at work and how to make them work to your advantage.īody positioning in preparation for a duck dive The secret to a good duck dive is to make each component flow seamlessly into the next so you use minimal effort to get your body and fins under the surface. A good duck dive will have you at five meters with almost no effort, while a poor duck dive will leave you thrashing about, using up your precious oxygen supplies before you have even left the surface. The duck dive is the foundation of your entire dive. This article covers duck diving for freediving, why it is a critical skill to master, and how to execute one successfully. When you feel the wave starting to break, bring Start by paddling hard into the wave before it breaks.Ģ.

To perfect your duck dive, follow these steps:ġ. A duck dive is a basic surfing maneuver that lets you quickly get your board down through the surf and out onto the wave.
