How to Use Your Fins for Snorkeling and Diving and Kelp Crawl

In order to be a good snorkeler you must develop an effective kick. With most fins, you'll want to kick from the hip to get good propulsion. Other types of fins work best when you kick with a bent knee.

When you are swimming on the surface, it's important to keep your fins in the water. If you are kicking your fins out of the water in the air, you will get no thrust from your fins.

You can swim face down, on your back, or on your side, depending on where you are going and how fast you want to get there. Swimming face down is usually fastest, but takes more energy and is usually the most fatiguing method. Swimming on your back or on your side is easier, but is usually not as fast as swimming face down. When you swim face down you should occasionally "bob" your head out of the water to check to see you're heading in the direction you intended to go.

In snorkeling or skin diving you need to get in the habit of only using your legs for propulsion and not using your arms. Your arms provide little propulsion compared to your legs when you are wearing fins. In addition, if you are carrying a camera or other gear you won't be able to use your arms.

If you swim on your back you won't be able to use your snorkel, and you may want to remove your mask so that you can breathe through your nose and mouth. In this situation, slide your mask down around your neck by pulling the front down, and let it hang there.

Whenever you swim through aquatic plants, such as kelp, you must move slowly and methodically. Although the plants may snag on your fins or snorkel, they will not wrap themselves around you and drag you to the bottom. It's a simple matter to just pull the fronds of the plant off of whatever piece of gear they have caught on.

To swim across thick kelp on the surface you must use a technique known as "kelp crawling." With your face in the water as you lay horizontal on the surface, lift one arm and extend it ahead of you. Lower your hand into the water and grab as much kelp as you can and pull it towards your chest. Repeat the action with the other arm. You will be surprised at how quickly you can move through the water this way.