That feedback about my fin kicks saved my air consumption

I did a deep water job off a platform in the Gulf last summer and kept burning through my air way too fast. A senior diver I worked with told me I was kicking way too wide and my ankles were flexing wrong on the upstroke. He showed me to keep my knees straighter and use short, fast kicks from the hips instead of my whole leg. I tried it on the next shift and dropped my air use by almost 25 percent on a 90 minute bottom time. Has anyone else gotten a simple technique fix that made a huge difference in their gas consumption?

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the_caleb1mo ago

Funny you mention that because I had a totally different kind of fix that helped my air consumption once. I was doing a rocky shore dive in Northern California and my fins kept catching on kelp and rocks. Turned out my fin straps were way too loose and my fins were sliding around, making me kick harder to stay stable. Tightened them up a notch and instantly felt less drag, plus my breathing slowed down because I wasn't fighting the current so much. Not exactly the same as your kick fix but same idea that little adjustments can save a ton of gas.