Fins are one of the most famous materials in water sports. They were invented for war purposes in 1914 by a French Navy captain , so at first their use was exclusively military. Over time they began to be used recreationally in underwater sports until they made the leap to swimming training with the aim of improving performance in this discipline. 

Swimming with fins is a lifeguard training method perhaps not very widespread among triathletes, but very effective when it comes to improving . In today's article I am going to explain the benefits of swimming with fins and how to get started with said implement. 

Why swim with fins?

Like so many inventions that have come out of man's imagination, fins are inspired by animal anatomy, specifically the extremities of fish, amphibians, and waterfowl. Said animals obtain great speed in the water because said extremities provide a large propulsive surface, which makes it very easy for them to advance in the fluid medium with very little effort. 



Who can swim with fins?

Anyone can do it, from beginners to professionals, the important thing is to choose a material that is suitable for the size and shape of your feet and start using them. 

If you do not have experience with lifeguarding certification them or you are not one to work a lot on foot shakes, you should work progressively with this material and start from less to more, increasing the load and volume progressively to avoid discomfort and overloads. 

Swim with short or long fins?

As I have commented in the previous section, the main problem with fins is the increase in work on the entire ankle and leg joint, which can overload us excessively and even cause us to suffer a muscle cramp or “ramp”.

For this reason it is always recommended to use short fins, also known as fins, which will not make us swim as fast as the long ones but will allow us to use them more frequently without suffering problems. 

How to start swimming with fins?

To swim with fins we must follow some basic recommendations and simply enjoy them, keep the following in mind and start using them:

  • Use them mainly for specific footwork with or without a board and not so much so that the full crawl becomes shorter as you go faster. 
  • Practice the front crawl, backstroke and butterfly but not the breaststroke as they will create an unnatural movement that will make you lose technique. 
  • Do contrast exercises where you use the fins in one or several series and then work your feet without them, in this way you will catch the inertia of strength and rhythm that this material gives you. 

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