Methods for Swimming Horizontally with Maximum Efficiency
In the event of an emergency while participating in water activities, knowing how to tread water efficiently can be the difference between life and death. Here are some essential tips to help you stay afloat and conserve energy in survival situations.
To tread water effectively, engage your entire body. Use your arms in a circular sculling motion under the water to create lift, while your legs perform continuous kicks like flutter or eggbeater to keep afloat. Maintain a vertical position, keeping your torso upright and avoiding leaning back or forward to maximise energy use and balance [1][4].
Conserving energy is key in survival scenarios. Focus on slow, purposeful movements and use kicks that require less effort for longer endurance, such as the eggbeater kick [4]. It's also important to practice in deep water, ensuring you stay off the ground, and to build endurance and improve form over time for sustained survival capacity [1].
When waves are present, lifting your arms above water reduces drag and improves efficiency. Complement treading with floating on your back using minimal effort and signaling for help when needed [5].
The US Navy recommends using a modified frog kick for long-lasting treading. To perform the modified frog kick, orient your body vertically in the water, tilt your head back slightly, and move your hands in small, downwards circles while keeping your palms down. Lift your legs as if sitting in a low chair while treading water [3]. To execute the kick, kick both legs down and out, then bring them back up under the center of your body [5].
Maintaining the water level consistently at your chin while treading water can be achieved by experimenting with the timing of your hand circles and kicks [6]. Treading water is an essential skill for anyone involved in water activities, as it can help prevent being caught in a rip current or getting left behind [7].
In 2017, a 50-year-old man from South Africa survived for nearly 30 hours in the Indian Ocean after falling off a surfing boat, demonstrating the importance of mastering treading water [8]. The key to efficient treading water is to use energy effectively, as most people can only tread water for a few minutes without getting tired [7]. The modified frog kick can potentially be the difference between life and death in survival situations.
References:
- Survival Treading Water Techniques
- How to Tread Water
- US Navy SEAL Swimming Techniques
- Energy-Saving Treading Water Techniques
- Modified Frog Kick for Treading Water
- Maintaining Water Level While Treading Water
- Importance of Treading Water in Water Activities
- Man Survives 30 Hours in Indian Ocean
- Mastering the modified frog kick, as recommended by the US Navy, can be an integral part of your outdoor-living skills, especially when involved in water activities.
- Incorporating energy-saving techniques, such as the eggbeater kick and floating on your back, into your water-related lifestyle can significantly improve your survival capacity during emergencies.
- Developing your treading water skills, along with other home-and-garden maintenance skills, contributes to a balanced and prepared lifestyle that helps ensure safety and self-reliance in various situations, including travel and outdoor-living environments.
