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This article contains a speed comparison of dolphin dives versus swimming and seeks an answer to a fundamental question. If an entire swim triathlon race were exactly 3.5 feet deep, would it be faster to swim it or push off the bottom and dolphin dive it the whole way? We all know dolphin dives are helpful as most of the elites are doing them at the start and finish of every swim. But how much of a difference does it make? We are very interested in figuring this out.
Dolphin dives are a necessity when the depth is too shallow for swimming, or when your hands start hitting the bottom during the pull. At such shallow depths, it is impossible to have an optimal freestyle because the bottom is in the way. For most people, this occurs at depths less than 2.5 feet. At 3 feet depth, all but the tallest of us can swim normally. For this reason, we looked at a depth of 3.5 feet, which is deep enough to swim normally but shallow enough to dolphin dive effectively.
Q: I do most of my workouts alone, and time myself. When somebody times me with a stopwatch or I swim in a meet, the times are always slower than what I go in practice. What gives?
A: When you start your own repeats and time yourself, you are able to anticipate. This means you lean forward on a dive or wall push-off at the “58” or “59” of the clock in anticipation of a fair start on the “60”. It may seem very innocent, but the ability to anticipate has a big difference on your time. Your muscles are engaged, and so there is no lag time in muscles firing versus when you issue the command to go.
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Coach Dobko will pick one of your questions each week and give you some insight into swimming. E-mail your questions to duanesworlddobko@worldnet.att.net.
In training, you never want to wear lycra swimsuits or your racing gear. The chlorine in most swimming pools eats away at these materials like acid, spoiling the color and ultimately making them see-through and un-useable. Instead, you want to train everyday in polyester. The material doesn’t dissolve nearly as quickly.