Water Treading: Eggbeater

[MR-FAN]

Hey all!

So, it was my sole goal this summer to learn how to tread water efficiently, e.g. egg beater style. I watched a few videos, and I started going to the pool as much as I can.

I got pretty good! And am able to tread much longer than before without getting tired! Great right?!?

Well, I decided to view a few of those videos again, and realized I had it the other way around, i.e. I would rotate my right leg clockwise and my left leg counter clockwise.



So, now I’m all uncoordinated when I try the proper technique and I keep reverting to the old way I’ve been practicing all summer. So, before I go through the painful exercise of unlearning and relearning the eggbeater, I wanted to check: is the direction of rotation for each leg interchangeable ( like the direction of rotation for FS jumps and spins), or is there just one proper way for doing the efficient eggbeater (right leg counter clockwise, left leg clockwise)?

I’m regretting not rewatching the videos earlier on in the summer but what can I do... too late now Thanks everyone!

 

[Japanfan]

I don't have the answer to your question, but would ask why you want to learn to tread water efficiently? Are you a long distance swimmer?

 

[MR-FAN]

I don't have the answer to your question, but would ask why you want to learn to tread water efficiently? Are you a long distance swimmer?

Haha! Not at all I want to be able to jump in open water without a life jacket and chill for like half an hour with confidence I won’t die

 

[Japanfan]

So you can't swim? Why don't you learn to swim?

 

[MR-FAN]

So you can't swim? Why don't you learn to swim?

I can swim, I want to tread water so I can chill in deep water without going anywhere

 

[antmanb]

I can swim, I want to tread water so I can chill in deep water without going anywhere

I would say that there is no "right way" to tread water - whatever you do to keep yourself up is correct - I do a sort of upright and slow doggy paddle to tread water and it seems to do the trick and conserve energy (should you need to tread water for non chill reasons).

But if i'm genuinely just chilling in open water I tend to float on my back which uses the least energy of all.

 

[MacMadame]

Haha! Not at all I want to be able to jump in open water without a life jacket and chill for like half an hour with confidence I won’t die

Then it doesn't matter what direction your legs are going. It would only matter if you were on a synchronized swimming team and had to match everyone else.

Plus, I agree with @antmanb. If the goal is stay in one place, floating on your back with some small skulling motions to keep you in place works much better.

 

[MR-FAN]

Awesome! Maybe I won’t change my technique then...

 

[kalamalka]

I agree with the others - for me, efficient treading water involves as little movement as possible, which is really very little, whereas egg beater is something I do for exercise, or to raise some of my upper body out of the water, or for fun alternative ways of moving through the water. I find that I can stay vertical with slow arm sculling and maybe the odd leg scissor - again slowly. Much less energy is required than what we were taught in swimming lessons many long years ago. The main thing is to practice and get comfortable with what works for your own body and swimming abilities - and try to reduce the amount of movement gradually.