World Swim: What is Finswimming?

Finswimming is the progression of a swimmer using fins either on the water surface or underwater, using only muscle strength. It is a discipline of underwater sports. The competition distances are same as for swimming (50 m, 100 m, 200 m, 400 m, 800 m, 1500 m, 4x100 m and 4x200 m relays). Continental and World Championships are organized by CMAS.

There are three disciplines in finswimming (international events)

* Surface: 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500, 4X100 and 4X200 relay (meters)
* Apnea: 50 (meters)
* Immersion: 100, 400, 800 (meters)

In the United States, competitions are also held in the above events, in addition to the following events in 25 yard pools.

* Surface: 25, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 1650: 200, 400, and 800 relays (yards)
* Apnea: 25, 50; 200 relay (yards)
* Immersion: 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000 (yards)

Surface racing is kicking on the surface, where breathing is allowed. Apnea racing is kicking under or at the surface with no breathing allowed. Immersion racing is kicking underwater while breathing off of a scuba tank and regulator.

It is a fairly undeveloped sport around the world; Russia, China, France, Greece and Italy are the main players. In the United States it is very small but gaining competitors.

The major areas of finswimming the United States include California (around San Francisco, which is the location of the national headquarters for USA Fin Swimming), Texas (Houston, including the suburbs of Pasadena and Deer Park), Rhode Island (around Providence), and scattered individuals in Florida. The United States has competed at the World Championships sporadically since the early 1980s, achieving very limited success on the international scene.

A few competitions are held in the United States, with the last US National Championships being held in California in 1998. Texas hosts three to four meets a year, with participation consisting of Texas finswimmers and those from other countries who live in the southeast Texas area and still train and compete in the sport. They have hosted the majority of the finswimming competitions in the USA for the past 6-8 years. The World Scholar-Athlete Games and the United States Scholar-Athlete Games at the University of Rhode Island have included finswimming competition as a part of their Games program since 1999.

The sport is growing in the United States with scattered pockets around the country popping up. However Texas leads the country in the number of finswimmers and competitions.

Most finswimming training outside of Texas and California consists of cross training for swimming.

The sport will continue to develop and move forward as more swimmers become involved and knowledgeable about the benefits of training with monofins.

Text Source: Wikipedia