Frog Kick: How to Master doing the Scuba Frog Kick

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The frog kick is the kick which is best used for most of the diving we do. The frog kick resembles the kick a breaststroke swimmer uses. If you have ever seen a frog moving in the water, you’ll know why this kick is named after our amphibian friend. What makes the frog kick the best kick for most of our diving is that it has a rest phase built in. In other words after kicking there is a recovery phase, where you just glide, move forward without effort while preparing to kick once more. For most people this kick will consume less gas. This is also a great kick because many times the glide phase of the kick can be prolonged, as you just hover and checkout the reef, or whatever you are looking at, and then kick again to move forward once more.

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Rating: 4.63

36 Comments
  1. starbuggle says

    Re: all the comments about this being the "wrong" frog kick. It isn't wrong, but if you try to learn the back kick as a "reverse frog kick" using this particular frog kick as a starting point, it will be a rather awkward back kick.

    The "tech" frog kick isn't exclusively a tech diving kick, and its use has plenty of merits in open water, even by recreational divers. Not all dives are done in the blue with no features. We encounter boulders, tight channels, swimthrus, all of which require some diver maneuverability, and it is better for everyone when divers can comfortably move through these passages without hitting things (or lionfish!) or kicking up sand. And the best way to be comfortable with that is to simply make a habit of keeping the thighs horizontal as much as possible.

  2. camo man says

    This was the dumbest video Ive seen this year.

  3. cajieb says

    Excellent demo. I just completed my certification but had only learned the flutter kick till now. I was looking for tutorial on how to do the frog kick and yours is perfect!

  4. rosco1pug says

    seems to me that the presenter, without spelling it out, is exaggerating the movement so we can analyse it and better understand what's going on. In practice you quickly 'read' what is optimal in terms of degree of movement. I got a lot from this video.

  5. dharmapunk5 says

    Thanks for the video. I've not mastered the frog kick yet. The visual was helpful, we didn't really go over kicks too much in my pool/and open water sessions.

  6. Dirty Blond says

    Cannot fathom this method conserving more energy over the flutter kick.

  7. hydronauta says

    this is not mastering in frog kick. you load too much your knees.

  8. proliteboss says

    NIce video and easy to understand. People make it too complicated to explain this and your reference to breast stroke makes it so easy to explain. I find emphasising the push part to allow you to glide linked to your visual demonstration is a great way to show people.

  9. Musical Gear says

    Hmmm…dunno bout this…I get there are various ways but his seemed a bit unorthodox. Hey but whatever works best for you per each individual situation.

  10. Chatting with Mark Stise says

    Nice video

  11. Mykola Dolgalov says

    Technical divers do the frog kick differently – they do not move the upper leg at all, no major movements of the knees, they bring the fins up, the lower legs 90 degrees to the surface and then kick. You (the guy in the video) bend your knees and you bring them down every time, you move your knees far down – if you're close to the bottom, you're gonna kick the bottom with your knees. Look for videos by real tecdivers.

  12. Wild Eye Studios says

    Frog kick is clearly more efficient but i dont bend the knees that much. Also for each person its different depending on the flexibility and leg strengh that you have. My legs are pretty much straight all the time and i play with the ankles to have the fins properly oriented all time. Also sometimes i mix both techniques, it must have a name but i dont know it

  13. free tv says

    That has to be the most stupid and least efficient method of trying to move through the water. Fins are designed to "flutter kick." If you find you need to rest, you probably are not in good enough physical shape to scuba dive, or you have been trying to move much too fast for too long. In either case, flutter kick as that kick is what fins are designed for, and just rest if you need to.

  14. Young360 says

    i totally need this video. i am just learning to dive and hopefully i will be more stable to take great videos while diving 🙂

  15. Capt Eric Bergeron says

    Nice video, thumbs up from us and cheers from sunny IGY Simpson Bay Marina, Sint Maarten in the Caribbean.

  16. Geraldina Franco says

    Great video, is there a great scuba fin that you can recommend that won't need to be replaced so soon. For scuba diving. Thank you and have a pleasant day.

  17. SeikiBrian says

    The kick shown may SEEM to be "efficient," but it really isn't necessarily so. I think that with fins like Jet Fins or Seawings, a slow flutter kick will actually give you more distance travelled per unit of air used, which is the measure of efficiency.

  18. Germain Bernier says

    Simple court précis et bonne démonstration

  19. Guy deVoghel says

    can you give the reference of a good frog kick video for teaching purpose? Thanks

  20. tlig says

    +Nate Sweet I think they either are Scubapro Jet Fins orXS Turtle Fins.

  21. IRA R says

    hey there, your intention is good and your video very nicely shot, however the movement of the thighs must be reduced to minimum and the knees not be brought in, nor allowed to drop as you show. the diving frog kick doesn't resemble a breast stroke kick, the feet must not come in, they must stay back and up to prevent countering the forward movement. if you bring them in and down, you actually push water forward = you brake, and you don't want to do that. suggest you have a look at the relevant gue/utd videos demonstrating the correct technique… disclaimer: absolutely no offence meant, this is just a friendly input, and i sincerely hope that you will take it as such… rgds

  22. Nate Sweet says

    Hi, what kind of fins are you using in the video? Thanks!

  23. TheManunderwater says

    Had a hip replaced a couple of years ago and my surgeon told me to be careful with the normal breaststroke kick – and this look like the pivot at the hips is more extreme.  What are your thoughts?

  24. J J Hernandez says

    Time to schedule another dive trip….

  25. Casey Mongillo says

    Wonderful video, thank you for the tip!! 🙂

  26. Randy Tay says

    You are dropping your knees too much and theres too much thigh movements.

  27. T J says

    Very nice tutorial. Thank you very much.

  28. A tann says

    What kind of BCD are you using in this video? 

  29. Ben Cadge says

    +MrNotebookguy Why specifically a non-smoker out of interest?

  30. Lee Haynes says

    Hi Jose

    I recently had a go at the frog kick, struggled with it, but eventually I got some movement, it needs more practice, and I will continue to try this kick

    Great video

    Lee

  31. MrNotebookguy says

    "simplyscuba" they are in Kent.
    If I were living in the UK and non-smoker I would definetly get trained with the GUE UK.

  32. duarfulz says

    scubastore,com, great prices!

  33. THELONGHOSEcom says

    True…It would be more effective if your knees wouldn't drop, but great job!

  34. TUBZ Attwood says

    I want to start diving where can I buy all the equipment and a prescription mask in the uk

  35. TUBZ Attwood says

    Ok thanks

  36. MrNotebookguy says

    No you can''t you definetly musn't do it.
    Becasuse of many reasons that DAN (diver alert network) states.
    Best option is having prescription glasses for your mask.
    Yes it is expensive but everyone does it this way

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