History
Finswimming is a type of recreation and a competitive sport in which the swimmer uses a large fin for propulsion, allowing considerably greater speed than conventional swimming.
Evidently the first person to try swimming with fins was a French lieutenant, identified only as Collier, in 1927. Other officers must have been intrigued by the idea, because there were soon some swimming competitions on the Marne River among members of the French military.
The first indoor competition was reportedly held in 1936 in Padoise, France. However, there is no French town named Padoise. That may be a misprint for Pailloles or Pontoise, which are the only towns in the country with similar names.
Finswimming really didn't acquire any kind of popularity until 1967, when a new type of fin, a metal sheet containing a rubber membrane, was invented in the Soviet Union. The new fin, which was much more efficient than older versions, spurred more interest in the sport. At that time, a swimmer used two fins, one on each foot. During the early 1970s, the monofin was developed and its use spread rapidly. The modern monofin is made of plastic or fiberglass, with rubber foot pockets.
The first European finswimming championships were held in 1967. The sport is governed by the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS), founded in 1959. The national governing body in the United States is USA Fin Swimming, an affiliate of the Underwater Society of America (USOA).
The CMAS and the USOA also govern underwater hockey, underwater rugby, underwater orienteering, and spearfishing.
There are 85 member countries in the CMAS, but not all of them are active in finswimming.
The first world championships were staged in 1976. They have been held in every even-numbered year since 1990. Long-distance events were previously held in odd-numbered years but, beginning in 2006, they are now part of the world championship meet with the other surface events.
United States championships were held for only a brief period in the 1990s; they haven't taken place since 1998. Finswimming has been on the World Games program since 1976.
The top finswimming countries are China, France, Greece, Italy, and Russia. There are only three areas in the U. S. where any amount of finswimming takes place: Around San Francisco, Houston, and Providence, Rhode Island.
Finswimming Essentials
In addition to the monofin, the finswimmer uses a snorkel, made of plastic tubing and mounted on a brace that holds it above the forehead.
Finswimming is quite different in technique from ordinary swimming. All propulsion is done with the fins, using the legs and lower body in an undulating, up-and-down movement. The arms are placed together in front of the body and kept motionless to minimize water resistance.
There are three types of finswimming races: Surface, apnea, and immersion.
In surface racing, the swimmer kicks on the surface of the water and breathes through the snorkel. Some part of the swimmer's body must be above the surface at all times, except after turning, when the swimmer can remain underwater for 15 members.
In apnea racing, the swimmer kicks at or just under the surface and must keep the face in the water for the entire distance. (The word "apnea" comes from the Greek for "without breathing.")
In immersion racing, the swimmer stays completely underwater, breathing from a scuba tank and regulator.
Most finswimming is conducted in swimming pools. However, surface races of 3,000 meters and more are usually held in natural bodies of water.
The standard surface distances, for both men and women, are 50 meters, 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters, 1500 meters, and the 4 x 100-meter and 4 x 200-meter relays.
Apnea racing is conducted at only one distance, 50 meters. Immersion races are conducted over 100, 400, and 800 meters. Open water races range from 3,000 to 20,000 meters.