Cramp on every dive!

[aqua0]

I used to have a set of Oceanic V-Drives. I loved everything about them. Well, everything except that no one could keep up with me, or if they did, they'd be way lower on wind than me and that by the end of the season, I'd have legs like a russian shot putt thrower

[Polyphemus]

iv got size 14 feet and legs like elephant feet, when I had to change to beaver assault fins with my new dry suit, my legs took a while to get used to having heavy hard fins. popping down the dive club pool and swimming for an hour a week with the fins on, intervals...so frog kicking, really stretching the legs out, to doing that royal marine swim thing where your on your side with one arm stretched out and your mouth out the water while you fin for England sprinting down the pool. then have a good stretch when you get out. Had no bother diving since.

[Damian1]

Thanks for all the replys chaps. I eat a bannana mid morning everyday. My finning tecnique is mostly frog kicks. I have my legs slightly bent up. I want to keep paddle fins if possible as I now dive with a twinsett and am doing my adv nitrox and deco course. I find it dificult to frog kick and swim backwards in splits. Any one know weather the scubapro nova fins are amy good?

Cheers

Damian

[nigelH]

Why do you think booties helped?

Huh? I'm a physicist not a biologist.

I make a change and a problem goes away.
I notice things like that. It was a very distinct 'most dives' to 'never' type change.

[mermaid379]

Not only potassium helps...lack of magnesium plays a huge part in getting cramp.It's another mineral salt your body needs,and you can get a bit short of it. Try some magnesium tablets for a month ,you get them at a health store and are cheap.

It may also be a residual tension in the hamstring which may not be noticeable on everyday movement but is brought to the fore by finning.
Have a massage treatment on it and you will probably be surprised at what they find!! But go to a remedial/sports massage therapist.

If it exactly the same place every time it probably is a problem in the muscle otherwise the cramp would be more general.

[Divingminxsy]

Split fins

[Ding Dang Doo]

Thanks for that. Forgot to mention that I use mares avanti quatro fins.

Same ones that I suffered with...

[Damian1]

I always thought fins would give you cramp in the calf not the hamstrings. Am I wrong?

[Paulus]

I've had a similar problem for years. Never in a dry suit in cold water though. Only ever in a wetsuit with full lenghth legs.

I assume it to be something to do with restricted circulation caused by the wetsuit. I'm fit and until recently a regular runner and ex cyclist. I don't think muscle tone is the problem.

What I have found is that by using a frog style kick instead of a conventional up down stroke I can avoid the cramp completely.

On my last dive I intentionally reverted to a conventional kick and within a few strokes I could feel the tell tale twinge of a cramp in my right calf. Back on frog kick and it immediately eased.

So I don't know why it happens but I know how to avoid it.

Paul

[Foggy]

try:-

http://www.divefitness.com/html/arti..._pdfs/EAMC.pdf

-Paul