How to Tread Water: A Step-By-Step Guide from A Swim Coach
Danila Novikov
All-American swimmer and founder of NYC based swim school.
Have you ever struggled to stay afloat in the deep end, desperately trying to reach the bottom?
Hey, my name is Dan. I’m an all-American swimmer and the owner of a NYC-based swim school.
In this blog post, I will share all the essential techniques and game-changing tips to help you save energy and stay afloat in the deep water.
You'll learn:
If you are looking for the secrets of treading water effortlessly, this article is for you.
Let's dive in.
Hey, my name is Dan. I’m an all-American swimmer and the owner of a NYC-based swim school.
In this blog post, I will share all the essential techniques and game-changing tips to help you save energy and stay afloat in the deep water.
You'll learn:
- Treading water technique
- Wrong technique & mistakes to avoid
- Useful tips for treading water efficiently
If you are looking for the secrets of treading water effortlessly, this article is for you.
Let's dive in.
What is treading water?
If you're unfamiliar with treading water, let me explain it in simple terms. It's an important skill that allows you to keep your head above the water and
conserve energy in deep water.
This simple exercise can both prevent drowning and allow you to enjoy swimming in the deep water.
There are multiple methods for learning how to stay afloat in deep water, but I will show you my efficient method, which has been proven to be successful by many students who have gotten comfortable in deep water.
conserve energy in deep water.
This simple exercise can both prevent drowning and allow you to enjoy swimming in the deep water.
There are multiple methods for learning how to stay afloat in deep water, but I will show you my efficient method, which has been proven to be successful by many students who have gotten comfortable in deep water.
Learn to float before learning how to tread water
Before mastering the art of vertical swimming, I recommend learning back floating.
Back Floating gives you access to all of the air in the world. To conserve energy, you can easily switch between treading and back floating. Take a deep breath in and rest your arms and legs.
I have the video about how to learn back floating in 7 steps. Watch it now to learn this crucial water safety skill.
Let's start with this easy skill. I call it the drown-proof technique.
Take a deep inhale and put your face in the water. Position yourself vertically in the water as if sitting on a chair. Knees bend, arms extended in front. Start moving your feet as if you are pedaling your bicycle. Move the water by doing leg kicks. Keep both your arms in front of you inside the water. Stay in the water and practice pedaling for a few seconds.
Ok, well done. At some point, you have to come up and breathe.
We kept our arms inside the water extended in front so we could use them to leverage our heads out of the water and breathe. Press both of your arms down toward your hips. Once your head comes out of the water, take a quick breath and let gravity push you back inside. Continue pedaling with your legs until buoyancy pushes you back to the top.
Back Floating gives you access to all of the air in the world. To conserve energy, you can easily switch between treading and back floating. Take a deep breath in and rest your arms and legs.
I have the video about how to learn back floating in 7 steps. Watch it now to learn this crucial water safety skill.
Let's start with this easy skill. I call it the drown-proof technique.
Take a deep inhale and put your face in the water. Position yourself vertically in the water as if sitting on a chair. Knees bend, arms extended in front. Start moving your feet as if you are pedaling your bicycle. Move the water by doing leg kicks. Keep both your arms in front of you inside the water. Stay in the water and practice pedaling for a few seconds.
Ok, well done. At some point, you have to come up and breathe.
We kept our arms inside the water extended in front so we could use them to leverage our heads out of the water and breathe. Press both of your arms down toward your hips. Once your head comes out of the water, take a quick breath and let gravity push you back inside. Continue pedaling with your legs until buoyancy pushes you back to the top.
Treading water mistakes
Kicking too hard
Before mastering the art of vertical swimming, I recommend learning back floating.
Back floating gives you access to all of the air in the world. To conserve energy, you can easily switch between treading and back floating. Take a deep breath in and rest your arms and legs. I have the video about how to learn back floating in 7 steps. Watch it now to learn this crucial water safety skill.
Let's start with this easy skill. I call it the drown-proof technique.
Take a deep inhale and put your face in the water. Position yourself vertically in the water as if sitting on a chair. Knees bend, arms extended in front. Start moving your feet as if you are pedaling your bicycle. Move the water by doing leg kicks. Keep both your arms in front of you inside the water. Stay in the water and practice pedaling for a few seconds.
Ok, well done. At some point, you have to come up and breathe.
We kept our arms inside the water extended in front so we could use them to leverage our heads out of the water and breathe. Press both of your arms down toward your hips. Once your head comes out of the water, take a quick breath and let gravity push you back inside. Continue pedaling with your legs until buoyancy pushes you back to the top.
Back floating gives you access to all of the air in the world. To conserve energy, you can easily switch between treading and back floating. Take a deep breath in and rest your arms and legs. I have the video about how to learn back floating in 7 steps. Watch it now to learn this crucial water safety skill.
Let's start with this easy skill. I call it the drown-proof technique.
Take a deep inhale and put your face in the water. Position yourself vertically in the water as if sitting on a chair. Knees bend, arms extended in front. Start moving your feet as if you are pedaling your bicycle. Move the water by doing leg kicks. Keep both your arms in front of you inside the water. Stay in the water and practice pedaling for a few seconds.
Ok, well done. At some point, you have to come up and breathe.
We kept our arms inside the water extended in front so we could use them to leverage our heads out of the water and breathe. Press both of your arms down toward your hips. Once your head comes out of the water, take a quick breath and let gravity push you back inside. Continue pedaling with your legs until buoyancy pushes you back to the top.
Focus on your breathing technique
Make sure you exhale right before coming up for air, so you can properly inhale during the small time frame that pushes with the arms give you.
Don't worry if you drop deep after you come up for air. As long as you have the air in your lungs, the water will spit you out toward the surface.
Don't worry if you drop deep after you come up for air. As long as you have the air in your lungs, the water will spit you out toward the surface.
Learn to dog paddle
40-60 percent of your success depends on your arms. Make sure you master sculling to enjoy yourself in deep water with no stress.
Think of windshield wipers when moving your arms in the water. Move the water in and out with the help of your hands and forearms. On your way out, rotate your palms facing out with a 30-45 degree angle. Change the hand position on your way in.
You should always feel the water turn heavy inside your palm and forearm. Keep moving your arms and forearms to support your body afloat.
Think of windshield wipers when moving your arms in the water. Move the water in and out with the help of your hands and forearms. On your way out, rotate your palms facing out with a 30-45 degree angle. Change the hand position on your way in.
You should always feel the water turn heavy inside your palm and forearm. Keep moving your arms and forearms to support your body afloat.
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Focus on your hand movements
Don't move the water with your entire arm. Make sure your elbow joints are constantly opening and closing, like a door hinge.
Keep your hand movements narrow
Don't turn your palms too far in or out while treading the water; it will cause you to travel in the water instead of staying in the same spot.
Practice with a proper body position
Moving your legs and arms is essential, but positioning yourself in the water is the key to effortless water treading.
Position yourself in the water to look like you are sitting on a reclining chair. Lean back so your hips are further out than your torso. Keep your legs bent, relaxed, and slightly separated so you can easily kick the water with your feet. Your arms should stay on the same level as your hips to produce the sulling motion closer to your torso.
Position yourself in the water to look like you are sitting on a reclining chair. Lean back so your hips are further out than your torso. Keep your legs bent, relaxed, and slightly separated so you can easily kick the water with your feet. Your arms should stay on the same level as your hips to produce the sulling motion closer to your torso.
how to tread water
Stay close to the surface of the water
The closer you are to the surface, the easier it is to support yourself. Allow your chin to stay close to the surface for the most effortless treading position.
Don't try to stay too high above the surface, as it would take a lot of energy from you, and you wouldn't be able to last long this way.
Don't try to stay too high above the surface, as it would take a lot of energy from you, and you wouldn't be able to last long this way.
BONUS TIPS
Practice breathing techniques
Breathing plays a significant role in successful treading-water techniques. Let me show you why it is so important.
If I have air inside my lungs, it helps my body be more buoyant and keeps me on the surface while treading the water. I would begin to sink once I released all the air from my lungs. Make sure you always have air inside your lungs.
If I have air inside my lungs, it helps my body be more buoyant and keeps me on the surface while treading the water. I would begin to sink once I released all the air from my lungs. Make sure you always have air inside your lungs.
Breathing tips
Inhale with your mouth. It helps you to breathe deeper and keeps the water away from your nose.
Release the air slowly when exhaling to make sure you don't sink. Consider using your nose to exhale.
To combine everything effortlessly, learn to stay afloat by leaning back in the water as if you're almost floating on your back.
Continuously scull the water with your arms, and slowly take your feet off the floor. The back of your head should be in the water while you look up. Move your arms closer to your hips, lightly paddle with your feet, and keep breathing.
Release the air slowly when exhaling to make sure you don't sink. Consider using your nose to exhale.
To combine everything effortlessly, learn to stay afloat by leaning back in the water as if you're almost floating on your back.
Continuously scull the water with your arms, and slowly take your feet off the floor. The back of your head should be in the water while you look up. Move your arms closer to your hips, lightly paddle with your feet, and keep breathing.
Keep arm & leg movements going
Inhale with your mouth. It helps you to breathe deeper and keeps the water away from your nose.
Release the air slowly when exhaling to make sure you don't sink. Consider using your nose to exhale.
To combine everything effortlessly, learn to stay afloat by leaning back in the water as if you're almost floating on your back.
Continuously scull the water with your arms, and slowly take your feet off the floor. The back of your head should be in the water while you look up. Move your arms closer to your hips, lightly paddle with your feet, and keep breathing.
Release the air slowly when exhaling to make sure you don't sink. Consider using your nose to exhale.
To combine everything effortlessly, learn to stay afloat by leaning back in the water as if you're almost floating on your back.
Continuously scull the water with your arms, and slowly take your feet off the floor. The back of your head should be in the water while you look up. Move your arms closer to your hips, lightly paddle with your feet, and keep breathing.
Arm movements technique tips
Do not point your fingers down while treading the water, as this causes you to move the water with your wrist instead of using the entire palm and forearm.
Don't be surprised if your arms get exhausted fast. Treading takes a lot of energy at first. Keep practicing, and you'll get better over time.
If you want to rest, consider stopping your arms and letting your face go under the water. You can stay near the surface without moving your arms or legs while resting. When you are ready to get your face out of the water again, continue moving your arms.
Stay relaxed while treading water. Tight muscles make it harder to float and waste your energy for no reason.
Don't be surprised if your arms get exhausted fast. Treading takes a lot of energy at first. Keep practicing, and you'll get better over time.
If you want to rest, consider stopping your arms and letting your face go under the water. You can stay near the surface without moving your arms or legs while resting. When you are ready to get your face out of the water again, continue moving your arms.
Stay relaxed while treading water. Tight muscles make it harder to float and waste your energy for no reason.
