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Swimming underwater is faster than swimming on the surface
Posted by Xeno on June 6, 2012
It is a misconception that the higher you are in the water, the faster you can swim. On the contrary, the highest speeds are reached by swimming completely submerged, because this allows for more efficient transfer of momentum to the water (which creates forward thrust according to Newton’s third law), and because less energy is wasted splashing water.
- Hans Starnberg, Department of Physics Gothenburg University SwedenTurbulence at the surface of the water increases drag and slows swimmers down. Trained swimmers know that swimming underwater is faster than swimming at the surface.
In all the different types of competition stroke, from Olympic level down to club level and at all distances, the number of underwater strokes is strictly limited (especially at the turn) for this very reason. Competitors are disqualified and records annulled if they break the rules.
- Kevin Dixon-jackson, Eccles Lancashire
Evidence:
Hill Taylor stunned the crowd at a university event by completing the 50m backstroke in an astonishing 23.1 seconds – almost a second faster than the world record.
Sam said
I have known this practically forever. For whatever odd reason, I first learned to swim underwater, not on the top, and when I got to high school and they made me learn to swim on the top. I remember feeling like it just didn’t work as well. (Of course, when you’re in high school, you have this attitude about everything: “They just want you to fit a mold, they can’t stand it if you can do something better, blah, blah, blah.” Ah, youth.)
Xeno said
You were right. I didn’t believe it until I saw the video and read more details.
Cheng said
The same reason that submarines are more efficient than surface ships.