How To Tread Water Efficiently for Beginners and Why This is a Life saving Skill
In this post, we will see the meaning of treading water in swimming. This is a skill that could save your life one day.
Most water sports have their own technical jargon or lingo. And so does swimming. So we ask: What is treading water in swimming?
Most likely, you are going to come across this term when you are learning how to swim on your own or with a trainer.
You might also come across information on how to tread water when you are learning survival swimming skills.
Treading water is the skill of floating almost vertically to keep your head out of the water so you can breathe. With your head out of the water, you can relax and think about your next move. Every swimmer should learn how to stay above the water.
Treading Water Techniques To Learn
There are not that many treading water techniques that you need to learn. It is just that—how to float in water vertically.
Once you have mastered that technique, you will feel so confident, and you can even swim in open water without anxiety.
Actually, when you know how to tread water, you find that you just float vertically without moving.
This is one of the most basic swimming techniques that can come in handy when you are in an emergency or when your energy is completely worn out.
But there is one thing that you need to learn. It is called the hand-sculling movement. Let’s find out below how to perfect it.
Vertical arm sculling
Also called vertical sculling, with this treading water technique, you need to keep your body facing downwards, stretch the arms ahead of you with elbows bent a bit, and keep your palms facing downward.
When your body stands vertically, you will have your hands raised upward to shoulder height with your palms facing forward. To move while treading water, you just push your arms forward and pull backward.
In this case, it might not be possible to know how to tread water without arms when you are a total beginner. With enough practice, though, you can do it.
Legwork in treading water while swimming
There is also some legwork involved when treading water as you swim.
Although water-treading in deep water does not require much movement, you still need to know what to do with your legs.
The first leg technique for treading water that you ought to know is the egg beater leg. The second leg technique is the flutter kick.
You can learn both techniques, but most of the time, you will favor the flutter kick if you love swimming using backstroke or front crawl techniques.
Likewise, you will find the egg beater style more convenient if you lose using the breaststroke swimming method.
Why is treading water important?
This is very important when performing rescue operations because you can stand vertically, even in deep water, and look around.
It also requires no energy since you will be stationary, therefore conserving your strength for the action ahead.
Knowing how to tread water is also so important when you are swimming in the open water. If you have been swimming against the current for some time, your energy levels will take a huge dip. In that case, you need to stop and rest. The best way to rest is to tread water.
You might also ask how long can tread water. Well, the truth is that treading water consumes calories. Therefore, experts recommend that you only employ this technique to look out for survivors, debris, and floating items.
Organizations such as the Red Cross include treading water for 60 seconds as an important skill in rescue swimming.
When you are learning how to swim, it is best that you learn how to tread water as part of the basics. It teaches in how to float in deep water without drowning.
But even when you are not swimming in deep water, you could still swallow water and therefore feel the need to pause and get some rest.
This is why we insist that everyone should know how to tread water.
Why tread water when you can float?
To reiterate, you need to know how to float in water in certain situations. For instance, when you are looking for survivors, you cannot look around when lying on your back or stomach in the water.
Treading water in swimming also helps when you want to activate a flotation device, such as an inflatable raft, in deep water. It can also help when you are helping someone wear a life jacket or other personal flotation device.
So yes, even though you can float like a pro, you still need to learn how to tread water. This helps in knowing how to stay afloat in deep water.
How to tread water for long periods of time
Well, if you are not in the Marines, rescue swimming, or sailing, you really should not mind about how to tread water for long periods.
Just to repeat what we said, treading water consumes energy. If you know where you are swimming, you need all of your energy to get there.
Thus, we suggest that you know how to tread water for a length of 60 seconds. That’s enough for you to catch your breath and study your surroundings.
In swimming, keeping your head above water (which is what you do when treading water) consumes plenty of energy.
If you know how to float in deep water without drowning, you just need to tread water for a short time.
How to get better at treading water
Now that you know the treading water benefits, you need to get better at this skill. It is a lifesaver, especially when you have swallowed water.
To get better at treading water, practice often. You also need to try different things, such as how to tread water with just legs, without using your arms.
Also, know all the other important swimming skills. These include knowing how to float on your back in water.
Better swimming skills will help you get better at swimming. If you have more skills, you feel more confident, and you can swim harder and longer.
Is treading water considered swimming?
You can learn how to tread water without knowing how to swim. At the same time, you can learn how to swim and never know how to tread water.
The same way that some people can never learn to float on water is the same way that some cannot learn how to tread water easily.
Treading water is not swimming exactly because it is about floating in the water in a vertical position. This means staying in the same position until rescue comes or until you regain your strength and continue swimming to the shore.
Thus, treading water is not swimming, but it is a part of swimming. The skill can come in handy when you are swimming in the ocean.
If you swim a bit far out, you can get too tired fast. If this happens, take a break right there in the water. You can do this by floating on your back or by treading water.
The difference between treading water and swimming
There is a difference between swimming and treading water. If you are floating in the water vertically, using your arms and legs to keep your vertical position, you are treading water.
If you are floating in the water horizontally, you are swimming. Even when you are snorkeling, you are basically swimming because you are using your legs to propel yourself in the water.
When you swim, you have to use your arms and your legs to move through the water, keep your balance, and stay on course.
When you are treading water, you can use both the arms and the legs at the same time. But you can also use the arms alone to keep you stable. You can also tread water without arms.
Treading water vs. swimming laps
In the past, we have looked at topics such as swimming 3 times a week results, and we saw that you can lose weight considerably.
Most people swim with a purpose. The objective is to lose weight for most, and for others, it is to tone their muscles.
This is why you might ask: What between treading water vs. swimming laps burns more calories? Both of these activities are great for losing weight.
Compared side by side, treading water can help you burn more calories than swimming laps. If you swim laps for 30 minutes, you can burn 250 calories.
Treading water for 30 minutes can help you burn up to 300 calories. Of course, this depends on several other factors. For instance, a person who is obese will burn more calories than a fitter person.
Fat is easier to burn than muscle. On the flip side, though, fitter people would have to fight harder to stay afloat because muscle does not float easily.
Generally, when treading water, you burn more calories because you are facing more resistance from the water than when you swim laps.
Conclusion
What is treading water in swimming, and why should you learn the skill? It is a lifesaver for you as well as for other people who might need your help.
Besides, you cannot say or think that you know how to swim if you do not know how to tread water while swimming.
Thus, the sooner you can learn it, the better. Also, practice your swimming skills and techniques more often.