Duck Dive Like a Pro: Tips for Freedivers

In freediving, we start our dives with a duck dive technique, a fundamental freediving skill that helps us transition from the surface to underwater efficiently. This essential underwater diving skill ensures a smooth descent, positions us optimally for the dive, and sets us off in the right direction with minimal energy loss.

Perfecting your freediving entry technique can take time and practice. It’s not as effortless as the pros make it look, but with patience and the right approach, it becomes second nature.

To help you master this freediving preparation step, we’ve created a comprehensive guide on how to perform a proper surface dive, as well as tips to streamline your movement and avoid common pitfalls, such as improper weighting or missed equalization.

Ready to dive in and perfect your duck dive?

What is a duck dive?

The duck dive is a foundational freediving technique that allows divers to transition seamlessly from the surface to underwater. The process involves lowering your head beneath the water, lifting your legs straight up, and using their weight to propel your body downward. To add extra momentum, your arms can be used to pull yourself deeper, making this an efficient and streamlined entry.

This technique is an essential freediving skill used at the start of most dives, with the exception of the free immersion discipline, where divers rely on a rope to descend by pulling themselves downward. For recreational freediving, mastering the duck dive entry is crucial for achieving a smooth and energy-efficient descent, making it a must-have skill for any freediver.

Why is it called duck dive?

It is called a duck dive because it mimics how ducks tip upside-down in the water to catch fish or forage for food. A duck dives underwater by first putting its head under the water and then following with its body.

Their lower body weight is enough to push the duck underwater, and then they will use their feet to paddle downwards. This is very similar to the duck dive in freediving, where we first lower the head and upper body and then lift the lower part of the body to push us under the water.

What is the proper duck dive technique for freediving?

Perfecting the duck dive can take time and practice, most beginners struggle to achieve an efficient duck dive immediately.

To duck dive properly, you should start flat on the surface with your face in the water looking down. When you are ready to dive, you can take your last breath, remove your snorkel, and make a couple of kicks on each leg to make sure that your legs are on the surface to start the duck dive (some people’s legs sink down a little when they aren’t being moved).

remove your snorkel before starting the duck dive

Next, tip your upper body downwards so that your body is at a 90-degree angle (legs still horizontal on the surface). Then, lift your legs straight up into the air together, making sure your toes are pointed to keep your fins pointed straight up (this will make them go into the water in a streamlined way).

freediver starts diving - keep your body straight

Once your legs are up and your body position is horizontal, with your head leading the way, you can use your arms to pull you under the water faster. For the most streamlined approach, you should pull your arms down in front of you (instead of at the side like in breaststroke).

After the tips of your fins have been submerged, you can start kicking to keep you going downwards, bring one arm down to your side and keep the other at your nose to equalize as you get deeper, or, if you are using a nose clip, bring both hands by your sides or straight above your head with hands together to stay streamlined.

Diver start kicking when his fins underwater

If you are using your hand to equalize your ears, it is very important to incorporate equalization into this process.

The first few feet of the dive are the most important to make sure you are not straining your ears, and it is usually the part where people do not equalize regularly enough because they are distracted by doing the duck dive. This can lead to ear barotrauma or a ruptured eardrum, so to keep your ears safe, you need to equalize before lowering your head down.

Check that your ears are clearing fine while you are lying on the surface. Then, you can lower the head. You will need to equalize again at this point, so you probably want to keep your hand next to your nose through the whole process.

When you lift your legs, equalize again before moving your hands to make the pull.

Once you’ve used your arms to pull, bring your hand straight back to your face to equalize repeatedly every couple of feet or as needed. You want to make sure you are equalizing well before any pain occurs.

If you feel you are straining your ears too much during the pull, you can try pulling with just one arm and keeping the other hand on your nose to equalize more. You should be able to get enough power from one arm pull to get you under the water.

The last thing to remember for achieving the perfect duck dive is to keep your chin tucked and look straight ahead. Instead of looking “up” into the depths by stretching your neck, which can disorient you and make it harder to equalize, as you can’t bring the air up into the throat as easily.

It could even lead to a trachea squeeze as you get deeper, so make sure to look straightforward.

Tips to perfect your duck diving

There are a few ways to make your duck dive really efficient to save energy for the dive and start you off in the correct position:

Make sure you have the correct weight on your weight belt: You want to be heavy enough to make getting under the water easily, but not too much that you can’t float on the surface (this is important for safety). Read My weight yourself for freediving article that can help you perfect your weighting.
Practice makes perfect: Head to the shallows just to practice your duck dives over and over.
Ask a friend to film you practicing your duck dives: Then you can look over your technique and see what needs tweaking. Then try again until it’s perfect.

Pro Tip: To conserve energy, focus on minimizing splash during your leg lift. A smooth entry not only saves oxygen but also helps maintain your position on the dive line.

Common mistakes when duck diving

Here are the most common mistakes people make during a duck dive, so you know what to avoid when perfecting yours:

Kicking too early: You need to submerge your fins before you kick. This will allow you to start the dive in a streamlined position and avoid splashing around on the surface.
Not equalizing enough: As we discussed before, missing an equalization can ruin your dive. Make sure to equalize on the surface and then throughout the duck dive. Do not wait until you are a few feet underwater; this is too late.
Not heading horizontally down: When you start kicking downwards, it’s easy to mistake your body’s position, and you might head down in a diagonal direction instead of straight down. To ensure you are heading down horizontally, provide your body at a 90-degree angle before you bring your legs up.
Trying to look down: Looking down in the direction you’re going will stretch the neck and make it harder to equalize, and it might even lead to a trachea squeeze. Remember to tuck your chin and look straight ahead on the way down.

What the Pros Do Differently: Experienced freedivers always prioritize smooth transitions and ensure their fins are perfectly aligned before kicking. They also practice mindfulness, visualizing the dive to improve focus.

Common questions about duck diving

Learning to duck dive efficiently can take a little practice but it is usually quite easy to learn. Practice makes perfect!

The duck dive sets the precedent for the rest of the dive. A smooth duck dive will put you in the best position for your dive and allow the dive to start in an easy way. An improper duck dive can disorient you, put you in the wrong position for the line or where you want to go, and will use up precious oxygen that you want to save.

In freediving, we try not to stretch the neck by pointing the head to look down in the water. This is because stretching the neck underwater can cause a trachea squeeze. Another reason why it’s important to look ahead is because it is a much easier position to equalize the ears. Stretching the neck makes it harder for air to be transferred from the lungs to the throat in order to equalize successfully.

Duck diving with a nose clip is easier than with a mask, this is because you do not need to keep bringing your hand to your nose to equalize your ears, as the nose clip permanently shuts your nose, and you can use both of your arms to pull you under and complete the duck dive while using less energy.

Practice is key! Focus on streamlining your movements, equalizing early and often, and ensuring your weight belt is balanced properly. Recording your dives can also help you spot areas for improvement.

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