Introduction

Treading water is an important survival skill

It is especially useful for supporting the head above water.
The most efficient method of treading water is performed by the eggbeater leg action combined with horizontal arm sculling.
The eggbeater leg action can provide great vertical lift.
This quality is essential in deep-water rescue.
For resuscitation and smooth towing of suspected neck injury victims.

Objective

At the end of the lesson, the student should be able tread water using an effective eggbeater kick without using the hands and keeping the hands dry from water.

How to do it

Learner must be able to perform effective breaststroke leg action before eggbeater kick is attempted. Basic action of the leg action is an alternating breaststroke leg action, with one foot moving clockwise and one anti-clockwise.
Swimmer should sit in the water, back straight and the thigh almost parallel to the water surface.
Legs drive alternatively in a circular pattern towards the mid line of the body with rotation about knees.
As one leg drives the other recovers.
In order to travel, the leg and body positions are altered slightly to allow the feet to drive downwards and in a direction opposite to the line of travel.
The propulsion is provided from the inside of the foot and lower leg.

Conclusion

The eggbeater kick is performed by alternating the breaststroke kick. As one leg kicks, the other recovers. Leg kicking is to be in a circular pattern towards the mid line of the body with rotation about knees. Regulate the strength of the kicks to provide more balance and stability.