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'Underwater bicycle' propels swimmers forward at superhuman speed

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Re: 'Underwater bicycle' propels swimmers forward at superhuman speed

#81

Post by Broken_Hippo »

uncertainrhymes wrote: post #35

I swim because I enjoy it, not because I'm trying to get somewhere fast. This seems awkward and I bet you have to use your arms just to counterbalance the twist you'd get on each 'stroke' of the leg. So even though I think it's goofy, I bet I'd like whoever came up with this. Someone who put a ton of effort into building something they thought would be interesting despite a thousand people telling them it's goofy. Go…

My favorite way to swim is with those flippers - because I go fast.

Going fast doesnt mean not enjoying it.

Re: 'Underwater bicycle' propels swimmers forward at superhuman speed

#83

Post by wood_spirit »

It’s obscure but there was such a contraption trialled by the seals and cia in the 1950s http://www.hisutton.com/CIA_Water-Air_1958.html

Here’s a pedal powered smuggling submarine from the 1940s http://www.hisutton.com/Swiss-Pedal-Powered-Smuggling-Submar...

Re: 'Underwater bicycle' propels swimmers forward at superhuman speed

#88

Post by DrammBA »

uncertainrhymes wrote: post #76
gklitz wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I swim because I enjoy it, not because I'm trying to get somewhere fast. I run because I enjoy it, not because I’m trying to get somewhere fast. But I also bike because I enjoy it, not because I’m trying to get somewhere fast. You seem to assume that because this thing is faster, it must automatically be less enjoyable. That’s not the case for bikes, why should it be the case here? In my opinion it sounds fun, and…

That's a fair point. My (untested) assumption would be that it would be cumbersome and weird, and I wouldn't be 'swimming'. If I were to guess at their motivations, it might be 'what could make me go faster in the water and also be enjoyable'? I'd try it out of curiosity, sure, but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't last beyond the novelty for me.

Biking is definitely cumbersome and weird at the beginning, and it wouldn't be considered "running" by any stretch of the imagination.

Re: 'Underwater bicycle' propels swimmers forward at superhuman speed

#89

Post by xhkkffbf »

cassianoleal wrote: post #72
danielvaughn wrote: post #24

At first glance, the idea of clip-ons in the water seems quite dangerous.

Especially clipping your feet to a bouyant device!

Better than clipping them to a non-buoyant device. Or worse, the classic cement overshoes.

Re: 'Underwater bicycle' propels swimmers forward at superhuman speed

#90

Post by iambateman »

sandworm101 wrote: post #62
willcipriano wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps the question must be then is Michael Phelps (or whoever) faster on it? If he or someone else breaks the record with it, he's going beyond human level speed. Until then this may only have the potential to do so. I imagine the first bikes were slower than the top runners of the time? I see potential for the idea.

>> is Michael Phelps (or whoever) faster on it? Nope. He would be horrible with this device. That would be like asking a champion sprinter to compete in a wheelchair race. He would be using totally different muscles, legs rather than arms, and get schooled by most everyone with a longer history. A champion bicycle rider would do better on this contraption than any champion swimmer. (Due to water's density, champion s…

TBH I think Michael Phelps would do just fine with this. :D
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