Home › Artistic Swimming – Stage 9
Tuck Sink and Surface
Sink slowly in a tuck, then open and surface in a chosen position – practising controlled underwater shapes and graceful surfacing.
- Stages
- Artistic Swimming – Stage 9, Artistic Swimming – Stage 10
- Difficulty
- Developing
- Skills
- Submersion, Body Positions, Transitions
- Equipment
- None
- Age
- 8–99 years
- Group size
- 1–10 swimmers
- Time
- About 4 minutes
- In a lesson
- Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Short submersion only; deep enough water and space around; teacher watches every surfacing.
What it develops
- Controlled submersion and surfacing
- Surface presentation
How to run it
- From a tuck at the surface, breathe out gently and let the body sink slightly.
- Hold the tuck for a brief moment below the surface.
- Extend and rise to the surface into a back layout, finishing face up.
- Progress: surface into a front layout or side layout as called.
Teaching cues
- Calm and slow.
- Tight tuck.
- Rise smoothly, face to the ceiling.
Make it easier
- Stay at the surface and just dip the head.
Make it harder
- Surface with arms moving into a presentation pose.
Common faults
- Rushing up with lots of splash.
- Losing the tuck shape.
Corrections
- 'Slow motion.'
- 'Lead with your chest as you rise.'
Assistant / L1 role
- Watch your side of the group surface and raise a hand immediately if a swimmer stays under longer than the others.