Alright so today I wanna talk about this diving arch thingy I finally got working in my pool. Saw some video online about it making your starts and turns way better, sounded cool, so I figured why not try it?
Actually Getting the Darn Thing
First big headache? Finding one that wasn’t crazy expensive. I mean seriously, some companies ask for basically a down payment on a car for a curved metal bar! Shopped around for ages, comparing prices like a hawk. Almost gave up cause it felt like daylight robbery. Settled on this one mid-range arch online – still made me wince when I hit checkout.
Waited a week, feeling antsy. Box finally shows up. Wrestling that thing outta the packaging felt like trying to tame an octopus. Big, awkward, plastic wrapping everywhere. Honestly considered just stuffing it back in and returning it. But hey, money spent.
The “Simple” Setup that Wasn’t
The manual made it look stupid easy. Like four steps, maybe five minutes. Hah! Yeah, right. Lesson number one: figure out EXACTLY where you want it BEFORE you even touch the water. I didn’t.
Dragged the arch pieces poolside, splashed around in the shallow end for half an hour trying different spots near the wall. Too close? Too far? Was driving me nuts. Finally nailed down a spot about a meter out from the wall where it felt about right for diving under.
Next nightmare: attaching the darn suction cups. Man, those things are temperamental! Instructions said “press firmly”. I pressed like my life depended on it. Still slid right off the tile. Dried the pool tiles with a towel – nothing. Wet them slightly? Nada. Was ready to throw the whole arch in the trash.
Found some ancient trick online about licking the suction cups. Sounds gross, but honestly? That desperate hour I was ready to try anything. Coughed up, gave it a shot. Pressed HARD again. Click! FINALLY stuck. Thank you, weird internet stranger!
Felt like assembling some cheap furniture after that. Slotting the sections together took some wiggling and more grumbling. Finally got the whole curved thing standing proud above the water. Tugged it. It held! Little victory dance right there poolside.
Okay, Time to Actually Use It
First dive under? Pure magic! It’s so different. That feeling of gliding under that physical barrier really forces you to streamline like crazy. No choice but to be tight and arrow-like. Did a bunch of starts:
- Exploded off the wall
- Grabbed that streamline immediately
- Pushed myself under the arch instead of up towards it
Took some practice not to whack my head! But the benefit is instant. Teaches you to get deep quick and stay under longer – exactly what you need for a fast turn or start.
Worked on flip turns too. Kicking hard into the wall, flipping, and aiming that push-off straight down, under the arch. Felt smoother, less resistance cutting through the water compared to popping up early.
What I Learned the Hard Way (So You Don’t Have To)
- Suction Cups are Evil: Licking them. Sounds crazy. Worked. Keep the tiles clean and try different suction cup angles.
- Measure Twice, Stick Once: Dry run the position WITH the wall BEFORE adding water or suction. Way less frustration.
- Deep is Good: Don’t try to dive just under the bar. Aim DEEP, like you’re tunneling under it. Forces that good streamline.
- Be Patient: First few tries felt awkward. Stick with it for a session or two. It clicks.
Overall? Pain to set up? Yeah, kinda. Worth it? Absolutely. If you wanna sharpen your underwater game, especially off the walls, this thing forces you into good habits. Feels way closer to pushing off from the bottom of a deep competition pool than just swimming into a wall.