Does swimming up equal swimming horizontally?

i think that there is another factor here to consider.

as we dive vertically or ascend there is a total body bouancy and total body weighted (how much weight you are wearing) this results in no physical compensation for the distribution of the weight and bouancy (it is all oriented in a straight line)

when swimming horizontally, there are different area of your body that are differently weighted (hence the need for neck weights or ankle weights). As such, i feel like there is more stabilizing that has to happen and thus more exertion that happens when swimming horizontally.

if one is able to find a perfect weight that included being balanced horizontally, there would have to be weights on the legs and arms and that would make the swimming harder.

just my thoughts

Quote from LunkerBuster

i think that there is another factor here to consider.

as we dive vertically or ascend there is a total body buoyancy and total body weighted (how much weight you are wearing) this results in no physical compensation for the distribution of the weight and buoyancy (it is all oriented in a straight line)

when swimming horizontally, there are different area of your body that are differently weighted (hence the need for neck weights or ankle weights). As such, i feel like there is more stabilizing that has to happen and thus more exertion that happens when swimming horizontally.

if one is able to find a perfect weight that included being balanced horizontally, there would have to be weights on the legs and arms and that would make the swimming harder.

just my thoughts

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I don't get the weight on arms and legs for swimming horizontally. The majority of our buoyancy is the balloon in our chest.

Quote from pargo

If you're weighed correctly does swimming back to the surface from depth require the same effort as swimming underwater horizontally?

I'm thinking if there is a difference then it's very small. As such once you get to the glide, which is fairly quickly, you're getting a free ride in terms of air consumption. Why is it then that depth is so important to some freedivers? Isn't underwater distance swimming more challenging and at the same time free of the danger element? It's not like the depth motivated freedivers are going down there to see something, all they see is the rope.

I don't think the difference is that small.....If I understand correctly you are saying that swimming horizontally is the same as swimming from the bottom up. Depending how deep you are you have to kick quite a bit to get pass the negative buoyancy and gravitational pull on the negative weight. It is only when you are within 15-20 feet of the surface that you become positively buoyant and sort of float to the surface. In my opinion swimming horizontally underwater with neutral buoyancy is much easier. I think the reason why depth is so important to freedivers is because they get to measure everything that goes with freediving against others. Things such as physical conditioning, stamina, oxygen consumption, CO2 tolerance, and concentration among other factors. Just my 2 cents.

Quote from Toledo970

I don't get the weight on arms and legs for swimming horizontally. The majority of our buoyancy is the balloon in our chest.

i agree, but there is still a tangible amount...have you ever tried to stay still horizontally? i always either plane up or down...

My legs have always sank considerably more than my torso. I do understand that we are all different though. I use to be negative in freshwater, when younger.