Swim Advice Needed!

It's pretty much what Rooster says.  You probably have a body position issue but other things could also be contributing.  ie. non-propulsive kick and/or scissor-kicking.  The pull buoy will raise your hips and keep your feet closer together so your streamline and body position will be enhanced.  

How fast do you kick a 25 yards?  30secs?, 40secs?, longer? Propulsion/ankle flexibility issue.

Is your rear near the surface when you're swimming without a pull buoy? Body position issue

Have you taken a video of your swim to see if you have a scissor kick issue when you breathe?  Do you keep your kicks pretty tight? Streamline/drag issue

If you have issues with any of the above, the pull buoy will mask the problem a bit.  

Hey Greg,

With all possible respect, I still vehemently disagree with the premise of the following statement from your website - 

"For example, when selecting a technique instructor, it may be wise to avoid one that has swum fast since early childhood. Because the important thing for you as a new swimmer is not to just find a super fast swimmer as a coach. Yes, you should find someone who can swim fast and someone who also really knows triathlon, but what you really need is someone who (and here's the kicker) can teach you how to swim faster. And, as you might imagine, this is not so easy to do. Sure, many very fast swimmers who have been training since youth swim great, but they do it almost instinctively, many of them simply don't know how to closely observe and troubleshoot your specific technique flaws and then tell you exactly how to correct each of them. Partly because they've never been down that path themselves."

You discount those of us who were fortunately to have natural ability and to have been fast when we were young who then went on to successful coaching careers.  I absolutely agree that anyone seeking a coach should strive to find someone that can identify technique flaws and be able to clearly articulate what needs to be done to correct those flaws.  However, to encourage someone to immediately discount a coach because that coach had natural ability and was fast in his/her youth just seems misguided to me.  

Using your logic, perhaps we should discount everything that comes out of the Gary Hall's Race Club?  He only swam in three Olympic games and was certainly fast as a youth.  Yet, he arguably has some of the best swim technique information available.

I agree to disagree, with all due respect.