Finswimming Overview
Whilst there is speculation about the origin of Finswimming and the fins themselves it is clear that competitive events were held in France in the 1920s, Italy in the 1930s and the UK by the 1950s. A discipline of underwater sports, Finswimming is swimming with the use of a monofin/bifin on the surface of the water or underwater. There are three internationally recognised disciplines; Surface, (kicking on the surface of the water using a centre-mounted snorkel,) Apena, (kicking on the surface or underwater with no breathing allowed,) and Immersion (kicking underwater with the use of a scuba-tank and modified regulator). Each discipline is raced over various distances and can take place in a pool or in open water.
Finswimming is a relatively young sport with the first European Championships held in 1967 and every other year since. The first World Championships took place in Germany in 1976 and are also hosted on a 2 year cycle. All World and Continental Championships are organised under the regulations of the International Governing Body, CMAS.