How to Back Kick: Step by Step, Plus Why You Drift Up

Most divers who struggle with the back kick are trying too hard. It's a technique kick. A slow, deliberate stroke moves you further than a fast one.

Why learn the back kick?

The back kick is how you:

• Adjust your position relative to the team or an ascent reference while maintaining depth through buoyancy control.
• Back away from a reef, a wreck or a photo subject without turning around.
• Keep your place in the team when the diver ahead slows down.
• Correct overshoot without using your hands.

It's also a core skill for technical training. UTD's Essentials of Tech requires a back kick and a helicopter turn, Tech 1 requires you to hold position with a back kick, and our Techreational course expects you to arrive comfortable with it.

How to practice the back kick

1. Establish horizontal trim and neutral buoyancy. Keep your head up, knees up and fins clear of the bottom.
2. Work through the loading stroke. Set the fins for the next movement without undoing your progress.
3. Use a controlled power stroke. The aim is to direct water forward so you move backward, without changing body angle.
4. Glide or rest. Let the movement finish before repeating it.
5. Review the result. Use a fixed reference and video to distinguish backward movement from a change in depth or trim.

Learn the detailed fin and leg movement through demonstration and feedback. Video helps you see whether each phase produces the intended movement while your body stays in trim.

Why do I go up when I back kick?

Rising while back kicking is the most common problem. It almost always comes from one of these:

• Looking down. Your head drops, your body tilts, and every stroke pushes you up and back. Keep your head up and look forward.
• Feet too low. If your trim is feet-down, the fins push water toward the bottom. Fix your trim first; see Horizontal Trim.
• Fin tips angled down. The blades should stay roughly flat, parallel to the bottom, during the pull.
• Rushing the extension. A fast extension sends you forward and up. Slow it down.
• Rounded back. A gentle arch, chest slightly down, keeps you level.

Drills that help

Practice without fins

In a pool, try the motion with bare feet. Without fin resistance, you can isolate the movement your instructor has demonstrated. Then transfer it to the configured rig while holding trim.

Practice at the surface

Float face down with a mask and snorkel and work the motion slowly. You can watch your progress against the pool wall.

Use a reference

Underwater, pick a fixed point in front of you, like a rock or a line, and watch the distance change. If you're also rising, you'll see it.

Get filmed from the side

The side view shows your trim, your fin angle and your head position all at once. It's the fastest way to see what's going wrong.

How long does it take to learn?

It varies widely. Some divers get a functional back kick in one session with good coaching; others take dozens of dives. The fastest progress comes from working on trim first, practicing slowly and getting video feedback.

Which fins work best?

Stiff blade fins with spring straps make the back kick much easier. Split fins and very soft fins don't give you a firm surface to pull against, which is why UTD's back kick training requires non-split fins. See Scuba Finning Techniques for more on fins and the other kicks.

Common back kick mistakes

• Trying to power it. Strength isn't the answer. Timing is.
• Using your hands to help. It works in the moment and stops you learning the kick.
• Practicing only when tired. Work on it early in the dive, when you're relaxed.
• Skipping trim. A back kick from bad trim will always drift.

Learn it with feedback

Our Propulsion and Back Kick Extension focuses on non-silting propulsion and positioning kicks while maintaining buoyancy, trim and control. By the end, you hold your position with a back kick while neutral, including during a normal ascent. It's also part of Essentials of Recreational Diving.