10 Steps to dive like a pro for beginners

The Ten Commandments for a correct dive – Anyone can do it!

Many dream of knowing how to dive into a pool in an elegant and correct way. A correct dive means proper entry into the water and giving momentum to the swimming that follows. Anyone without fear of water can make the dive and there is no need to be professional swimmers. In this article we list the steps for a correct dive with simple explanations that anyone can perform.

Firstly, it is important to note that the goal of a dive is to avoid damage to the neck and lower back and not to land on the abdomen. In addition, we want to avoid hitting the pool bottom or losing our goggles. To prevent these things from happening, the initial and basic state of a dive is the arrow hand stretch – the head is under the hands, the back of the right hand touches the palm of the left hand (or vice versa) and the thumb of the left hand covers the right hand.

 

The ten exercises for diving correctly

10 steps to learn a swimming dive and protect the neck & the lower back in WEST swimming technique.

Each exercise must be performed 3 times and after falling or jumping into the water it is recommended to swim 50-100 meters in freestyle to release the neck and body and to continue to the following exercises.

 

  1. Diving in a pool step 1-Sitting by the pool, feet on the wall, falling into the water.

Place your feet on the wall, your buttocks on the pool edge and your hands are raised above your head in the shape of an arrow. Slowly move the hands in the arrow position, from their position above the head, toward the water. Only when the arrow touches the water and the breastbone reaches the knee area, straighten your feet and stay in the arrow in the water for 3 to 5 seconds.

 

Sitting position, feet at the edge of the pool, buttocks towards the heels and falling into the water in an arrow position.

Sit on the edge of the pool with your feet resting on the lip and your toes holding the edge of the pool and touching the water slightly. The buttocks touch the heels or bent to the edge of your ability without putting pressure on the back or knees. Balance is a little difficult in this exercise, so before jumping into the water it is advisable to stabilize the feet (for children the posture is very easy). Make an arrow with your hands and slowly straighten your hands toward the water. When the hands touch the water, straighten the legs.

 

  1. Diving in a pool step 3- Standing in a 90 degree angle, hands in an arrow and falling into the water (similar to crouching).

In this exercise do as in Exercise 2, but the angle between the knees and buttocks will be 90 degrees. Usually, this step is easier in terms of flexibility of the knees. It is important to note that when you direct your hands toward the water and lose your balance, do not raise your head above your hands, but stay in the arrow position so as not to fall on your stomach.

 

  1. Diving in a pool step 4-Arrow-shaped hands are directed at a 45-degree angle towards the water, and the angle between the hip and the knee will be over 90 degrees.

The exercise is performed like exercise number 3, but in this exercise the body is directed towards the water. The arrow will directed toward the pool bottom, a meter away from the wall. For the most part, the distance seems too close and therefore people tend to raise their palms upward. As a result, they fall on the stomach instead of penetrating the water in an elegant way.

  1. Diving in a pool step 5-After the jump, as soon as you lose balance – the legs are straightened.

Repeat exercise 4, but this time you don’t have to wait for the palms to touch the water to straighten your legs. In this exercise, as in the previous exercise, the angle of preparation for the jump will be 120 degrees between the knees and thigh, the arrow is directed toward the pool bottom a meter away from the wall. When you begin to lose balance, leap lightly and stretch your body in the water for 3-5 seconds, like the previous exercises.

 

  1. Diving in a pool step 6- Jumping without falling – hands in an arrow, the angle between the knee and thigh is about 120 degrees.

In this exercise, you do not wait to lose balance but jump when your body is ready. The emphasis is not to jump too hard and not to open the arrow as a result of the scare that the water is approaching quickly.

 

  1. Diving in a pool step 7- Standing with your legs spread at 25 centimeters, with your toes at the edge of the pool – on the “Jump” call, straighten your hands in an arrow and jump into the water.

For this exercise you need a friend, a lifeguard, or a person who is around. In the preparation stage create a comfortable spread, that is, find your proper posture without causing pressure in the lower back or neck. In the exercise, you close your eyes, concentrate on entering the water, and tell the other person to start us with a “jump” call. As a result of closing our eyes, the senses become sharper and we can get a more accurate dive. In addition, we practice out-lashing power for the dives that will come later in our learning. Open your eyes only as soon as your hands enter the water.

 

  1. Diving in a pool step 8- Diving into a hoop at a distance of one and a half meters to two meters from the water.

One of the important things about diving is knowing how to adjust the distance of the dive and then also directing the entrance to the water while stretching your hands upwards. Diving into a hoop requires controlling the exact position in which you land in the water and teaches you how to stretch your hands upwards immediately after entering the water so as not to collide with the bottom.

 

  1. Diving in a pool step 9-Diving in a dolphin motion and continuing to swim with 3 strokes.

Stand up as in exercise # 7, where your toes are on the edge of the pool, the body is bent slightly, and gently bend the legs to the area that your flexibility allows. Hands are placed on the edge of the pool and head down. On the “jump” call, the hands form the arrow and the legs straighten as the body enters the water. After the body is stretched in the water, perform 2 to 4 dolphin motions, stop 30 cm from the water line and make the first stroke. Afterwards, three such strokes are performed without breathing. During the whole exercise swimming, keep your head toward the floor.

The aim of swimming after the dive is to maintain the momentum of the dive. There are many swimmers who stop the dive before they use its momentum to the end. Raising the head and breathing while we are in motion causes the stopping of the momentum.

 

  1. Diving in a pool step 10-Exercises 4-9 from a Starting Block.

The tendency when you are on a diving board is to jump too far. In the early stages of the dive, the strength of the jump is not important, but the exact penetration at the correct angle when entering the water. Swimmers who make all the former steps will also jump easily from the diving board.

 

 

Finally, in order to train and make a precise dive, correct and fast, you don’t have to climb to a high diving board. If you feel that the jump is comfortable and easy, try diving when one leg is in front and one leg back, just like runners before a race.

 

Happy diving!

Contact Us

Wait! Before you press the X button.
Receive FREE tips directly from Ori Sela

It will change your swimming technique forever!