The Beginner’s Guide to Diving into a Pool (+ More Advanced Options)

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Learn the best and safest ways to dive into any pool
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During the hot summer months, there’s no better feeling than diving into a cool pool. Diving headfirst feels exhilarating and can help you swim faster and reach further depths, opening up a whole new world when it comes to swimming in a pool. Learning to dive can be a little nerve-wracking at first, but good technique can help you can make the process easier. Keep reading for a step-by-step guide on how to dive, what precautions to take, and new dives to try, including insight from certified swimming instructor Brad Hurvitz and aquatic manager Hayley Church.

How do you dive into a pool?

Start by placing your lead foot over the rim of the pool. Then, place your lead foot slightly in front of your back foot, making sure that your toes hook over the edge of the pool. Raise your arms above your head, with your elbows straight and upper arms tucked against your ears. Push off and dive into the pool.

Section 1 of 4:

How to Dive Into a Pool

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  1. 1
    Place your dominant foot over the rim of the pool. If you're right-handed, your lead foot will be your right foot, and if you're left-handed, it will be your left foot. This is the starting position for a standing dive, which might come after a few practice dives from a seated or lunge position.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Dive Into a Pool
    Make sure that your toes slightly hook over the edge of the pool. Your back foot should be flat on the ground, with your weight balanced equally over your feet. [1]
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  3. Watermark wikiHow to Dive Into a Pool
    Raise your arms above your head with your elbows straight. Tuck your upper arms against your ears. Hold your hands flat, with one palm resting over the back of your other hand. Hold your arms and hands in this position until you're ready to dive. [2]
    • As always, remember to keep your chin tucked down to your chest.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Dive Into a Pool
    Rather than tipping forward and falling in, push off with your lead foot to add distance to your dive. Enter the water fingertips first. Keep your body straight as you dive, with your legs together and your toes pointed. Once your body is fully in the water, you can start swimming or immediately come up for air. [3]
    • Remember to exhale as you enter the water and hold your breath while you're in. You should be able to swim around for several seconds before needing to surface.
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Section 2 of 4:

Improving Your Form & Comfort

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Dive Into a Pool
    Many beginner divers, especially kids, are afraid to dive at first. It makes sense, since in any other situation, launching toward something headfirst would result in pain and injury. If you're nervous about taking the plunge, try these techniques to feel more comfortable with the idea:
    • Jump into the water feet first, so you get used to the feeling of entering water from a height. Sometimes kids think that water is hard, so it can help to point out to them that it's soft as you encourage them to splash around.
    • Practice falling while you're in the water. Stand up in the water and let yourself fall forward, then let yourself fall backward. See how the water "catches" you and prevents you from getting hurt.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Dive Into a Pool
    Since diving can be intimidating when you're a beginner, it helps to practice on land and visualize how the dive will go before you enter the water. Stand upright with your arms straight above your head, your upper arms hugging your ears. Keep your hands flat and place one palm over the other. Tuck in your chin. This is the way your upper body should be composed when you dive into the water.
    • You can practice the motion of diving on land as well. Find a grassy area or practice indoors on soft carpet. Get down on one knee and angle your arms and fingertips toward the ground. Roll forward so that your hands touch the ground, followed by your arms. Keep going until you're flat on your belly.
    • Remember to hold your hands flat and place one on top of the other, rather than clasping them. Tucking your chin into your chest is equally important. These actions help to streamline your body, making your entry into the water smoother.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Dive Into a Pool
    Stand with your toes slightly over the edge of the pool, and crouch down close. Put your arms in position over your head - remember to tuck in that chin! - and point your hands toward the water. Now rock your body forward and gently glide into the water headfirst. As your legs follow your upper body, straighten them out and point your toes.
    • As you enter the water, exhale, then hold your breath . You might accidentally inhale underwater if you feel startled, but once you get the hang of diving, it'll feel natural to hold your breath.
    • Practice diving from a crouch until you feel completely comfortable entering the water this way. Once it starts to feel easy and you're ready to move on, you can dive from a standing position.
  4. 4
    Try a surface dive to help you feel more comfortable. Church suggests that you try diving to the bottom of the pool while already in the water, which is also known as a surface dive: “There are two kinds of surface dives: feet first and top. A feet-first surface dive is where you “push your hands from the surface of the water down to your thighs until your body submerges.” According to Church, after you’re underwater, clap your hands up toward the surface, which will push you to the bottom.
    • Church says, “A top surface dive is when you're swimming forward on the surface of the water, and you turn 180 degrees, putting your head down toward the bottom. And you let your body fall down to the bottom with your feet up to the surface.”
  5. 5
    Make sure the top of your head is angled toward the water. Hurvitz explains how “the top of the head needs to be facing the target, which should be the bottom of the pool.” He adds that tucking the chin into the chest should facilitate that. Once you enter the water, Hurvitz suggests that you “make a snow angel with [your] hands,” which should “give you some momentum” to reach the bottom of the pool.
    • Finally, Hurvitz states that flutter kicks should help swimmers “break through the buoyancy of the water, pushing them to the surface.”
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Section 3 of 4:

How to Dive Safely

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Dive Into a Pool
    Since diving means entering a pool headfirst, the water has to be deep enough so that you don't hit the bottom too quickly and risk getting a head or spine injury. The Red Cross considers nine feet (about 2.7 metres) to be a good depth for diving if you want to be especially cautious, but the diving area in many pools is eight feet deep. Never dive into a pool that's less than eight feet (about 2.4 metres) deep. [4]
    • If you're unsure how deep a pool is, it's best to avoid diving there. It can be hard to gauge a pool's depth just by looking.
    • Find a pool where the depth of the water is clearly marked. In many cases, there will also be a sign posted that specifies diving is permitted there. [5]
    • Avoid diving into lakes, ponds and other natural bodies of water unless the area is supervised and has been cleared for diving. The depth of the water in these natural places is inconsistent, and there may be boulders hiding in the water that you can't see from the shore. [6]
    • Don’t dive in above ground pools as they’re usually not deep enough and could lead to serious injury.
  2. 2
    Practice good diving board etiquette, e.g. , swim away right after your dive. Unless conditions are specifically designated for partner dives, only one person should stand on a diving board at a time. Don’t run or bounce multiple times on the diving board, as it’s not a toy. Once you land in the water, swim away from the area beneath the board as quickly as possible to make space for the next diver. Abiding by these rules helps to avoid a traffic jam on land or a pile-up in the water! [7]
  3. 3
    Do not drink alcohol before or while diving. Just like you shouldn’t drink and drive, you also shouldn’t drink and dive! Alcohol impairs balance, coordination, and dulls the senses, leaving you ill-prepared to attempt any kind of diving stunt. This isn’t to say that you can’t have a delicious cocktail on vacation and then hop in the pool— but it’s best that you reserve your high flying dive attempts for a sober occasion. [8]
  4. 4
    Have a diving spotter help you the first few times. The act of diving from a standing position can be a little intimidating, and it might help to know that someone else is there to help you. Have the person stand next to you and place one hand on your belly and the other on your back, so they can guide you into the water.

    • Once you can dive from a standing position without needing a spotter, you're ready to advance.
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Section 4 of 4:

How to Attempt Advanced Dives

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Dive Into a Pool
    In competitive swimming, races begin with a dive off a starting block , raised slightly above the surface of the pool. To dive from this position, you start in a crouch, gripping the edge of the block with both your fingers and your toes. When the starting bell or shot sounds, you spring into a low dive and start swimming the moment you hit the water. [9]
    • When you're diving off of a starting block, it's important to streamline your body so that you enter the water with as little splashing as possible. Keep your body in a straight line and point your toes. This will minimize the water's drag on your body so you won't lose precious seconds during the race.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Dive Into a Pool
    When you've gotten comfortable diving from the side of the pool, you might want to try it from a diving board. Diving off the low board isn't too different from the side of the pool, but the high board is a different story. It's usually about 10 feet (3.0 m) above the water, and requires climbing a ladder to get to the top. [10]
    • Make sure the high dive is above very deep water, since you'll be entering the water faster. The water should be in the pool's diving zone and at least 12 feet (3.7 m) deep to be on the safe side.
    • You can use the same basic diving form to dive off the high dive as you'd use any other time. The key is to enter the water at an angle that gives you a smooth entry. If you lie out too flat, you'll end up doing a painful belly flop.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Dive Into a Pool
    “A “hurdle dive” is the proper term for starting a dive from a walk or run. You take three to five steps, followed by a one-legged jump before entering the water. Hurdling is done before any type of advanced dive that requires gaining height in order to move or contort your body before you actually enter the water. [11] To hurdle, do the following:
    • Start at the back of the diving board and take three to five steps. Three will give you plenty of momentum for a good hurdle, but you can take five if you have shorter legs or feel more comfortable taking more steps.
    • On the last step, you should be near the end of the diving board. Lunge and jump, swinging your arms upward at the same time. Don't jump off the diving board; jump straight into the air.
    • Land on the diving board with your feet in position to dive and your arms over your head. Now you're ready to jump off of the diving board and execute your dive.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Dive Into a Pool
    This advanced dive looks elegant and is a good next step once you've mastered the basic dive. Your body will rise up from the board, fold forward at the hips, then straighten into a dive. To do a jackknife, follow these steps: [12]
    • Begin with a hurdle: Take three to five steps, lunge and jump, and land on the edge of the board with your arms over your head. Jump off and slightly away from the diving board.
    • Raise your hips above shoulder level as you jump off the board.
    • Reach your arms down toward your toes. Your body should look like and upside-down V.
    • Straighten your body to complete the dive.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I avoid belly flopping into a pool?
    Community Answer
    You just have to practice and focus on bending your body the right way so that your body enters the water at an angle instead of straight down. A belly flop is often caused by someone not entering the water at a sharp enough angle, so make sure to aim straight downwards.
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  • Question
    How do you make sure you are diving properly?
    Community Answer
    The only real sure way is to have a coach or experienced diver watch and critique you, then help you to make necessary adjustments. It can be worth paying for a few lessons to ensure this. Other than that, you could watch videos on diving. When diving, check that you're not hurting yourself on entry, not making large splashes and that you're entering the water in a streamlined fashion.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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  • Question
    Does your pool need to be a certain depth?
    Community Answer
    Yes, as it says in Step 1, part 1, the pool must be deep or you risk a head or spinal injury. The Red Cross considers nine feet to be a good depth for diving if you want to be especially cautious, but the diving area in many pools is eight feet deep. Never dive into a pool that's less than eight feet deep. And if diving from the high board, the high dive must be above very deep water, since you'll be entering the water faster. The water should be at least 12 feet (3.7 m) deep, to be on the safe side.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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      References

      1. ↑ https://youtu.be/8aY3pr_XWFY?t=103
      2. ↑ https://youtu.be/GLMaNiC3egw?t=60
      3. ↑ https://youtu.be/GLMaNiC3egw?t=370
      4. ↑ https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/outdoors/camps/aquatics/minimum_water_depths_for_head_first_diving.htm
      5. ↑ https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthlinkbc-files/safety-tips-swimmers
      6. ↑ https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/staying-healthy/swimming-injury-prevention/
      7. ↑ http://stardustpool.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/StardustRulesforDivingBoardSafety.pdf
      8. ↑ https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/alcohols-effects-body
      9. ↑ https://youtu.be/iVWd80KLpZE?t=12
      1. ↑ https://youtu.be/KzapeOX8qwY?t=200
      2. ↑ https://theconversation.com/not-making-a-splash-the-anatomy-of-a-perfect-olympic-dive-8082
      3. ↑ https://youtu.be/y2JH4FOaCzM?t=8

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To dive into a pool, start by placing your lead foot over the rim of the pool and raising your arms straight above your head. Then, push off with your lead foot and dive head first into the pool so your hands enter the water first. To do a jackknife dive, start by taking a few steps forward on a diving board and then lunging and jumping so you land right on the end. Then, jump off the diving board and reach your arms down to your toes so you look like an upside-down V. Finally, straighten out your body and dive into the water. To learn how to practice diving, read on!

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