Tammy Stoner, age 15, of Bennington, Vt., for her question:
HOW LONG SHOULD A DIVING BOARD BE?
National and international diving meets include two types of competition: platform diving and springboard diving. Springboard diving is more popular than platform diving because more pools have springboards than have platforms. Diving boards used in meets measure 16 feet long and 20 inches wide. They extend about six feet beyond the edge of the pool.
In springboard diving, the diver uses the spring from a bouncing board to gain the height necessary to perform a dive.
In platform diving, the diver jumps from a high, stationary surface. Diving platforms for meets must be at least 20 feet long and 6 1/2 feet wide, covered with matting to prevent slipping. The platforms are 33 feet above the water.
Springboard diving competitions are held on one meter and three meter diving boards The one meter board is three feet above the water while the three meter board is 10 feet above water.
In the Olympic Games, springboard diving is held only on the three meter board. The United States national championship and some other diving meets have separate events on each board.
During the 1960s the development of aluminum diving boards revolutionized springboard diving and greatly increased its popularity as a spectator sport. Aluminum springboards are narrower and much more flexible than the earlier thick wooden ones. The aluminum boards provide great spring, enabling divers to gain more height. This increased height allows athletes to perform difficult dives that previously had been possible only from a platform.
Unlike swimming, diving emphasizes technique rather than endurance or speed. Champion divers require many years to perfect their skills. Therefore, most of them are older than champion swimmers. Many teen age swimmers win national or international championships but most divers do not reach their peak until their early 20s.
Diving is perfectly safe for properly trained athletes. Beginning divers risk serious injury if they do not learn proper techniques.
The most important movement for a successful dive consists of the approach and the hurdle. The approach consists of the first steps taken by the diver on the board or platform. The hurdle is the last step actually a short jump which takes him or her to the edge.
Some dives that are performed from the platform do not require an approach or hurdle because the diver starts at the edge.
Correct technique is particularly important in springboard diving. The diver must time the hurdle and takeoff to exactly match the rebound of the board. If the athletes timing is off by even a split second, the dive may be spoiled.
All dives involve certain actions that divers must follow precisely while in the air. Ideally, a diver enters the water vertically, with the body straight and the toes pointed.
If the diver hits the water head first, his or her arms should be extended in front of the head in line with the body. If the dive requires the athlete to enter feet first, the arms should be straight and close to the body.