Table of Contents
- What happens to the body when jumping from a 10-meter diving board?
- How often do injuries occur from high water jumps?
- Who should not jump from the 10-meter diving board?
- How to best prepare for a jump from the 10-meter board?
- What is the safest body position for the jump?
- How dangerous are other jump variations?
- Does it make a difference if you jump from the diving platform or a board?
- Can you fly too far by running up and land on the pool edge?
- Why can some people jump from great heights without getting injured?
- How dangerous is the entry into the water after the jump?
- Jumping from a 30-foot-tall tower - The Dangers and the Safest Ways
The 10-meter diving board in the swimming pool is a definite no-go for some, while for others, the jump is a test of courage or even an opportunity to show off. The respect for the height is not unfounded, as the jump from the 10-meter board comes with a risk. Especially inexperienced individuals can sustain severe injuries, which in the worst case can be fatal. On Monday, such a bathing accident with fatal consequences occurred in Bremen. The 23-year-old had presumably sustained internal injuries during his jump, as the police reported.
What makes the jump from the 10-meter diving board so dangerous? Which jump variation is the safest? And how can one prepare for such a jump? An overview of the most important points.
What happens to the body when jumping from a 10-meter diving board?
It's just water, right? Wrong! "At this height, the water is as hard as concrete," says Joachim Rödig, chief physician of the clinic for orthopedics and trauma surgery at the Mönchengladbach clinic Maria Hilf. In an interview with the "Rheinische Post" (RP), he warns: "When jumping from a 10-meter diving board, an extreme force is developed." If one lands incorrectly on the water, one can sustain severe injuries - "similar to a motorcycle accident." Bones can break, skin can burst, and internal injuries and chest contusions are also possible.
How often do injuries occur from high water jumps?
There are no numbers on this. However, a statistic from the German Life-Saving Association (DLRG) shows that there were at least 378 bathing accidents with drowning deaths in 2023, 23 more than the previous year. Most cases (90 percent) occurred in inland waters - including lakes (138) and rivers (135). The DLRG therefore warns against bathing in unsupervised waters. In swimming pools, there were the fewest drowning deaths. In 2023, there were eight.
Who should not jump from the 10-meter diving board?
Those who are inexperienced in jumping should not immediately jump from the 10-meter diving board. "Overestimating oneself is dangerous," says Roland Scheidemann of the German Life-Saving Association (DLRG) in an interview with the "RP". Those who are unsure should be reasonable and climb back down. Each jumper takes responsibility for their own 10-meter jump. Although supervisory personnel can ensure that the pool is clear and only one person is on the board at a time, it is still "life-threatening if someone attempts a header who is not experienced," according to Scheidemann.
Matti Büchner is the head of the diving department at the Berliner TSC and trains professionals as a national support point trainer. The DPA asked him how to best approach the first dive from the 10-meter platform. He recommends a slow approach – from the 1-meter board to the 3-meter board and so on. This strategy is also used by elite athletes until they have enough body tension for a straight entry. He explains: "From a 10-meter platform, one hits the water at about 50 km/h, that's quite an impact."
What is the safest body position for the dive?
The safest dive is one that is straight and tense: arms close to the body, legs closed, toes pointed. This offers the least resistance upon impact with the water. However, in general, any dive must be executed cleanly to be as risk-free as possible. A belly or back flop from even a 1-meter board can hurt.
How dangerous are other dive variations?
The hardness of water is noticeable even at low heights, especially if one performs a belly flop instead of an elegant header. An unfavorable landing on the water surface can quickly become painful. The rule of thumb for diving into water is: the smaller the body surface area, the better. But what is the safest? A research team from Cornell University in the US tested which forces act on the body and which injuries to expect when entering the water headfirst, hands first, or feet first. For the experiment, dummies were printed in 3D and shot into the water. Sensors measured the forces at impact, and high-speed cameras documented the experiment.
The safest of the three dive variations? No surprise: the "candle," or the straight dive with feet first. Only from a height of 15 meters does the risk of injury increase when choosing this dive variation, especially for the knees. To avoid skin injuries, stretch your toes and don't land flat-footed on the water surface. With the classic header, where the palms are placed together over the head, the risk of injury increases from 12 meters. From this height, skull fractures are possible. To avoid shoulder injuries, tense your arms and shoulders upon entry. The most dangerous are dives headfirst with arms close to the body. The results of the study suggest that such a dive from as little as 8 meters can result in significant injuries, potentially affecting the neck and spinal cord. This is shown by comparisons with pressure forces known to cause bone and muscle lesions.
Does it make a difference whether you dive from the platform or a board?
A platform is fixed, boards are movable. This means that a lot of body tension is needed in the middle of the body. Both the abdominal and back muscles should be tense when diving from a board. Otherwise, one might "collapse" which could negatively affect the dive execution – for example, the diver might end up in a side or forward position.
Can you overshoot and land on the edge of the pool by running up?
Yes, it is possible to overshoot and land on the edge of the pool by running up. This is more likely to happen if the diver does not have enough control over their speed and momentum during the run-up and take-off. It is important to maintain proper technique and speed control to avoid this.
A ten-meter diving board must be at least 13.5 meters wide from the edge of the diving tower. To clear this, the running speed would need to be 30 km/h. However, the risk from the height is great, especially if one loses control of their body and hits the water in an unfavorable position. Additionally, when taking a running start, one should always ensure that no one is in the water who could be landed on. Once in the air, the dive cannot be reversed. It's best to wait for a signal from someone that the water is clear. Expert Büchner strongly advises against running and jumping from a diving board. "They have a nasty anti-slip coating, and if you fall, you can really scrape yourself up," he explains. Instead, he suggests standing at the front of the board and bouncing up and down a couple of times like on a trampoline - with the appropriate body tension - before jumping into the water.
Why can some people jump from great heights without getting injured?
Technique! Whether professional high divers or adventurous cliff divers, body tension is key. This makes the body more compact. A trained entry position is also important. The greatest documented height from which a human has ever jumped is 58.8 meters. Extreme athlete Laso Schaller was the one who jumped from a waterfall in Ticino. Upon entering the water, he reached a speed of 123 km/h. Schaller landed in foaming water, which was less harsh than a smooth surface, but he still tore his inner band.
How dangerous is the entry after the jump?
A professional diving pool is five meters deep. A pool in a public swimming pool can be shallower. Therefore, expert Büchner recommends checking the depth before jumping. With a pool depth of five meters, the body is usually slowed down enough upon entry, but with a shallower depth, he recommends helping out. Arms and legs can be spread out from the body to increase resistance. But be careful: Only under water.
The 23-year-old in Bremen who jumped from the 10-meter diving board unfortunately suffered severe internal injuries, highlighting the danger of jumping from such heights without proper preparation. To minimize the risk of injuries, it's recommended to approach the first dive gradually, starting from a lower board and gradually increasing height.
When it comes to the safest dive variation, the research team from Cornell University found that the "candle" or the straight dive with feet first is the least risky, as it offers the least resistance upon impact with the water. However, even with this dive variation, it's important to maintain proper technique and tension to avoid injuries.
