Kneeling Dive
One knee down, arms streamlined – swimmers overbalance forward into a shallow dive, the step between sitting and crouching.
- Stages
- Stage 5, Stage 6
- Difficulty
- Developing
- Skills
- Streamlining, Starts
- Equipment
- None
- Age
- 7–99 years
- Group size
- 1–10 swimmers
- Time
- About 5 minutes
- In a lesson
- Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Only in water deep enough for diving under your pool's operating procedures, with a clear area in front.
- One swimmer at a time; arms always extended over the head on entry. Never dive into shallow water.
What it develops
- Controlled entries, including an introduction to diving
- Streamlined starts from the side
How to run it
- Kneel on one knee, front foot toes over the edge.
- Arms streamlined over the head, chin tucked.
- Lean forward until you overbalance, fingertips enter first.
- Glide, surface and swim.
Teaching cues
- Toes over the edge.
- Lean until you fall.
- Fingers first, glide up.
Make it easier
- Go back to the Sitting Dive.
- Helper points to the entry spot.
Make it harder
- Crouch Dive to Streamline.
- Swap the front foot.
Common faults
- Jumping up and landing flat.
- Head lifting on entry.
Corrections
- 'Fall, don't jump.'
- Eyes on the entry spot, chin in.
Assistant / L1 role
- Point to the entry spot on the water for each swimmer and give one comment on their streamline.