Head-First Surface Dive
A piked surface dive: swim forward, bend at the hips, lift the legs vertically and let their weight drive the swimmer down.
- Stages
- Stage 6, Stage 7
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Skills
- Submersion, Surface Dives
- Equipment
- Sinkers
- Age
- 8–99 years
- Group size
- 1–8 swimmers
- Time
- About 4 minutes
- In a lesson
- Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Deep water: swimmers stay within reach of the wall or a helper, with a noodle or float ready.
- Keep dives short; breathe out steadily; watch every swimmer surface.
What it develops
- Surface dive feet-first and head-first
- Surface dives and object recovery
How to run it
- Swim slowly forward on the front.
- Pull the arms down and bend at the hips, head down.
- Lift the legs straight up above the surface.
- Sink, swim down to touch the floor or a sinker, then return.
Teaching cues
- Head down, hips up.
- Legs straight up.
- Let them sink you.
Make it easier
- Duck Dive for Treasure in shallower water.
- Tuck the legs instead of piking.
Make it harder
- Recover two objects.
- Surface dive and swim a short way along the floor.
Common faults
- Legs staying bent so there is no drive.
- Going down at an angle.
Corrections
- 'Point your toes to the ceiling.'
- Pull the water up past the chest.
Assistant / L1 role
- Supervise the dive area from poolside and reset sinkers between swimmers.