Diving Entry – swimming activities

Entering the water streamlined – hands locked and leading for head-first entries, feet together for feet-first.

Activities

• Crouch Dive to Streamline – From a crouch with toes over the edge, swimmers push out into a streamlined entry and glide before swimming.
• Diving Confidence Ladder – Swimmers choose their own rung – sitting, kneeling, crouching, lunging – and move up only when they've done three controlled entries, so nervous divers progress at their own pace.
• Diving Mini-Routine – Swimmers plan and perform three entries in order – e.g. pencil jump, tuck jump, and their current dive progression – with safe surfacing between each.
• Entry Splash Detective – Partners judge the size of the splash on each entry – the smaller the splash, the more streamlined the entry – making 'quality' easy to see.
• Flat Hand Grab – Learn the diver's hand position – one flat hand gripping the other, palms facing the water – that protects the head and opens the entry.
• 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.
• Kneeling Dive – One knee down, arms streamlined – swimmers overbalance forward into a shallow dive, the step between sitting and crouching.
• Lunge Dive – From a lunge with one foot forward at the edge, overbalance with arms leading and the back leg lifting, entering through the hands – a step between crouch and standing dives.
• Over the Noodle Dive – A noodle floats a short distance out; swimmers dive over it – encourages pushing out to a shallow, safe entry angle.
• Over the Top Entry – Refines the standing dive so the body travels up and over into a steep entry rather than out and flat – aiming the hands at a soft floating target.
• Pencil Jump – A straight feet-first jump out from the edge – arms by the sides, legs together, toes pointed – the basic diving entry shape.
• Poolside Shape Freeze – Dry-land practice on a poolside mat: swimmers freeze in straight, star, tuck and pike shapes on command, building the body awareness needed in the air.
• Sitting Dive – The first head-first entry: from sitting on the edge, arms over the head, swimmers overbalance forward into a shallow glide.
• Standing Dive – A streamlined standing dive from the side: bend, swing or reach, push out and enter through one hole.
• Streamline Glide After Entry – After a head-first entry from a low position, swimmers hold the streamline, then steer up by lifting the hands and head – a smooth, safe finish to every dive.
• Stride Entry – A feet-first stride entry – one leg forward, one back, arms out – that keeps the head above water, useful for watching the area and for safe entry into deep water.
• Target Entry Jumps – Jump feet-first into a floating hoop placed a safe distance from the edge – teaching swimmers to jump out with control and enter exactly where they intend.