How to Execute an Inward Dive on Springboard

Co-authored by Halle Payne

Last Updated: March 17, 2021

Lots of people enjoy doing tricks on the diving board while visiting a pool. Popular dives generally include front flips, double front flips, back flips, and reverse flips (also called gainers). A lesser-known dive is the Inward dive, which is a forward dive executed from the back position (the same position as a back flip/dive). This set of instructions will show you how to perform an inward dive safely and effectively.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Perfecting Your Approach

1
Walk to the end of the board, and turn around.
2
Place the balls of your feet on the edge of the board. Tighten your legs, and stand with your arms raised to you sides.

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3
Count down from 3. Then rise up onto your tip toes while bringing you arms up (either above your shoulders or all the way to your head).

EXPERT TIP

Halle Payne
Former Diving Coach
Halle Payne began diving at the age of 10. She coached the Brookwood Hills Bullfrogs' Dive Team from 2011-2013.

Halle Payne
Former Diving Coach

Bring your arms up to gather power. Halle Payne, former dive coach, tells us: "Swing your arms all the way up, so that your arms are right by your ears, to prep for the upcoming squat. This upward rise will give your arm swing — and subsequently your jump — more power."
4
Bend your knees and swing your arms down to your sides. It is very important to keep your chest and hips over your feet. Dropping your chest forward will cause you to jump into the board (and possibly hit it). Dropping your chest back behind your feet will cause you to jump too far away from the board. Additionally, popping your hips out will pull you away from the board, which reduces the height of your jump. Remember, the higher the jump, the easier the dive.
5
Swing your arms up (through the middle in front of you, not at the sides) and extend straight up. The board provides all the power for your jump. Try to get your arms to the top without bending them, as this will reduce the power of the board. Additionally, swing your arms to the top before you stand straight up. The best divers have their arms above their heads before they stand straight up, and are fully extended before their feet leave the board. Remember to keep your hips and chest over your feet as you extend. This will not work perfectly the first time, so do not be discouraged if you need a few practice jumps before attempting the dive.
- At this point, the board should throw you straight up into the air. Do not worry about hitting the board. If you do not drop you chest or pop your hips out, then the natural trajectory of the board will throw you to the exact distance you should be away from the board. This distance is a little more than arm's length from the end of the board.
EXPERT TIP

Halle Payne
Former Diving Coach
Halle Payne began diving at the age of 10. She coached the Brookwood Hills Bullfrogs' Dive Team from 2011-2013.

Halle Payne
Former Diving Coach

Halle Payne, former dive coach, tells us: "In order to jump higher and get enough distance from the board, keep your chest up and pull your arms all the way back up to your ears."

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Executing the Dive

1
Be brave but keep safe. Since you are facing the board, this is the "scary" part of the dive. Again, if you have done the approach/jump properly, then there is no chance of hitting the board.
- Should you think that you will hit the board during the dive, simply look down at the board, land with your feet, and fall to the side into the pool. If you are already inverted, then look at the board extend your hand to the board, and palm it while pushing away. This will make you fall backwards into the pool without hitting your head or torso. You may cut your hand if this happens, but it will not be a serious injury.
2
Once you are extended straight into the air, throw you arms forward towards toward your feet, and let your chest follow. Keep your head up, since tucking your chin will stop your rotation, and you will end up with a belly smacker. You should look like you are doing a toe-touch in mid-air, almost directly above the board.
3
Get into the straight position. The goal of every dive is to enter the water straight with minimal splash (canon-balls are not dives so much as they are splash jumps). To get into the straight position, simply bring your arms (straight elbows) up to your head (from the side, not through the middle), and clasp them together by using one hand to grip the fingers of the other (not the thumb). Remember to clasp your hands AFTER you have reached to your feet/toes, not before or during the reach.
- If you have not ducked your chin/head, then allow your legs (straight knees, pointed toes, no bend except at the waist) to rise above your torso/head. Both parts of this step occur simultaneously.
4
Enter the water. Once you are completely vertical in the air and have your hand clasped, simply keep you head up (it should already be up), and look at the water below. As you enter the water, allow the water to reach past your shoulders before parting your hands and bringing them back down to your sides (not through the middle).
- Keep your legs straight and your toes pointed, and go all the way down to about the bottom of the pool (you do not need to touch the bottom). This will ensure that you do not over-rotate, or bend your knees while entering the water. Now simply swim back to the surface and give it another try.

Warnings

Make sure that your pool's lifeguards will let you throw an inward dive. Some pools have strict policies about recreational use of their diving boards, and only allow front approaches. Check to make sure it is okay before proceeding.

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To perform an inward dive safely and effectively, you must be aware of the differences between springboards and platforms. In this article, you learned how to perform an inward dive off a springboard 1 meter above the surface of the water. To dive off a platform, a different procedure must be followed, which we did not cover in this article. Additionally, boards that are less than 1m above the water, are not flexible/springy, or both, were not be covered in this article. Please only attempt this procedure on a 1m springboard, or find an appropriate set of instructions for higher boards, stiff boards, or platforms.

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Things You'll Need

A pool with a 1m springboard
A swim-suit, jammer, or speedo if you are a boy, or a two-piece or one-piece suit if you are a girl. The dive is easiest to perform in a speedo for boys, and a one-piece for girls.