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Diving is a sport of precision: flipping, twisting, and entering the water with mechanics unlike any other. A single dive lasts seconds. Mastery takes years.
Learn all about it here at The Dive Source.
What is The Dive Source?
This website is a digital hub designed to organize and centralize springboard and platform diving knowledge for athletes and coaches across the country. Whether you're a coach, athlete, or meet director, our goal is to give accessible, relevant, and actionable tools, techniques, and resources for every level of diving.
We aim to strengthen the diving community by increasing the quality, consistency, and visibility of training, education, and meet operations across the U.S.
How to Use This Site
The Dive Source is organized into clear categories to help you find what you need quickly:
Technique Library: Includes subsections with tips on teaching diving, relevant drills, and strength and flexibility.
Coaching Resources: spotting and belt info, developing a coaching philosophy, program planning.
Athletes: tips for improving performance, diving legends and what we can learn from them.
Tech and Tools: Equipment, Analysis tools, the science behind diving
Career Pathways: info on options within the diving community.
Discussion forum: hear from others about NCAA, USA, Club diving, and more.
Standards: DD charts, scoring info, and downloadable resources.
Each section is curated with both functionality and education in mind, including relevant information and practical applications for every level.
Who is This For?
Coaches who are looking to level up their programs, stay current, and access helpful tools
Athletes aiming to improve technique, understand training, or learn more about the sport
Anyone invested in growing the sport and raising the standard of diving in the U.S.
Submit Content
Have a great drill?
Practice progression?
Meet checklist?
We’d love to feature it! The Dive Source is designed to be a collaborative space, and we welcome high-quality content from coaches, athletes, and officials across the country.
📨 Click here to submit videos, articles, PDFs, or recommendations for tools and resources.
All submissions are reviewed and credited where applicable.
The Team
The Dive Source is run by a team of passionate divers, coaches, and professionals dedicated to elevating the sport of diving. While we stay behind the scenes, our goal is simple: to make diving knowledge more accessible, current, and practical for athletes, coaches, and meet directors at every level. This platform was built by people who love the sport and want to see it grow.
Get in touch:
Email us at divesource365@gmail.com
How to use this site:
Parents...
... can use this to improve understanding of diving structure, spotting progress, or gain insight to supporting their athlete emotionally.
Athletes...
...can explore tools for visualization, headspace, self-led improvement and more.
Coaches...
Club and age group
You may want to dive deeper into training cycles, skill progressions, and competition prep. If you're running lessons or a rec program, the priority might be safety, games, and making diving fun.
High School
You might focus on practice planning, fundamentals, and building confidence.
College and beyond
You may find more value in high-level technical breakdowns, mental training strategies, or competition tools, while college athletes might be here for mindset work, consistency drills, or nutrition and recovery guidance.
There’s a lot of information on this site, and that’s intentional. You don’t need to read everything. Take what fits your role, your goals, and your athletes right now. Then come back for some more :)
Let's Get Started!
First, what IS diving?
Takes place in a swimming pool
involves jumping off a surface and entering into the water
aaaannnnndddd....
that's about where the similarities to swimming end!
Though the two are often grouped together, especially at the high school or collegiate level, diving and swimming are entirely different sports, and both deserve recognition for their unique challenges and skills.
While swimming focuses on speed and endurance across distances, diving is a precision-based sport built on power, technique, body control, and aerial awareness.
Moral of the story: swimming and diving are not the same!
So, what is diving ACTUALLY?
Diving is a sport that combines grace, strength, and split-second precision. Athletes launch from springboards or platforms, performing flips, twists, and often multiple different positions in mid-air before entering the water with minimal splash. Every movement is judged for control, technique, and form, all executed in just a few seconds. Despite its elegance, diving demands years of physical and mental training, body awareness, and technical mastery.
Some History...
Diving has roots in gymnastics and acrobatics, first appearing as a competitive sport in Europe in the late 19th century. It was introduced to the Olympics in 1904, and has since evolved into a highly technical discipline dominated by countries like China, the United States, Russia, and Australia. Athletes like Greg Louganis, Fu Mingxia, Tom Daley, and Guo Jingjing helped shape the sport with record-breaking performances and iconic styles.
Today, diving features events on 1m, 3m, and 10m boards, including synchronized competitions and mixed-gender formats, with execution, difficulty, and entry largely defining overall success.
Diving Basics
Key Terms:
Fulcrum: The adjustable wheel on a springboard that controls how much bounce the board gives.
Shammy (or Chamois): A small towel divers use to keep dry between dives for better grip, and to perserve warmth.
Approach: The initial steps a diver takes to build momentum on the board.
Hurdle: The last jump divers take (with one knee up) from the board before takeoff.
Dive Categories:
Front: Facing forward, rotating away from the board.
Back: Standing backward, rotating away from the board.
Reverse: Facing forward, rotating backwards toward the board.
Inward: Standing backward, rotating forwards toward the board.
Twister: Any dive that includes 0.5 or more twists in the air.
Dive Positions:
Straight (A): Body stays fully extended with no bend at hips or knees.
Pike (B): Legs straight, body bent at the hips.
Tuck (C): Hips and knees bent, knees pulled to chest, arms wrapped around legs.
Free (D): A mix of positions, often used in twisting dives.
Dive Levels:
Springboard: 1m and 3m boards with adjustable fulcrums for bounce control.
Platform: Fixed heights at 5m, 7.5m, and 10m. (Occasionally facilities will have a 1m and 3m platform, as well as non-regulation heights such as 2m or 6m. These heights are not used in competition.) They have no spring, instead relying on pure power and technique.
Where can I dive?
Diving opportunities exist at every level, from beginners to elite.
Lessons & Learn-to-Dive Programs: Great for first-timers and younger athletes to build basics in a safe, fun environment.
Club Teams: Offer year-round training, travel competitions, and development toward higher-level diving.
High School Diving: Available in many school districts, often tied to swim teams and local leagues.
College Diving (NCAA/NAIA): Competitive programs with structured training, travel meets, and scholarships across the U.S.
Olympic-Level & National Teams: For elite athletes competing in national and international circuits, often through USA Diving and affiliated training centers.
Wherever you're starting, there’s a place for you on the board.
What is a "rip"?
A rip is the sound that accompanies a perfect entry with minimal splash. It gets its name from the sharp “ripping” noise that happens when the diver’s hands slice cleanly through the surface, leaving almost no trace behind. Creating a rip requires precise body alignment, tight core control, and an aggressive yet controlled entry. It's one of the most satisfying (and difficult) skills to master in diving.
What are the groups and positions in Diving?
Fronts- (100's)
Backs- (200's)
Reverses- (300's)
Inwards- (400's)
Twisters- (5000's)
Armstands- (600's)
______________
A- Straight
B- Pike
C- Tuck
D- Free (used for twisters)
Learn more in the video above!
What's the deal with the little towels that divers carry?
Those tiny towels you see divers carrying around? They’re called shammies (or chamois), and they’re a must-have piece of gear in the sport.
Shammies are super-absorbent microfiber or synthetic suede towels that dry the body quickly without staying wet. Divers use them between dives, especially on hands, legs, and arms to maintain grip, reduce slipping, and stay warm. A wet body means less traction during takeoff, which can throw off control and timing.
Choosing the Right Shammy
Material: Look for fast-drying synthetic materials (stay away from standard terrycloth towels)
Size: Most range from 12x14" to 16x18". They are compact enough to carry, but big enough to be effective
Grip: Some divers prefer slightly rougher textures for better friction
Dry Time: The best ones dry in seconds with a quick wring
Where can I get a shammy?
A quick internet search of "swim towel chamois" or "swim towel shammy" will bring up a variety of other options:
Reputable Brands: Flow, Sporti, WaterGear, Speedo.
In a pinch, occasionally sports stores or even walmart will carry these products too!
Hot Water = Hot Topic
Hot water keeps muscles warm and ready between dives. Divers often wait as long as several minutes between dives, and standing around wet in a cold environment can lead to stiff joints, tight muscles, and decreased power output.
Warm water helps divers maintain muscle elasticity and joint mobility, prevent cold-related tension or cramping and improve focus and comfort between rounds.
It’s especially critical at indoor meets or in colder environments where body temperature can drop quickly between events.
Where Can I find Current Diving news/events?
Disclaimer
All information presented on this website has been sourced from publicly available online resources. Unless explicitly stated, the authors and contributors of this site do not claim ownership of any external content, including text, images, or footage.
The material shared on this platform is intended to inform and support the diving community in a positive manner. To the best of our knowledge, all content has been reviewed for factual accuracy prior to publication. However, The DiveSource does not guarantee complete accuracy and shall not be held liable for any unintentional errors, misinformation, or outcomes (including misuse or injuries) that may result from the use of information found on this site.
If you are the original author or rights holder of any content featured here and would prefer it be removed, please contact The DiveSource, and we will honor your request promptly. For any additional questions, concerns, or issues regarding the site's content or cited sources, please reach out and we will respond as quickly as possible.
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