Earlier this summer, an accomplished diver at the Aviator’s Pool casually mentioned a back flip was the easiest dive to learn. Of course I wanted to try it! Although he was a good diver, he may have landed a few too many times on his head to be a good instructor (which may have been why he didn’t have any hair) because he did not bother to tell me much else besides jump backwards, tuck my knees, and avoid hitting my head on the board. After following his advice and landing painfully on several different parts of my anatomy I was finally able to land feet first. What a trill!
Here is how I did it.
First I walked to the end and turned around with my back to the pool. Then I backed my left foot, then my right foot, over the edge of the board. My weight was resting entirely on the balls of my feet so I had to extend my arms to maintain my balance. Once I found my balance, I lower my arms to my side because I had seen divers do this in the Olympics. Pushing down with my toes and bending my knees, I raised my arms to depress the springboard. According to the experts, I should have raised my arms above my head while pushing down, and dropped my arms back down to my sides while bending my knees. Then I lifted my chest up and tilted my head back and pulled my knees to my chest and I landed feet first in the water. Victory!
