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Teaching Dives In The Water
This article is similar to the one "Diving from the Deck". If you are one of those unfortunate coaches that don't have the luxury of using spotting equipment, spargers, tramps and etc., here is another teaching idea. It's another station for your divers and it's free. I have been using this teaching idea for both beginners and the more advanced divers to help them understand what a particular dive or technique will be like. The following will be an explanation of two drills I consistently use to demonstrate a concept. There are more but for ease of explanation, I chose the two described below.
For beginners that will try their first back dive, this water drill gives them an understanding of the principles of the back dive without being on the board. Many beginners are terrified of the back dive because of the fear of landing on their back and the pain it causes. This process seems to alleviate those fears for many of them.
The process begins by being in the water, facing the gutter and holding on to it just as if they were going to do a backstroke start. Their feet should be between their hands at the water surface. They should not try to jump out of the water to accomplish this drill. They will push off the wall with hands extended beyond their head. As soon as they extend with the leg push, they put their head back and arch their back. I tell them they will look like the mermaids down at Sea World. By arching their back with the head back they will rotate down, around, under and return to the wall. On the way down they are asked to open their eyes and see the bottom of the pool. The pool bottom is a visual reference that will represent the water surface when they get on the board to make their first attempt. Some divers will not arch their back or look back. Some will twist toward their stomach as they try this drill. If they can't make the correction, they shouldn't make the attempt when others try to do it from the board. Many of them just need additional time to play with this drill before they make the correction.
Just before making their first attempt, they are given another example of what the experience will be like. It's like a back bend in gymnastics except they will not hold balance at the start. Some boys can relate when they are told it's similar to a wrestler's bridge. They will fall back, arch and look for the water. They don't stop looking back until they see water. I also make certain guarantees to them. If they fall back, arch and keep looking for water, I will put them on their head. However, if as they fall back, they tuck the chin down, I can guarantee they will land flat on their back with their feet sticking up in the air. Before we make the attempt from the end of the board I ask them to make up their mind. "You're either going to do it or not but don't stand there forever making up you mind." The longer they stand the less likely they are to make the attempt. I will not go into the technique of assisting the diver with their first attempt. However the reader should know that this is the only time I physically assist a diver with any dive.
A second example would be for the diver, who is ready to do a 203 or 303 tuck for the first time. Most divers fear the come out because there is that chance of landing on their back.
Again in the water just a few feet from the side of the pool they will tread water. Then they will use a scissors kick and fin down with the arms to get their body to rise up out of the water. When their body goes down, they should try to drop the hips down and at the same time bring their knees up to their chest. An upward motion of the arms at this time will aid in rotation. They are asked to focus on an underwater light or a marking on the pool wall as they rotate. At about the time they lose sight of the marking, they will straighten the legs out (kick out) toward the water surface and look back for the pool bottom the same as in the back dive drill above. 
Understand that there is water resistance and some divers may experience some difficulty rotating against it. It's ok to use the arms to assist rotation. In this example we are only concerned with experiencing the kick out sequence. Doing the entire 1 1/2 rotation can be used but some kids just can't hold their breath that long.
I have used the water station for many other underwater drills with some success. Teaching kids how to somersault, twist etc. I have also taken kids to the shallower end of pools to work on underwater save mechanics. We have even used the bottom of the pool in deep water to establish a defined position for take-offs into various dives. The above are but a few ways to educate and have the diver experience certain dive mechanics or concepts without the worry of getting hurt while thinking about trying something new. Water resistance is the only handicap to a real time experience but many divers seem to need the extra confidence and understanding this idea affords them. The number of drills that can be performed in the water are limited only by the coaches imagination. A coach's job is to do everything possible to get the diver to that point where they can see themselves doing the dive. When that is accomplished, it's not long after that they are willing to make the attempt.
I would like to thank the diver, Tim, for helping make it a valuable visual experience for the reader.
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The process begins by being in the water, facing the gutter and holding on to it just as if they were going to do a backstroke start. Their feet should be between their hands at the water surface. They should not try to jump out of the water to accomplish this drill. They will push off the wall with hands extended beyond their head. As soon as they extend with the leg push, they put their head back and arch their back. I tell them they will look like the mermaids down at Sea World. By arching their back with the head back they will rotate down, around, under and return to the wall. On the way down they are asked to open their eyes and see the bottom of the pool. The pool bottom is a visual reference that will represent the water surface when they get on the board to make their first attempt. Some divers will not arch their back or look back. Some will twist toward their stomach as they try this drill. If they can't make the correction, they shouldn't make the attempt when others try to do it from the board. Many of them just need additional time to play with this drill before they make the correction.
