Diving

Diving has always been one of my favorite parts of swimming and competing. The feeling of weightlessness as you descend from the blocks to the water is such a cool experience, and going into a race it washes away most of the nerves. However, for many, diving can be a scary and difficult task to conquer, and a skill that takes a lot of practice to master.
While in the competitive world of swimming, there are many types of dives to learn, the most generic is a simple "start" off the block. This is taking a tensed position gripping the blocks with your hands, and having one foot on the edge of the block while your other foot is farther near the back of the block. This allows the most push for the swimmer to go off the block, which is helpful to have if you want to swim fast.
But it's also important to keep up good form after you've pushed off the block, while you're in the air or entering the water. This includes position in the air, streamlined position, when you take your breath, and even for some people if you keep your eyes open or closed when you enter. In the book "Swimming for Exercise" by Greg Whyte, strategies for maintaining the proper positions are offered. "Keep your hips high and your feet higher than your hips...point your hands and arms towards the surface of the water." (Whyte 47). I try to do this in dives I do normally, however I still tried to apply this advice to my dives anyways. I noticed that my dives are smoother and more fluid rather than flat, which can lead to injury.

I would recommend doing this in all dives, as it makes your dive feel a lot stronger and smoother consistently.
Have you ever done a dive before? Where were you, and did you find it scary at all?
Citation:
Whyte, Gregory P., and Eddie Jacob. Swimming for Exercise: Optimize Your Technique, Fitness and Enjoyment. Richmond Hill, Ont.: Firefly, 2011. Print.