Anyone who has seen a dive knows what’s the most important to a good score — a small splash. But beyond that, who knows what to look for?
LSU senior diver Elle Schmidt and junior diver Daniel Helm know. The Tigers walked The Daily Reveille through some of diving’s finer points:
The planning
“We do six dives in competition and have to cover five,” Schmidt said “Front, back, inward [standing backward but you dive in toward the board], gainer [standing frontward but you dive back into the board], and then a twisting category.”
Schmidt said LSU diving coach Doug Shaffer decides which dives the Tigers do in competition, and the list of dives is published well in advance of a meet.
The mindset
What do divers think about before taking the plunge?
“Nothing,” Helm said. “Once you get on the board, you don’t really think. You just let your body do.”
Schmidt said she tries to focus on one thing before each dive and lets the rest take care of itself.
“You try not to think of it all at once because if you did, it would seem psychotic,” Schmidt said.
The dive
It doesn’t take long to figure out how a dive is going to pan out, Schmidt said.
“You know if you get a good takeoff whether it’s going to be good or bad,” Schmidt said.
Helm said if something doesn’t feel right, there’s only so much he can do before hitting the water.
“If your tops aren’t there or your spins aren’t there, you know you have to save it or cross your fingers and hope you go in on your head,” Helm said.
The finish
Schmidt said when divers enter the water like they’re supposed to, their hands hit first and make a hole in the water for their body to pass through, and the consequences of making a mistake are immediate.
“If you go in the water and something hurts, that’s a pretty good indication that it went wrong,” Schmidt said.
Helm said he knows right away if the dive is going to score well and that getting it just right “feels amazing.”
The scoring
Each specific dive has its own degree of difficulty, which determines a maximum score for each dive. After a dive, the degree of difficulty is multiplied by the judges’ scores to find the dive’s total score.
“Judges look for height, proximity to the board and splash,” Schmidt said. “Other than that, it’s form. If your legs are bent or your toes aren’t pointed, you’re going to get points off.”
Helm said the judging can start even before the diver reaches the end of the platform or springboard.
“Judging starts right when you get on the board, pretty much,” Helm said. “If you look funny on the board they’re already picking you away on it.”
