# Falling from the sky

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-from-the-sky/31372>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 30, 2000, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-from-the-sky/31372 "2000-08-30T18:09:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Arjuna34](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Arjuna34](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arjuna34)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2000, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-from-the-sky/31372/21 "2000-08-31T18:31:57Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by darkcool \*  
> \*\*  
> Tips for those interested :
> 
> 1. Lake Powell is a great place for this.
> 2. Wear wet-suit or neoprene shorts or not only will you get your balls slapped up to your chin, you will get the mother of all enemas.
> 3. Cross your legs slightly for the same reasons.
> 4. Though the urge is overwhelming, NEVER look down. Keep your head looking forward.
> 5. Cover your face with your hands and keep your elbows IN. This keeps water out of your nose and the water surface from smacking you under the chin which could knock you out. Think upper-cut. Its actually happened in diving competitions.
> 6. Realize it willseem to take FOREVER to hit, so again don’t look down.
> 7. Most impotantly - just have fun.
> 
> \*\*

I assume that you’re in the “standing upright” position as you fall? Does that have much of an effect on terminal velcity? If so, wouldn’t the best strategy be to fall with your body horizontal, and limbs spread out to increase surface area, and then at the last minute assume a vertical position for best entry into the water? Or does your body position not really affect terminal velocity that much. It might not make much difference from 90ft, but if you had to fall from a mile up, for example, would it matter?

Arjuna34

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2000, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-from-the-sky/31372/22 "2000-08-31T19:04:33Z")

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Body position makes a huge difference for terminal velocity, a fact often used by skydivers to maneuver relative to each other while in freefall. However, it’s pretty close to negligable for a fall of only 90 feet, and such a short fall also allows you little time to change position for optimal orientation to hit the water, so you should probably start off vertical.

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**Author:** ![Arjuna34](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Arjuna34](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arjuna34)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2000, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-from-the-sky/31372/23 "2000-08-31T19:55:17Z")

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So is the 120-130 mph terminal velocity mentioned above the highest (i.e. in a diving position) or lowest (i.e. prone) velocity? If so, what’s the other extreme?

Arjuna34

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2000, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-from-the-sky/31372/24 "2000-08-31T21:59:52Z")

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The 120-130 figure is for a spread-eagle (slower) orientation. For a faster (more vertical) orientation, the speed is about 200 mph.

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