Whenever you watch diving in the Olympics, the pools always have little water sprays or bubble jets at the surface.
What is the purpose of those things?
I think it makes it easier to see exactly where the surface of the water is. From on high, with very clear water that is still, this is diffcult.
For me, it’s much easier to urinate up there if I hear the sound of running water.
gcarroll is absolutely correct. Reference is a huge problem for divers as they are constantly flipping and twisting about. The choppy surface is a lot easier to identify than a smooth one.
Being able to visually pick up the surface while in the air is the main reason, as others have said. In addition, doesn’t a slightly rough water surface also produce less splash? I’m trying to recall some dim memory, so I may be way off on this one.
Makes sense. Thanks.
In case of a misjudgement, isn’t disturbed water safer to belly-flop into?
In complex dives the diver only has moments to judge their height. If the surface is flat it is extremely difficult to judge where you are. Mind you it may increase the visual appeal of diving if the divers didn’t know their height and were regularly tragically long or short.
Y’know, I thought this. With the surface tension broken, one would think it would be a little “softer” to hit. I don’t know if it makes a significant difference though.