# What is the purpose of the spray of water in competitive diving? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 14, 2008, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-spray-of-water-in-competitive-diving/459922 "2008-08-14T01:04:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Duggy\_Fizzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Duggy\_Fizzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duggy_Fizzle)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-spray-of-water-in-competitive-diving/459922/1 "2008-08-14T01:04:51Z")
I’ve wondered about this for years. In major diving competitions there is always water spraying out of a spout, landing in proximity to where the divers hit the water. Its not much of a spray, looks to be less than from a garden hose. It can’t be from the water filtration process. Does it have something to do with disrupting the surface tension so the divers cause less splash? ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-spray-of-water-in-competitive-diving/459922/2 "2008-08-14T01:06:32Z")
[QUOTE=Duggy Fizzle] I’ve wondered about this for years. In major diving competitions there is always water spraying out of a spout, landing in proximity to where the divers hit the water. Its not much of a spray, looks to be less than from a garden hose. It can’t be from the water filtration process. Does it have something to do with disrupting the surface tension so the divers cause less splash? [/QUOTE] No, it’s so the divers can see the surface of the water clearly. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-spray-of-water-in-competitive-diving/459922/3 "2008-08-14T01:07:10Z")
As I understand it, it helps the divers see where the water surface is so they can accurately gauge their movements. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-spray-of-water-in-competitive-diving/459922/4 "2008-08-14T01:07:40Z")
My understanding is that it creates ripples in the water so that the divers can accurately perceive the surface of the water. If that isn’t defined for them they can misjudge the entry point of the dive. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-spray-of-water-in-competitive-diving/459922/5 "2008-08-14T01:13:21Z")
[QUOTE=Spartydog] My understanding is that it creates ripples in the water so that the divers can accurately perceive the surface of the water. If that isn’t defined for them they can misjudge the entry point of the dive. [/QUOTE] That’s my impression too…now ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-spray-of-water-in-competitive-diving/459922/6 "2008-08-14T01:16:39Z")
Three minutes from question to simupost. Just wow. (And I was reading the quest as ‘d **r** iving’. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-spray-of-water-in-competitive-diving/459922/7 "2008-08-14T01:30:28Z")
I think it has something to do with the divers being able to tell where the surface of the water is. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-spray-of-water-in-competitive-diving/459922/8 "2008-08-14T01:42:56Z")
I thought it was to aerate the water’s surface so to create less surface tension once they hit the surface? Or is that only used for high(er) dives? ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-spray-of-water-in-competitive-diving/459922/9 "2008-08-14T01:48:36Z")
It’s especially helpful for divers from Spain, who need help to see the surface of the river, or “Rio.” ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-spray-of-water-in-competitive-diving/459922/10 "2008-08-14T03:39:38Z")
Oh, c’mon, you guys, get serious. Everybody knows it’s because swimmers love rainbows. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-spray-of-water-in-competitive-diving/459922/11 "2008-08-14T03:52:48Z")
Like the medals it is a reminder of the days of the ancient Olympic Games when all the competitors competed in the nude, and due to the absence of toilets pissed in the high diving pool so that the divers could see the surface. ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-spray-of-water-in-competitive-diving/459922/12 "2008-08-14T04:37:52Z")
Related question: [Why are the divers always showering between dives?](http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/The-mystery-of-the-showering-divers?urn=oly,100472) ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-spray-of-water-in-competitive-diving/459922/13 "2008-08-14T12:57:44Z")
[QUOTE=Exapno Mapcase] Oh, c’mon, you guys, get serious. Everybody knows it’s because swimmers love rainbows. 😛 [/QUOTE] You mean rainbows _close to the earth?!_ :eek: OH NO! RUN! HIDE! It must mean we’re killing the earth! ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-spray-of-water-in-competitive-diving/459922/14 "2008-08-14T13:00:45Z")
Since we now all know about the divers seeing the water I’ve got another question. Why do the divers put their hands together so that they land on their palms? Or at least it looks very much like they land on their palms. Wouldn’t that make a bigger splash? ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-spray-of-water-in-competitive-diving/459922/15 "2008-08-14T15:16:49Z")
> [@](#): > > =Edward The Head > > Why do the divers put their hands together so that they land on their palms? splash? To make the point of entry work so that their whole body enters the water properly. Would kinda suck to have your body flop over because your entered the water with torso coming in backwards. It’s hydrodynamics! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-spray-of-water-in-competitive-diving/459922/16 "2008-08-14T15:59:52Z")
[QUOTE=Philster] To make the point of entry work so that their whole body enters the water properly. Would kinda suck to have your body flop over because your entered the water with torso coming in backwards. It’s hydrodynamics! 🆒 [/QUOTE] Huh? ---
**Author:** ![muttrox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a8b319/32.png) [@muttrox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muttrox)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-spray-of-water-in-competitive-diving/459922/17 "2008-08-14T17:22:30Z")
[QUOTE=Edward The Head] Since we now all know about the divers seeing the water I’ve got another question. Why do the divers put their hands together so that they land on their palms? Or at least it looks very much like they land on their palms. Wouldn’t that make a bigger splash? [/QUOTE] I saw somewhere else (maybe here, can’t remember) that as soon as they go in the water they “rip” the hands apart, creating a hole that helps the rest of their body enter smoothly, creating less splash. I would assume this is an extension of that tactic. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-spray-of-water-in-competitive-diving/459922/18 "2008-08-14T17:31:49Z")
[QUOTE=toadspittle] Huh? [/QUOTE] Hands flat can cause a bad entry as the hands need to shoot forward somewhat to control entry. Hands straight and the hands could violently tuck inwards or in some other direction. Picture what would happen to the torso if the diver’s hands pulled in towards the body. Instead of sweeping into the water cleanly, he/she is likely to break at mid-body/hips and the butt will project forward. Divers don’t dive exactly pin point straight and vertical at entry. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-spray-of-water-in-competitive-diving/459922/19 "2008-08-14T22:06:06Z")
[QUOTE=muttrox] I saw somewhere else (maybe here, can’t remember) that as soon as they go in the water they “rip” the hands apart, creating a hole that helps the rest of their body enter smoothly, creating less splash. I would assume this is an extension of that tactic. [/QUOTE] The hands make the hole and the ‘swim through’ pulls the body through the hole faster. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-spray-of-water-in-competitive-diving/459922/20 "2008-08-14T22:31:26Z")
[QUOTE=USCDiver] The hands make the hole and the ‘swim through’ pulls the body through the hole faster. [/QUOTE] So is that the reason that they put their hands palm down? You could do the same thing with them in the same position that the swimmers do off the wall couldn’t you? I’ve tried to put my hands like I see them, though it’s difficult to see exactly how they do it, and I can’t. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-spray-of-water-in-competitive-diving/459922.md?page=2)