SWIMMING
DIVING
Guide to scuba diving terminology
Diving dictionary
Words or terminology used in the Canadian Navy
WORLD WAR II NAVAL GLOSSARY and TERMINOLOGY
Glossary of diving words and terms
The most commonly used terms in diving
Diving is a great sport to get into if you want to improve your health and fitness. However, it can be confusing in the short term to work out some of the more complex diving terms. Here's the realbuzz glossary to some of the more commonly used diving terms and phrases.
Approach – the forward steps taken by a diver toward the end of the board. This usually involves three or more steps.Armstand dive – a dive that's executed from a motionless armstand position on the edge of the platform. These are performed only from solid platforms and not the springboards.
Backward dive – a dive in which the diver begins with their back toward the water.
Degree of difficulty – a measure of each dive, telling how difficult it is to execute. It is used to determine the final score. Also known as the tariff.
Entry – the point in a dive in which the diver makes contact with the water.
Execution – the carrying out of the dive where the diver will be looking to maintain good control.
Forward dive – the diver faces forwards and rotates forwards away from the board.
Inward dive – the diver begins with back to the water and rotates toward the board after take-off.
Judge – an official who gives scores for each dive.
Pike – the diver bends their body forward at the waist. The legs are straight and the toes are pointed.
Platform – the solid diving board from which competitors dive. Also known as firmboards.
Reverse dive – the diver faces forwards and rotates backwards towards the board.
Somersault – a move that involves a complete rotation of the body with the heels over the head.
Springboard – a flexible diving board that adds to the diver's own spring on take-off.
Straight – a position in which body is straight from head to toe, with the feet together and the toes pointed.
Synchronized diving – two divers of the same gender perform the same or complementary dives from the same level board at the same time – the aim being to execute their dive in a similar fashion to the other.
Take-off – the moment at which the diver lifts from the board or platform to begin execution of the dive.
Tariff – the numerical value given to a dive. This is the same as the degree of difficulty. The degree of difficulty ranges from 1.2 to 3.6.
Tower – the entire diving platform structure.
Tuck – a position in which the diver bends their knees, bringing or ‘tucking’ the knees and thighs closer to the chest and heels toward the buttocks.
Twisting dive – any dive that includes a twist, whether forward, backward, reverse or inward.